Palace Defends Bounty For Fugitive Bato Dela Rosa

Malacañang justified on Monday, Oct. 26, the P50-million bounty for information leading to the arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, saying it was part ?of a legitimate operation by the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).

Presidential Communications Undersecretary Claire Castro said in an interview with state-run Radyo Pilipinas that the bounty was an operational strategy of the DILG and the PNP when ?asked whether it had been ordered or approved by President Marcos.

Castro said confidential and intelligence funds allocated to the DILG and the and police could be used for such operations, provided authorities could substantiate the operation and show results.

Dela Rosa is wanted by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes against humanity during the “war on drugs” he helped oversee as PNP chief under Rodrigo Duterte, who served as president from 2016 to 2022.

Dela Rosa has denied any involvement in illegal killings.

He was last seen in May when he took refuge at the Senate for several days following six months spent in hiding.

Amid claims that his arrest was imminent, he appealed for help from his supporters and slipped away from the Senate in the early hours ?of May 14 following hours of chaos that included gunfire.

In a Facebook post on Monday, Dela Rosa’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, questioned ?the legal basis for the bounty, arguing that authorities should produce an arrest warrant issued by a Philippine court.

What next?

Efforts to track down Dela Rosa would continue if he does not turn himself over to authorities within the one-week deadline set by the police, Castro said.

Police have given Dela Rosa one week from Friday, Oct. 24, to surrender. Asked what would happen if Dela Rosa does not surrender within the week, Castro said the police would continue its operation to locate him.

“As (DILG) Secretary (Jonvic) Remulla said, there would be no mercy so the law should be implemented. Arrest the one who should be arrested,” Castro stressed.

Remulla said Dela Rosa is hiding in Mindanao and is being protected by a powerful group. He claimed that the fugitive senator’s protectors have armed personnel and that a confrontation could result in fatalities worse than the 2017 Marawi siege.

Malacañang has urged Dela Rosa to surrender to avoid bloodshed.

No negotiation

National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said there is no negotiation between the NBI and Dela Rosa, saying the bureau is processing information that could lead to the senator’s immediate capture.

“We want to get him as soon as possible because we have a commitment to the international community and the people. We need answers, so hopefully we can arrest him soon,” Matibag told reporters.

NBI agents failed to apprehend Dela Rosa while the latter was under Senate custody prior to the senator’s escape on May 14.

PNP tracker teams

The PNP has formed tracker teams, including Special Action Force personnel, to locate and arrest Dela Rosa after authorities gave the senator until Thursday to surrender.

PNP spokesman Col. Allen Rae Co said on Monday the operation was intensified upon the order of President Marcos, with a task force led by deputy chief for administration Lt. Gen. Wilson Lopez coordinating the manhunt.

“The full force of the PNP is in play to bring justice within the folds of the law,” Co said, adding that police prefer a peaceful resolution to avoid putting the lives of the senator, law enforcers and the public at risk.

Co said authorities had received no feelers from Dela Rosa regarding a possible surrender.

He added that the latest information gathered by police indicated that the senator remained in the Philippines, although investigators were still verifying his last known whereabouts.

Speaking in an interview at the Senate, Sen. JV Ejercito said Dela Rosa deserves due process.

“I’m hoping it’s peaceful. No need to use force or anything like that, but a peaceful resolution,” Ejercito said. – With Reuters, Mark Ernest Villeza, Delon Porcalla, Marc Jayson Cayabyab