The Philippine National Police (PNP) is stepping up its operations to arrest and bring to justice Senator Ronald Dela Rosa following the lapse of the one-week period given to him to surrender, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Thursday.
In a briefing in Bukidnon, Castro quoting a statement of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the PNP, said that following the announcement of the P50 million bounty on and the surrender period, law enforcement authorities had significantly stepped up its efforts to arrest Dela Rosa which include implementing heightened police operations, increased public awareness, and the bounty announcement.
Castro, reading the DILG-PNP statement, said this has already “substantially narrowed the Senator’s ability to move freely without drawing attention”.
She said that she could not provide further details and intelligence information that could compromise the validation of leads and alert the subject to police efforts, or endanger the personnel involved.
“What we can assure the public is that all information received is being carefully and thoroughly assessed and credible leads are being acted upon without delay. The task force led by police Lieutenant General Wilson Joseph F. Lopez ensures seamless coordination among all concerned agencies to guarantee that every relevant piece of information is properly validated and acted upon,” Castro said.
Castro again appealed to Dela Rosa to surrender voluntarily to the proper authorities and the legal process with dignity.
“The PNP guided by the direction of the SILG will continue to carry out its mandate professionally, lawfully and with full respect for due process while protecting the integrity of its ongoing operation,” Castro also said.
Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, is the subject of a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the war on drugs campaign of the Duterte administration.