MANILA — Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla said authorities are making progress toward taking Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa into custody, with negotiations continuing over his arrest under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
Remulla acknowledged that police could launch an operation to apprehend the senator but warned that a forceful approach could put lives at risk.
“Maraming mamamatay,” Remulla said when asked about the possible consequences of a full operation, explaining that the nature of the mission could endanger both law enforcers and other people.
He said authorities are instead pursuing negotiations and expressed confidence that Dela Rosa would eventually be taken into custody.
“We will smoke him out sooner or later,” Remulla said.
The Interior secretary spoke after the Department of the Interior and Local Government defended its proposed 2027 budget before the Senate Committee on Finance.
The Philippine National Police previously disclosed that 20 firearms reportedly associated with Dela Rosa had been surrendered.
Asked if the development was part of the negotiations, Remulla declined to provide details.
“Iwan ninyo muna sa amin ’yun kasi it’ll jeopardize the operations,” he said, appealing for the matter to be left to authorities handling the case.
The ICC warrant against Dela Rosa stems from allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, which resulted in thousands of deaths according to various official and international accounts.
Former President Rodrigo Duterte is currently detained at the ICC in The Hague in connection with the same broader investigation.
ia/xf
