MANILA, Philippines — The police raids in Pampanga, Bulacan and Metro Manila in search of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa were done with an arrest warrant, the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) said Thursday.
This was in contrast to the statement of the lawmaker’s wife, Nancy dela Rosa who, quoting a friend whose home was raided by authorities, claimed that there was no warrant during the operation.
“The local officials were very cooperative as well as the homeowners,” Maj. Gen. Robert Alexander Morico II, CIDG director, told reporters in a press briefing in Camp Crame.
“We have our warrant of arrest that we showed if it was needed,” he noted.
Dela Rosa's wife said her friend was informed by CIDG and National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) operatives that an arrest warrant was “not necessary” when asked to present it.
On Wednesday, authorities launched intensified manhunt operations against dela Rosa.
“I have the highest respect [for Nancy dela Rosa.] So, I understand her position. Of course, a spouse is a spouse. But, the owners can attest, even the local officials in the area, that the CIDG and the NBI acted very professionally,” Morico said.
“If there is any violation of law that we committed, they can always file cases against us with the National Police Commission or even the Internal Affairs Service,” he added.
Morico clarified that the warrant presented by authorities was the one issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with dela Rosa’s alleged role in the Duterte administration's war on drugs.
