MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has intensified efforts to locate Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa following the issuance of an arrest warrant by the International Criminal Court (ICC), with police units nationwide mobilized to pursue all possible leads on the former police chief’s whereabouts.
PNP chief General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said the organization’s existing manhunt and warrant-serving teams are already equipped to carry out the operation, making the creation of a separate task force unnecessary.
“Sa bawat station, meron tayong subpoena server o warrant server. At paakyat hanggang provincial level, nandiyan ang mga teams natin. Dito sa national headquarters, including the national support units, we have teams who are mandated to implement warrants of arrest. Those are the manhunt teams,” Nartatez said.
The police chief emphasized that the PNP’s nationwide network of warrant servers and law enforcement personnel is actively working to gather information that could lead to the senator’s location.
Dela Rosa has not been seen publicly since leaving the Senate compound on May 14, shortly after a gun-related incident inside the Senate complex that triggered a separate investigation.
According to Nartatez, roughly 85 percent of the police force is engaged in patrol, investigative, and law enforcement functions, including the service of arrest warrants against wanted individuals.
He said manhunt operations are routinely conducted by police units across the country as part of their mandate.
“There’s no need to create another manhunt team to track down Senator Bato Dela Rosa because existing na iyon,” he said.
Nartatez said investigators are following every available lead, including known residences, frequently visited locations, and individuals believed to have connections with the senator.
“All possible leads, all information, we are pursuing. Whether siya ito ay kausap, known address, known whereabouts at lagi niyang pinupuntahan, kinakausap niya, ay ating pinu-pursue,” Nartatez said.
Meanwhile, the PNP has endorsed the findings of its investigation into the May 13-14 Senate incident to the Department of Justice (DOJ) for evaluation and possible filing of criminal or administrative charges.
The evidence submitted includes surveillance footage, sworn affidavits, forensic examination results, and witness accounts collected by investigators.
“So ito po ay finorward natin sa Department of Justice for whatever case that is deemed necessary, whether criminal or administrative, against personalities who are there in the Senate,” Nartatez said.
The investigation being conducted by the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the Pasay City Police remains ongoing, particularly efforts to identify and trace vehicles that exited the Senate complex during the incident.
The DOJ is expected to assess the evidence and determine whether charges will be filed against individuals linked to the Senate disturbance./PN
