National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag on Saturday said authorities have launched a nationwide tracking operation to locate Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who is being sought in connection with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court.
Speaking at the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City, Matibag said the NBI has mobilized dedicated tracking teams and ordered its district and regional offices to monitor their respective areas for possible leads on Dela Rosa’s whereabouts.
“We are getting leads every day na ang sinasabi is nandirito pa rin po siya sa Pilipinas. So we have dedicated a team, actually teams to track Senator Bato,” Matibag said.
“At the same time, we already ordered ‘yung ating lahat ng district and regional offices to do their own monitoring po sa kani-kanilang respective areas apart from the dedicated team and tracking team to go out there to locate Senator Bato Dela Rosa,” he added.
Matibag said the tracking operation is focused on backtracking Dela Rosa’s movements beginning May 14, when the former Philippine National Police chief allegedly left the Senate premises.
The NBI chief acknowledged that Dela Rosa’s long background in law enforcement, including his previous post as PNP chief, has made the search more difficult.
“Well, it’s one of the major concerns kasi nga galing siya sa law enforcement. So he knows how the law enforcement officers behave, kung paano siya ita-track or hahanapin,” Matibag said.
Still, Matibag said authorities would continue pursuing Dela Rosa and expressed confidence that the law would eventually catch up with him.
“But eventually the law will catch up with you and the law enforcers will get you kung saan ka man naroroon,” he said, addressing Dela Rosa.
Matibag also renewed his appeal for the senator to surrender and face the case before the ICC.
“That’s why I’m always appealing if I have an opportunity to Senator Bato to surrender, kusa na siyang sumuko at harapin niya ‘yung kanyang kinakaharap na kaso sa ICC,” Matibag said.