Trillanes: DILG chief Remulla should reduce interviews, focus on search ops

Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV suggested Friday that Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla should focus more on police search operations instead of giving press interviews.

Trillanes the remark when asked if he had information regarding the search for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, who has not attended any plenary session at the Senate since November 2025 amid allegations of an ICC warrant against him.

“‘Yan po ay responsibilidad po ng DILG. Kung bawas-bawasan siguro ni Secretary Jonvic Remulla ‘yung kanyang pag-presscon ay mas matututukan niya ‘yung paghahanap,” he said in an interview on Balitanghali.

(That is the responsibility of the DILG. If Secretary Jonvic Remulla maybe reduce his press conferences, he would be able to focus more on the search.)

“Ang dami nang nawawala. Si Bantag, si Leonardo, eto ngayon si Bato Dela Rosa, tapos si Atong Ang. Ang dami nang nawawala hindi naman nila nahahanap. So I hope he’s doing his job,” he added.

(So many have gone missing already. (Gerald) Bantag, (Edilberto) Leonardo, now Bato Dela Rosa, then Atong Ang. So many have gone missing and they still can’t find them. So I hope he’s doing his job.)

When sought for comment, Remulla only said that there is no arrest warrant issued against Dela Rosa.

It was Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla who first said that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued an arrest warrant against Dela Rosa.

However, this has not been confirmed by the ICC and the Department of Justice.

As Dela Rosa marked his 64th birthday, he broke his silence and released a statement saying he is still "waiting” for “justice to emerge and take over.” 

Meanwhile, in an ambush interview, Atty. Israelito Torreon, Dela Rosa’s legal counsel, said he has had no chance to talk with the senator.

He also said he could not answer whether Dela Rosa is still in the country. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla previously said that Dela Rosa is believed to be in Davao. 

Businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang is facing an arrest warrant over charges in connection with the missing sabungeros case. Remulla previously said that Ant may be in Cambodia but the Bureau of Immigration said it has not monitored any travel records for Ang so far.

Meanwhile, former Corrections chief Gerald Bantag was ordered to be arrested in April 2023 in connection with the deaths of broadcast journalist Percy Lapid and alleged middleman Jun Villamor.  

The police said that efforts to locate Bantag are ongoing while Remulla said Bantag may still be in the  Cordillera Administrative Region.

Meanwhile, Trillanes may be referring to former National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, who is facing murder charges over the death of Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office Board Secretary Wesley Barayuga. — RSJ, GMA Integrated News