NATIONAL Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag on Saturday said authorities have launched a nationwide tracking operation to locate Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, warning that the law “will catch up” with the former police chief despite his law enforcement background and network.
Matibag said the NBI has mobilized dedicated teams and regional offices to backtrack Dela Rosa’s movements beginning May 14, when he allegedly disappeared from the Senate premises.
“We are getting leads every day na ang sinasabi is nandirito pa rin po siya sa Pilipinas. So we have dedicated a team, actually teams to track Senator Bato,” Matibag said during the Saturday News Forum at Dapo Restaurant in Quezon City.
“At the same time, we already ordered ‘yung ating lahat ng district and regional offices to do their own monitoring po sa kani-kanilang respective areas apart from the dedicated team and tracking team to go out there to locate Senator Bato Dela Rosa,” he added.
The NBI chief acknowledged that Dela Rosa’s experience as a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief makes him more difficult to track.
“Well, it’s one of the major concerns kasi nga galing siya sa law enforcement. So he knows how the law enforcement officers behave, kung paano siya ita-track or hahanapin,” Matibag said.
“But eventually the law will catch up with you and the law enforcers will get you kung saan ka man naroroon,” he told Dela Rosa.
Matibag also renewed his appeal for Dela Rosa to surrender and face the case against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“That’s why I’m always appealing if I have an opportunity to Senator Bato to surrender, kusa na siyang sumuko at harapin niya ‘yung kanyang kinakaharap na kaso sa ICC,” Matibag said.
