PNP welcomes Palace challenge, vows no special treatment for dela Rosa

MANILA, Philippines—The Philippine National Police (PNP) has welcomed Malacañang’s challenge, vowing to pursue the arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa saying his former position as police chief and personal ties will not stand in the way of law enforcement.

“We welcome the challenge of Malacañang because it reinforces a fundamental principle of law enforcement: no position, rank, or personal relationship is above the law,” PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said in a statement on Wednesday.

“The loyalty of every police officer must always be to the Constitution and the law, not to personalities or former positions,” he added.

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Malacañang on Tuesday urged the PNP leadership to ensure that Dela Rosa’s former stint as police chief would not hinder the implementation of his arrest warrant.

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Read: Palace challenges Nartatez: PNP must arrest Dela Rosa regardless of ties

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in a television interview on Saturday that Dela Rosa’s background as the country’s former top cop made efforts to locate and arrest him more difficult.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro earlier said the administration was confident that Nartatez and the entire PNP leadership would perform their duties objectively, free from personal ties or political alliances.

READ: Hunt for Bato dela Rosa sets 1 week ultimatum, P50M bounty

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Nartatez emphasized that police officers must remain faithful to their constitutional mandate and the law.

“In the PNP, service is a duty, not a privilege, and no personal allegiance should ever stand in the way of justice,” he said.

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The PNP said it continues to gather and validate leads on Dela Rosa’s whereabouts through dedicated hotlines, while tracker teams have been deployed nationwide.

Authorities have also offered a P50-million reward for information that could lead to his arrest.

Dela Rosa previously served as PNP chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte. 

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He is facing an International Criminal Court arrest warrant over alleged crimes against humanity in connection with at least 32 killings during the administration’s anti-drug campaign from July 2016 to April 2018./dp