MANILA — Personnel from the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) served a subpoena to the office of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday as part of an ongoing probe into alleged extrajudicial killings.
While staff members accepted a copy of the document, they declined to formally sign for its receipt.
In a statement shared with the media, a member of Dela Rosa’s office said the subpoena was left by CIDG officers earlier in the day, but employees were not authorized to officially receive it without instructions from the senator.
Police Capt. Larry Ray, who delivered the subpoena, said the CIDG still considers the document properly served because it was accepted by office personnel.
He said staff members informed them they had been instructed not to sign any acknowledgment receipt.
Ray stressed that once the document was handed over, responsibility now rests with Dela Rosa and his lawyers regarding any response.
He also warned that ignoring the subpoena could result in legal consequences, including possible indirect contempt.
The subpoena directs Dela Rosa to appear before investigators at Camp Crame on May 14 to execute an affidavit and provide documents related to the inquiry.
CIDG said the investigation centers on alleged killings linked to anti-drug operations in the Davao Region, based on discussions during House Quad Committee hearings and disclosures made by retired police officer Arturo Lascañas in previous public interviews.
The senator has been absent from Senate proceedings since November last year amid reports that the International Criminal Court had supposedly issued an arrest warrant tied to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
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