PNP on Bato dela Rosa: We don't know his whereabouts; still no basis for arrest

The Philippine National Police (PNP) said Tuesday the organization has no information on the whereabouts of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa while pointing out that there is still no basis to arrest him.

“As of now, we don't know about his whereabouts...Wala naman siyang warrant of arrest or basis for the arrest,” PNP acting chief Police Lieutenant General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said at a press conference.

(As of now, we don't know about his whereabouts...He does not have a warrant of arrest or basis for the arrest.)

Former presidential spokesperson during the Duterte administration, Harry Roque, earlier claimed that the arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Dela Rosa is already out.

"Senator Bato, your warrant of arrest is out! Hwag ka pa-kidnap (Do not get kidnapped)! Insist that you have the right to be brought before a Philippine Court first!" Roque said in a social media post.

However, the Department of Justice and Department of the Interior and Local Government said they have yet to receive any arrest warrant issued by the ICC against the senator.

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV previously noted that Dela Rosa and four other high-ranking ex-police officials have been tagged as suspects amid the ICC probe into Duterte’s war on drugs for a crimes against humanity case.

Trillanes is one of the personalities who filed a case against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte with the ICC.

Dela Rosa served as the chief of the PNP during the implementation of the drug war under the Duterte administration.

The defense lawyer of Duterte, Nicholas Kaufman, on Monday said it would defy logic to seek new warrants of arrest.

“As I have already mentioned, it would defy prosecutorial logic for additional ICC arrest warrants to be sought in the context of the Philippines’ investigation before jurisdictional issues are resolved on appeal in the Duterte case,” Kaufman said.

“I do not believe that Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla - the unique source of this dubious intelligence - would be so remiss as to dice with prosecution at the ICC for contempt, by leaking the existence of a highly confidential arrest warrant for a suspect. Peddling fake news, however, carries no such risk,” he added.

It was Remulla who first said in November that a warrant had been sent out for Dela Rosa's arrest.

Dela Rosa’s counsel, Atty. Israelito Torreon, said the government has no legal basis to surrender any of its citizens to an international tribunal due to the absence of rules governing the process. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News