PNP: No info yet on dela Rosa’s whereabouts, possible ICC warrant

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Tuesday said it has yet to receive information on the whereabouts of its former chief, Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, or on whether the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant for his arrest.

Over the weekend, former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque claimed the ICC had already issued the warrant for dela Rosa’s arrest, while Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla maintained that the senator’s last known location was in Pampanga.

“As of now, we don’t know his whereabouts,” Acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. told reporters on the sidelines of a ceremony in Camp Crame on Tuesday.

READ: Harry Roque claims ICC warrant vs Bato dela Rosa already ‘out’

“There aren’t any warrants for his arrest nor there is a basis for his arrest,” he added.

The issuance of an ICC warrant to arrest dela Rosa has been the subject of speculation, especially since President Rodrigo Duterte — his ally and former boss — was turned over to the international tribunal for alleged crimes against humanity in connection with his administration’s bloody war on drugs.

As PNP chief under Duterte, dela Rosa was the chief implementer of the drug war, which killed thousands of Filipinos.

Last November, Remulla revealed that he had received a copy of the warrant for dela Rosa’s arrest but noted that the document had yet to be transmitted through the Philippine government’s formal channels.

READ: Robin Padilla to Bato dela Rosa: Never surrender to foreign power

Since then, dela Rosa had been absent from the Senate. /dl