(UPDATE) MANILA, Philippines — As the one week ultimatum lapses on Friday, the Philippine National Police (PNP) appealed anew to Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to surrender.
Speaking in Filipino and English at a press briefing at the national police headquarters in Camp Crame, Quezon City, Col. Allen Rae Co, PNP spokesman, said, "Everyone, most especially the Philippine National Police, wants this matter to be resolved peacefully without anyone getting hurt, injured or worst, dead."
“So we are appealing to the senator to surrender,” he added.
The PNP said it has mobilized special action forces to track the senator who is reportedly in Mindanao under the protection of a very powerful and armed group.
Co said the PNP has also established hotlines for the people to contact should there be any information on the senator who now has a P50 million bounty on his head.
The PNP, however, warned the public that prank callers would be held criminally liable, especially if the intention was to sow chaos or flood authorities with false information.
“This is an official law enforcement resource ito pong numbers na ito and you can be criminally charged kapag nilaro laro niyo ito,” Co said.
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag also said there was always a possibility of an encounter but assured that no stone would be left unturned until they find Dela Rosa.
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. himself has ordered an intensified manhunt for Dela Rosa but specifically instructed to avoid loss of lives as much as possible.
Hotlines
Co said the PNP has also established hotlines for the people to contact should there be any information on the senator who now has a P50 million bounty on his head.
These are:
(Globe) 0927-3073501
(Globe) 0995-512-2729
(Globe) 0945-611-5926
(Smart) 0999-361-9878
(Smart) 0960-692-3025
“We assure anybody who will be giving tips that their identities, numbers will be kept confidential so we cannot discuss ‘yung mga tips na natanggap na natin (the tips we are getting),” Co said.
The PNP however warns the public that prank callers will be held criminally liable especially if the intention is only to sow chaos or flood authorities with false information.
“This is an official law enforcement resource. Ito pong numbers na ito and you can be criminally charged kapag nilaro laro niyo ito,” Co said.
(These numbers—you can be criminally charged if you play around with them.)
No surrender feelers
The senator’s camp has not sent any surrender feelers to the PNP as well as the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG).
Even the minority bloc composed of allies of the fugitive lawmaker who, at the onset of the announcement of the P50 million bounty and the one week ultimatum, expressed willingness to bridge communication between the government and the senator, has not made any overture to the PNP and the DILG.
The senator’s camp in fact renewed his plea to the Supreme Court to block his possible arrest and surrender to the International Criminal Court, specifically citing the P50 million bounty and the government's designation of him as “armed and dangerous.”
Filed by his lawyers, Dela Rosa, in a 15-page petition, urged the High Court to urgently resolve his pending motion for reconsideration and grant a temporary restraining order or status quo ante order.
His camp argued that the bounty could encourage private individuals to attempt to capture the senator outside lawful procedures.
Matibag also mentioned that information coming in about Dela Rosa made a spike after the announcement of the bounty but they are now in the process of verifying everything and eliminating the areas where Dela Rosa is not found.
The PNP said it was not open to a dialogue with the family of the senator, especially his wife, but said it would be a little inappropriate for the agency to force Dela Rosa’s family to spill where he is but if the initiative comes from them, they are welcome, Co said.
“It’s a little inappropriate for us to approach and to force her to give up her husband pero kung sa kanya manggagaling yung initiative to talk to us very much welcome na makikipag usap ang PNP,” Co said.
(It’s a bit inappropriate for us to approach and force her to give up her husband, but if the initiative to talk to us comes from her, the PNP is very much willing to speak with her.)
No wanted poster yet
The PNP also said it has not yet issued a wanted poster for the senator as of this time.
“Should we determine that the issuance of one would be necessary and beneficial to our ongoing efforts to serve the warrant of arrest, we will do so,” Co said.
PNP operations and intelligence efforts for now continue, Co added.
