Senator Robin Padilla is pushing for the use of technology to allow Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa to continue fulfilling his duties as a senator amid what Padilla described as security threats against his colleague.

In an online post, Padilla defended Dela Rosa and said that allowing senators to vote and attend sessions online would help him continue serving the public. 

He clarified that Dela Rosa does not want to be absent in person, but is prevented from doing so due to alleged security threats, specifically, the risk of being arrested or forcibly taken abroad and detained by the International Criminal Court, or ICC, if he leaves his current location.

Padilla also noted that Dela Rosa has one of the best attendance records in the history of the Senate.

Given the alleged security threat facing his fellow senator, Padilla is recommending that Dela Rosa be allowed to work and attend sessions through online or teleconferencing means.

Padilla stressed that Dela Rosa cannot yet be considered a criminal, as no final decision or conviction has been handed down by any court proving his guilt. On that basis, Padilla maintained that Dela Rosa retains the right to perform his duties as a senator.

Meanwhile, Senator Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan of the Senate minority bloc rejected the arguments being made in defense of Dela Rosa.

Pangilinan emphasized that hiding and evading arrest is the conduct of a law breaker, and should not be given special consideration or be compared to the situation of former senator and now Congresswoman Leila de Lima, who complied with legal processes.

On that basis, he said virtual attendance at sessions cannot simply be allowed, especially if it is not covered under the institution's current rules.

A motion to amend the Senate rules to allow online or virtual attendance and voting by senators during sessions remains pending and is expected to be taken up in the next session.