MindaNews / 15 May 2026 – Incredible what Senator Bato dela Rosa did this week.

On Monday, he reappeared in the Senate after a long six-month hiding, err, absence, and showed that he can run a flight of stairs to the Senate hall in record time at 64-year old, beating NBI agents nearly half his age.

On Tuesday, he cried about how he feels this is the “worst government” trying to arrest him.

On Wednesday, he sang his old PMA hymn. 

On Thursday, he disappeared again.

Bato na parang bula.

***

What he actually did this week was to change the Senate, not just changing the leadership with his decisive 13th vote, but changing the August hall into his school playground.

He played taga-anay and tago-anay with NBI.

He cried like a bully facing detention.

He sang like a school choir.

He slept in the Senate office like it was his school dorm.

He let his classmate play baril-barilan with NBI bullies, which caused a commotion.

Then right after that, he skipped school, never to be seen again the next day.

Nag-absent, nag-cutting class, namayabas, nagsibat.

The August hall of the Senate turned into an aghast episode of a reality show that beats Pinoy Big Brother.

***

And all these happened because of an ICC warrant for his arrest.

The tough talking Senator Bato, former police chief who struck fear through his tokhang operations, is running away for the past six months from arrest for crimes against humanity.

That sprint to the Senate Hall was actually him running away from the ghost of the past trying to catch him for accountability.

But he has to drag the Senate to shield him from arrest, invoking “protective custody,” sovereignty, and Supreme Court TRO.

He had to disrupt the Senate not just for a day or two, but for the whole week. Naligsan hinuon ang mga importanteng mga hisgutanan sa Senado. A farmers’ group lamented that their supposed schedule to talk about food security was postponed. For Bato’s allies who are now the Senate majority, Bato’s survival is priority, while farmers’ survival became collateral damage.

He had to turn the Senate into a hotel, and on Wednesday turned it into a virtual game of gunfire and broadcast by panicked reporters and allied Senators.

And when everything subsided, he reportedly snuck away from the Senate building before the break of dawn.

Nawala na parang bato, este, bula.

Arrest warrant na naging Bato pa.

***

Now, a thousand presscons by the Senate President, a thousand analyses from the media, could not put Bato and the Senate reputation together again.

For the newly elected Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano, what a first week he has on his new job. First week pa lang, may drama, infighting, guns firing, livestream, and tantrums on a presscon. 

Imagine him presiding over the impeachment of VP Sara while facing prying journalists, we think he would have more white hair than Tito Sotto in a matter of weeks.

And to think Sotto is a comedian-turned-politician, and Cayetano is now a politician-turned-clown with all the somersault in logic and language he conjures to defend Bato. He said Bato did not escape because he was not detained in the first place. English left the group chat.

***

Now, everyone is asking who, what, why of the gunfire in the Senate hallways. 

Because this all has to do with Bato, there is a consequence. His bespren Senator Robin is now a person of interest by the NBI as he is reportedly spotted with Bato in leaving the Senate. His classmate Senate sergeant-at-arms retired General Mao Aplasca is now suspended because of his leading that gunfire sequence.

Even Senate President Cayetano is in hot water as he admitted to bringing Bato into the Senate compound on Monday.

Hawak nila ang script, and it’s one bad script over another with titles like The Great Escape and Harried Alan Peter and the Disappearing Stone.

***

The return of the comeback of Bato followed by his exit distracted us from the impeachment, the fuel price crisis, and other things. 

Everything turned more topsy-turvy as Bato steamrolled over everything. 

Mindanawons, the rest of the country from the DDS to whatever acronym one belongs to remain divided on what to do with this stubborn stone.

Hurl it, break it, sink it.  This stone is going to roll until the next chapter comes.

(Mind da Noise is a column by jaded Mindanawon observers)