Who’s coddling Bato dela Rosa? Not us, says MNLF

BATO. Senator Ronald 'Bato' dela Rosa attends the Senate plenary session on May 12, 2026.

REUTERS

The Moro National Liberation Front quickly distances itself from the fugitive senator, after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Dela Rosa is being protected by an 'armed group' in Mindanao

If Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is, indeed, hiding in Mindanao, the Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) insists they’re not the ones sheltering him.

In a statement, the MNLF denied it is the “powerful armed group” that had been “cuddling” (or shouldn’t that be coddling?) Dela Rosa, who is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over his alleged role in the bloody drug war of the Rodrigo Duterte administration. 

“The MNLF is not cuddling Senator Bato. There is no established formal relationship between Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa and the MNLF,” the group said in its statement. 

Dela Rosa has been out of public view since May amid the ICC arrest warrant. 

The MNLF made the statement after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that he had received information that the legislator was being protected by an “armed” group in Mindanao.

Remulla had also warned that attempting a forced arrest on the lawmaker could cost “10,000” lives, to explain why he would rather negotiate the senator’s surrender.

The interior chief did not identify the alleged armed group. The MNLF, however, was quick to distance itself from the speculation, saying the personal ties between former president Rodrigo Duterte and MNLF founder Nur Misuari should not be construed as evidence that the group was hiding dela Rosa.

“The claim that the MNLF may be protecting him is speculation, not a confirmed fact. Reports emphasize that the MNLF is fragmented and that it is uncertain whether the Misuari faction would-or could-shield him from arrest,” the group said. 

“So, the accurate answer is: dela Rosa appears to have personal and political connections to figures associated with the MNLF, especially through Duterte’s relationship with Nur Misuari, but there is no verified evidence that he is an MNLF member, ally in an operational sense, or currently being protected by the group,” it added.

Partido Demokratiko Pilipino Lakas ng Bayan, Dela Rosa’s political party, has appealed to the Supreme Court for a swift resolution of Dela Rosa’s case. The senator’s camp also urged the High Court to reverse its earlier ruling and stop the use of an ICC warrant of arrest against him. 

But with the senator still nowhere to be found, could his arrest be drawing closer?

The Philippine National Police has intensified its manhunt for its former chief after the one-week deadline for his voluntary surrender lapsed.

Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson, who previously called for Dela Rosa’s safe arrest, has a reminder for authorities: Keep their operations under wraps.

“When pursuing a high-profile target or handling a sensitive live case, secrecy discipline is key — unless disinformation is necessary to flush the quarry into the open,” Lacson, a former PNP chief, said in a social media post.

Did Lacson have anyone in particular in mind when he gave the unsolicited advice? – Rappler.com