Malacañang to Bato dela Rosa: Don't set an example for fugitives

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Malacañang on Tuesday renewed its call for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to surrender, urging him not to set an example for other fugitives by going into hiding.

This came after the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) raised a P50-million reward for the arrest of dela Rosa, who according to Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla, is now considered "armed and dangerous."

The Philippine National Police (PNP) also gave the senator a one-week ultimatum to surrender.

“Ang period na ibinigay kay Senator Bato Dela Rosa ay para sumuko siya nang maayos, na hindi na gagalaw pa sana ang kapulisan dahil mas maganda magkaroon ng voluntary surrender,” Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a press briefing in Cagayan de Oro City.

(The ultimatum for Senator Bato Dela Rosa was given for him to surrender properly, without the police having to intervene because it is better for him to voluntarily surrender.)

“Pero kung ang isang tao na pinapa-surrender ay nagmamatigas at parang binabalewala ang batas at ang gobyerno at mga law enforcers natin, patuloy na siya ay hahagilapin at hindi magsasa-balewala, hindi tutulugan ito, lalong lalo na ng ating mga kapulisan,” she added.

(But if a person who is being asked to surrender doesn’t want to do so and is ignoring the law, the government, and our law enforcers, he will continue to be hunted. Our authorities will not sleep, especially our police.)

Citing Remulla, Castro said the DILG will have “no mercy” if dela Rosa will not surrender after the one-week ultimatum.

She also stressed that as a sitting senator and a former chief of the PNP, dela Rosa should be the first to respect and enforce the law.

“‘Wag siyang maging ehemplo, ‘wag siyang maging modelo sa mga taong merong kinakaharap na warrant of arrest at magtatago,” the Palace official said.

(He should not serve as an example or a model for individuals facing an arrest warrant who might choose to go into hiding.)

“‘Wag siyang maging ehemplo para sa ibang mga, sabihin nating mga pugante, na magtago dahil siya ang gagawing idolo,” she added.

(He should not set an example for other fugitives to go into hiding, as he might end up being idolized by them.)

The PNP said it has not yet received any surrender feelers from dela Rosa, but additional tracker teams have now been deployed to locate him.

Dela Rosa has been issued an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in relation to the drug war of former president Rodrigo Duterte, which supposedly killed thousands of people.

Duterte is already detained at the ICC in The Hague, Netherlands, while awaiting his crimes against humanity trial. —KG, GMA News