Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on Saturday criticized the National Bureau of Investigation’s (NBI) reported plan to summon the wife of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as part of efforts to determine the latter’s whereabouts, describing the move as unprofessional and a sign of weak intelligence operations.
Lacson, who previously served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) like Dela Rosa, made the remarks after NBI Director Melvin Matibag disclosed that the agency was considering issuing a subpoena to Nancy dela Rosa amid attempts to locate the senator.
Dela Rosa has remained out of public view following reports that he was avoiding a warrant of arrest issued against him by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
In a social media post, Lacson urged the NBI to reconsider the planned action.
“Please don’t do this,” the senator wrote.
He argued that involving the spouse of a wanted individual in the search effort could reflect poorly on the bureau’s investigative capabilities.
Lacson said that relying on a family member to track down a subject suggested shortcomings in intelligence work and could be interpreted as harassment rather than a legitimate investigative measure.
“Harassing Senator dela Rosa’s wife to track him is unprofessional,” he said, adding that such an approach amounted to “trabahong tamad” (lazy work) or lazy police work.
The senator stressed that law enforcement agencies should employ proper intelligence-gathering methods and avoid actions that may place unnecessary pressure on relatives who are not directly involved in a case.
Despite his criticism, Lacson expressed support for enhancing the NBI’s operational resources, saying he would push for additional intelligence funding for the agency during deliberations on the proposed 2027 national budget.
The NBI, however, defended its position, pointing to public statements made by Nancy dela Rosa regarding her husband’s departure from the Senate complex in May.
According to the bureau, her remarks indicated that she may possess information relevant to ongoing efforts to locate the senator.
Following a shooting incident inside the Senate compound on May 13, Nancy publicly acknowledged that her husband had used the situation as an opportunity to leave the premises.
During a press briefing, Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano read a text message from Nancy dela Rosa, in which she said the senator decided to “escape” to prevent the Senate from becoming further entangled in his legal troubles.