PNP vows Bato dela Rosa ties won't affect manhunt

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The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday said that personal relationships and former positions would not influence its efforts to arrest Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. welcomed Malacañang’s challenge to ensure that Dela Rosa’s previous position as PNP chief would not affect the manhunt.

“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. The Philippine National Police will remain professional, impartial, and steadfast in implementing lawful orders, regardless of who is involved,” Nartatez said in a statement.

Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro earlier said the administration trusts Nartatez and the PNP to perform their duties without being influenced by personal relationships or alliances with the senator.

For Nartatez, police officers must remain loyal to the Constitution and the law rather than to individuals who previously held positions in the organization.

“The loyalty of every police officer must always be to the Constitution and the law, not to personalities or former positions. In the PNP, service is a duty, not a privilege, and no personal allegiance should ever stand in the way of justice,” he said.

The PNP said it continues to receive and validate tips on Dela Rosa's whereabouts through its hotlines. Also, tracker teams have been organized nationwide.

A P50-million reward has been offered for information that would lead to the senator's arrest.

Dela Rosa has a pending warrant of arrest issued 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.

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