Bato dela Rosa 'wanted' poster? PNP says no need for now

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The Philippine National Police (PNP) has yet to issue a wanted poster for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, saying it does not see the need to do so at this time amid ongoing efforts to locate and arrest him.

“Hindi sa hindi magawa. We do not see any need for now. Kasi unang-una, sino bang hindi nakakakilala sa itsura ni Senator Bato?,” PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said at a press briefing.

(It’s not that we cannot do it. We do not see any need for now. Because first of all, who doesn’t know Senator Bato’s appearance.)

“Everybody has heard that there is a P50 million reward for those who will be able to give his location. And alam natin na pinaghahanap po siya ng awtoridad,” he added.

(Everybody has heard that there is a P50 million reward for those who will be able to give his location. And we know that the authorities are looking for him.)

However, Co noted that the matter is under further evaluation.

“But again, it's not about not being able to do it but we do not see the need as of now, and further evaluation, so in the future if we will be able to evaluate that it will help us in looking for or arresting Senator Bato, then that's the time that we will come out with a wanted poster,” he said.

Co declined to disclose details of its ongoing manhunt, saying this could compromise police operations and put personnel at risk.

Meanwhile, the PNP official defended the police's classification of Dela Rosa as armed and dangerous, citing the senator’s 90 firearms that are still unaccounted for.

Dela Rosa, who is a former PNP chief, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the crimes against humanity case arising from former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs.

The senator is accused of being a co-perpetrator in the alleged crimes.

The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) earlier claimed that Dela Rosa was hiding in Mindanao under the protection of an “armed and powerful group,” but did not identify the group. —VAL, GMA News