THE lawyer of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa has challenged the legal basis of the government's P50-million reward for his arrest, as police face questions over claims that an armed group in Mindanao is sheltering the senator, who is wanted under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant.
The Law Firm of Torreon and Partners, which represents dela Rosa, argued that the government must establish the legal basis for using public funds to offer a reward when no Philippine court has issued a corresponding warrant of arrest against the senator.
“A reward system built on Philippine warrants cannot be used for a person who has no Philippine warrant,” the law firm said in a statement issued on Saturday.
The legal challenge came after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the P50-million bounty for information leading to dela Rosa's capture and gave the senator one week to surrender voluntarily.
The announcement also drew scrutiny over Remulla's claim that authorities were negotiating with a powerful armed group allegedly protecting dela Rosa in Mindanao, raising questions about the evidence supporting the government's assessment and the senator's whereabouts.
The law firm said the government was relying on an ICC arrest warrant without identifying a Philippine court that had examined or adopted the foreign tribunal's warrant or independently issued a domestic warrant against the senator.
It challenged the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) to identify the Philippine court that issued the warrant, the criminal case number, the applicable DILG memorandum circular and the legal authority for offering the reward.
The firm cited PNP Memorandum Circular 2011-001 and DILG Memorandum Circular 2015-136 in arguing that the reward system for wanted persons requires a valid Philippine arrest warrant and supporting documentation.
It also questioned the proposed use of intelligence funds from the DILG and the Philippine National Police (PNP), saying public money must be disbursed in accordance with Philippine law and applicable auditing rules.
According to the firm, funds intended for domestic law enforcement and national security operations cannot automatically be used to enforce the process of a foreign tribunal without an adequate legal basis under Philippine law.
Dela Rosa's counsel, Israelito Torreon, initially declined to comment on the bounty and the surrender ultimatum before his law firm issued its detailed objection.
Faster, more aggressive action
In a statement on Saturday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos urged law enforcement authorities not to waste time in arresting the fugitive senator.
“Faster and more aggressive action from the police — that is the president's directive. Enforce the law, and arrest those who need to be arrested,” said Castro in Filipino.
“Had no one planned to help Senator Bato (dela Rosa) escape the Senate building — by offering him a ride or letting him hitch a lift — and had he simply been surrendered to Secretary Jonvic instead, it would not have reached the point where a P50-million bounty is placed on his capture,” Castro added.
Earlier this week, Remulla said a “bloodbath” may occur if the fugitive senator forcefully evades authorities from arresting him.
“No one should die in the planned arrest of Sen. Bato, so they should surrender immediately to our authorities because they will not back down,” said Castro.
Questions over alleged protection
The PNP has yet to publicly identify the armed group Remulla claimed was sheltering dela Rosa or disclose the evidence supporting the allegation.
Remulla earlier said authorities were negotiating with the group to secure the senator's turnover and avoid a potentially bloody confrontation.
He described the organization as having numerous armed men and substantial financial resources but did not identify it or disclose the precise location where dela Rosa was supposedly being protected.
The claim has raised questions about the intelligence behind the government's assessment and whether authorities have independently verified the senator's whereabouts.
PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said police intelligence operatives had searched and continued monitoring suspected hiding places in Western Mindanao, Eastern Mindanao, Bicol, Central Luzon, Metro Manila and Southern Tagalog.
Nartatez did not identify specific locations but warned that any group proven to have sheltered dela Rosa would face the full consequences of the law.
The police chief also directed units to maximize technology and intelligence resources to track wanted persons and prevent them from escaping through coastal exit points.
In a statement, Nartatez ordered intensified border intelligence operations and the identification of possible escape routes, particularly in coastal communities and known maritime exit points.
“The Philippine National Police must continue investing in intelligence-driven technologies, real-time information sharing, and integrated monitoring systems that allow us to track fugitives and criminal networks across jurisdictions,” Nartatez said.
The PNP has formed a task force headed by deputy chief for administration LtGen. Wilson Lopez to locate and arrest dela Rosa.
Nartatez said operations would continue regardless of the surrender deadline or the reward offer.
The police have not publicly disclosed the specific intelligence that led Remulla to claim that an armed group was protecting the senator.
Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian earlier questioned the government's decision to negotiate with the alleged armed group, saying authorities should not allow an armed organization to become more powerful than the government.
Gatchalian acknowledged, however, that he did not know the details of the group and left the operational strategy to law enforcement authorities.
Basis for ICC warrant
The government announced the P50-million reward on Friday, saying the money would come from the intelligence funds of the DILG and the PNP.
Remulla said authorities had extended dela Rosa every courtesy to surrender voluntarily but would intensify efforts to locate and arrest him.
Authorities have also classified the senator as “armed and dangerous.”
Dela Rosa is wanted under an ICC arrest warrant issued on Nov. 6, 2025, and made public on May 11, 2026, in connection with alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration's war on drugs.
The senator has been accused of involvement in killings associated with the anti-drug campaign. The allegations remain subject to proceedings before the international tribunal.
The Philippines' withdrawal from the Rome Statute, the treaty that established the ICC, took effect on March 17, 2019.
The legal consequences of the withdrawal for the court's jurisdiction over alleged crimes committed before it took effect, as well as the domestic enforcement of ICC warrants, have remained subjects of legal debate.
The government has maintained that it will pursue dela Rosa's arrest, while the PNP has urged him to surrender within the one-week period.
Lacson: ‘Illogical’
Former national police chief Sen. Panfilo Lacson raised critical questions regarding the tactics used by law enforcement agencies tracking dela Rosa, casting doubt on the logic of offering a large bounty while simultaneously claiming to know his exact location.
In an interview with radio DWIZ on Saturday, Oct. 24, Lacson noted an apparent inconsistency between claiming solid intelligence on dela Rosa's location and offering a massive P50-million bounty.
"Rewards are typically used as incentives to gather information when finding a target is extremely challenging," Lacson said, citing major international manhunts like those for Marwan and Osama bin Laden as precedents.
Drawing from his extensive law enforcement background, Lacson cautioned against telegraphing intelligence to the media.
"When you have solid information on a target, you keep quiet until they are apprehended," he said.
However, he acknowledged that public announcements could be a strategic tactic to "flush out" a suspect hiding in a fortified location or protected area to minimize bloodshed.
Addressing reports regarding dela Rosa's threat level, Lacson acknowledged that while the senator surrendered his registered firearms, authorities might hold broader intelligence unavailable to the public.
Lacson dismissed speculation that the timing of the manhunt was intended to prevent dela Rosa from voting in upcoming impeachment proceedings.
He pointed out that fugitives outside the Senate's jurisdiction are excluded from the voting denominator, making physical participation nearly impossible without risking immediate arrest.
Reflecting on Remulla's recent remarks expressing regret over not apprehending dela Rosa earlier, Lacson noted that traditional parliamentary courtesy protects members only inside the session hall — not within office chambers or outside Senate premises.
Members of the Senate minority bloc issued a joint statement calling for restraint, open dialogue, and strict adherence to due process regarding the legal standing and potential arrest of dela Rosa.
In a statement shared by the office of Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano on Saturday, Oct. 24, 2026, the minority senators voiced support for dela Rosa’s stated willingness to address allegations in domestic courts.
The bloc urged executive officials, law enforcement agencies, and the senator's legal counsel to pursue a peaceful resolution to prevent potential conflict.
"We understand the government’s desire to resolve this situation in the interest of law and order," the statement read. "We believe a peaceful resolution that respects our laws and protects lives remains possible."
