NBI: Strong indication Bato dela Rosa still in PH

There is a strong indication that Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa is still in the Philippines amid the International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) said Friday.

Interviewed on Balitanghali, NBI Director Melvin Matibag said Friday, "Mayroon pong malakas na indikasyon na nandito pa po sa Pilipinas at meron pong mga impormasyon kaming sinusundan."

(There is a strong indication that they are here in the Philippines and we are following several leads.)

Matibag said Dela Rosa will have difficulty leaving the country as 132 countries are members of the ICC.

Dela Rosa is the subject of an arrest warrant for "alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator" in the crimes against humanity of murder from July 3, 2016, until the end of April 2018, wherein at least 32 persons died.

To recall, authorities attempted to serve the warrant against Dela Rosa on May 11.

He was later placed under the protective custody of the Senate. Early morning of May 14, he slipped out of the Senate premises, hours after the Senate went on lockdown due to a shooting incident.

The senator has not been seen since publicly. Senator Robinhood Padilla said Dela Rosa asked to hitch a ride with him out of the Senate building. Padilla said Dela Rosa got off in Makati City, where his own vehicle was supposedly waiting for him.

Meanwhile, Matibag reiterated that the NBI has not yet received an additional arrest warrant when asked about the one allegedly issued by the ICC for Senator Bong Go.

"'Yung kay Senator Bato pa lang po 'yung warrant na hawak po natin," he said.

(The only one we have is the warrant against Senator Bato.) — VDV, GMA News