AFP on Bato dela Rosa's alleged influence on military: We would not want to speculate
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The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) on Tuesday declined to speculate on whether Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, a Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumnus, has influence within the military.
Authorities have launched a manhunt against Dela Rosa following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
"We would not want to speculate on anything that is because of certain backgrounds and connections, but we are mission-oriented and focused on how we conduct the operations," AFP spokesperson Colonel Francel Margareth Padilla said at a press briefing.
Padilla said the military respects the role of the Philippine National Police (PNP) in carrying out law enforcement operations as the police organization is leading efforts to locate and arrest Dela Rosa.
She said the AFP may provide support to lawful operations when necessary.
Earlier, Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said tracking down Dela Rosa is difficult because of his deep ties as a former PNP chief and a PMA alumnus.
The PNP has vowed that personal relationships and former positions would not influence its efforts to arrest the senator.
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 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 this organization. — VDV, GMA News
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