MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Saturday said the ₱50 million bounty for information leading to the arrest of fugitive Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa could have been avoided had he not escaped and instead surrendered to Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic 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, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said Marcos had directed law enforcement authorities to act swiftly 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,” Castro said in Filipino.
“Had no one planned to help Sen. Bato escape the Senate building—by offering him a ride or letting him hitch a lift—and had he simply been surrendered to Sec. Jonvic instead, it would not have reached the point where a ₱50 million bounty was placed on his capture,” she added.
Remulla earlier warned of a possible “bloodbath” if Dela Rosa forcibly resisted arrest.
“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,” Castro said.
