MANILA, Philippines — Malacanang on Monday said the P50 million bounty for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa will not come from the President's confidential and intelligence funds.
Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said the bounty will be sourced from the intelligence funds of the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) and the Philippine National Police (PNP).
The Palace press officer said the bounty offer is "part of the operations" of the DILG and the PNP.
"That won't come directly from the President because this is a strategy and operation of [DILG] Secretary Jonvic Remulla and the PNP leadership," Castro said in a radio interview.
"So, if this is their method for utilizing their intel funds, it is appropriate as long as they can prove the operation they are conducting and it yields results," she added.
Castro on Saturday said the bounty could have been avoided had Dela Rosa not escaped and instead surrendered to Remulla in May.
This comes after the Senate Minority bloc urged President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to work with Dela Rosa’s legal counsel to seek a “peaceful resolution.”
In a statement, Castro said Marcos had directed law enforcement authorities to act swiftly in arresting the fugitive senator.
Remulla earlier warned of a possible “bloodbath” if Dela Rosa forcibly resisted arrest.
