The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Saturday declared that fugitive Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is officially classified as “armed and dangerous” under standard law enforcement protocols, as state operatives intensify their manhunt to enforce an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant for crimes against humanity.
During the Saturday News Forum, NBI Director Melvin Matibag clarified that the designation is a standard operating procedure applied whenever law enforcement agencies track down individuals evading justice.
“It’s our standard protocol that if we’re doing a search or locating a fugitive from justice, ang presumption namin lagi is armado ‘yan at delikado ‘yung magiging approach,” Matibag said.
It’s our standard protocol that if we’re doing a search or locating a fugitive from justice, our presumption is always that they are armed and the approach will be dangerous.
Dela Rosa’s whereabouts have been unknown since he vanished from the Senate premises on May 13, hours after a shooting incident occurred at the legislative building.
Matibag noted that operatives are trained to exercise extreme caution, particularly when dealing with fugitives who possess extensive backgrounds in security and tactical operations.
He conceded that dela Rosa’s former role as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) grants him a distinct advantage in evading the authorities, given his intimate knowledge of state tracking methods.
“It is one of the major concerns kasi nga galing siya sa law enforcement, so he knows how the law enforcement officer behaves kung paano siya natrack o hahanapin,” Matibag explained.
It is one of the major concerns because he came from law enforcement, so he knows how the law enforcement officer behaves, how he is tracked or hunted down.
Despite the strategic challenges, the NBI chief maintained that the bureau remains undeterred and is fully prepared to execute the international warrant.
“Ang sa incentive ko lang dito: the law will catch up on you and the law enforces will get you kung saan ka man naroroon,” Matibag warned. “Kusa na siyang sumuko at harapin niya ‘yung kanyang hinaharap na kaso sa ICC.”
My only point here is: the law will catch up on you and the law enforcers will get you wherever you are. He should just surrender voluntarily and face the case he is confronting before the ICC.
While investigator teams follow up on daily leads regarding the lawmaker’s whereabouts, Bureau of Immigration records indicate that dela Rosa has not legally exited the country.
However, Matibag expressed skepticism over the senator’s willingness to cooperate.
“If we will look to the records of the Bureau of Immigration…’yung mga point of entries na identified natin is being monitor ay sasabihin natin, wala naman pong record ng paglabas,” the NBI Director stated. “Pero by the looks of it, baka wala siyang balak na sumuko dahil nandiyan na nga siya sa Senado, bigla pang nawala. Sabi ko nga, huli na naging bato pa.”
If we will look to the records of the Bureau of Immigration… the points of entry we identified and are monitoring, we can say there is no record of departure. But by the looks of it, he might have no intention to surrender because he was already there at the Senate, then he suddenly vanished. As I said, it was a done deal but it slipped away / turned to stone.
The NBI has mobilized additional tracking units to bolster the search and appealed to the public for any information on the senator’s location. Matibag strongly cautioned citizens that anyone found aiding or harboring the fugitive senator will face stringent charges for obstruction of justice.
Dela Rosa’s international warrant stems from his central role in the controversial anti-drug campaign during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, whom he served as top cop from 2016 to 2018. The Department of Justice recently greenlit the execution of the ICC warrant after the Supreme Court dismissed dela Rosa’s petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO).
Meanwhile, maritime and airport police units remain on high alert to block potential escape attempts, focusing heavily on the country’s porous “southern backdoor” borders.