The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has located Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who has a warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), according to Director Melvin Matibag on Tuesday.
Matibag did not provide further details but said, “If there is any person who should be asked, it’s Senator Robin Padilla because he was the last companion.” He made the statement during the ‘MACHRA Balitaan’ at the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) event at Harbor View Restaurant in Manila.
Matibag urged Dela Rosa to surrender, noting that as a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under former President Rodrigo Duterte, the senator should understand the meaning of law enforcement. He cited how former Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima complied with the law when they were served arrest warrants while still serving as senators.
Dela Rosa left the Senate compound with Senator Robinhood Padilla on May 14, just hours after the shooting incident at the Senate the previous night. He had been under protective custody of the Senate since appearing on May 11 after nearly six months of absence.
Matibag said Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano should be suspended, not him, due to the Senate shooting last week, citing command responsibility. “What is the basis? Command responsibility. Who fired first? Who has command responsibility over the sergeant-at-arms? Who is the head of the Senate?” he said, referring to Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms acting chief Mao Aplasca, who admitted firing a warning shot on May 13.
Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla ordered the preventive suspension of Aplasca after the shooting. In response, Cayetano called on the Ombudsman to also suspend Matibag if those involved in the shooting are suspended.
“It’s not about the position but about what you did... whether it was in accordance with the law,” Matibag added. He said he is ready to face any investigation and its consequences if he is found to have done something wrong.
The NBI is nearly done with its own investigation into the shooting and will submit its conclusion to the Department of Justice (DOJ), which has already formed its own panel to look into the incident, according to Matibag.
