NBI to effect Bato arrest order without delay
DAVAO CITY (MindaNews/22 May 2026)– The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) announced it will promptly enforce the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) following a directive from the Department of Justice (DOJ).
In a statement issued on Thursday, NBI director Melvin Matibag said it will comply with the DOJ’s order without delay but said the bureau will strictly abide by the rules and ensure the arrest is carried out professionally.
“Fugitive Senator Dela Rosa will be arrested whether he likes it or not because we have to implement the law without fear or favor,” Matibag said.
Senator Ronald Dela Rosa is facing a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for his alleged role as an indirect co-perpetrator in crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs during his tenure as PNP chief from July 2016 to April 2018.
Matibag said that from the very beginning, the bureau has maintained its position that Dela Rosa must be arrested pursuant to the ICC arrest order.
On Friday, MindaNews asked Major Catherine dela Rey, spokesperson of the Police Regional Office-Davao, whether there is ongoing monitoring in the region for the senator and if the regional police office has leads on his whereabouts.
But the police official said they are still “verifying.”
Mindanews also inquired if there is any directive from the PNP national office, but she has yet to respond as of 9:46 a.m.
NBI operatives attempted to arrest Dela Rosa after the senator made a surprise appearance during the Senate session on May 11, ending his long absence since November 2025.
Dela Rosa attended the session to vote in the leadership change at the Senate, helping other senators elect Senator Alan Peter Cayetano, a close Duterte ally, as the new Senate president.
The leadership change came just days before the Upper Chamber was to convene as an impeachment court for Vice President Sara Duterte’s trial.
Efforts to arrest Dela Rosa proved futile. Dela Rosa holed up inside the Senate building and was placed under protective custody.
The senator quietly left the Senate premises around 2:30 a.m. on May 14, just hours after a shooting incident inside the building.
On Wednesday, the Supreme Court En Banc denied Dela Rosa’s interim relief for the issuance of a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/ or status quo ante order, seeking to block authorities from arresting him and sending him to the ICC.
The Court said it ruled only on the interim reliefs prayed for by Dela Rosa, while the main issues remain to be resolved.
Matibag said they are also cooperating with the fact-finding panel established by the Department of Justice regarding its attempt to serve the arrest warrant on May 11 and the subsequent shooting incident on May 13. (Antonio L. Colina IV/MindaNews)
No comments:
Post a Comment