MANILA: Palace press officer Claire Castro said Thursday (May 14) that Sen Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa (pic) has already left the Senate premises based on information from “several sources.”
“As of 11:09am, several sources confirmed that the senator, Senator Bato, is no longer in the Senate premises, but we’re still getting official confirmation on the report,” she said at a briefing.
National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag, however, said the report has yet to be confirmed.
The NBI will also determine the current whereabouts of the senator.
Matibag deferred further inquiries about dela Rosa’s whereabouts to the Senate.
Also, the NBI chief said that Dela Rosa’s reported departure from the Senate could not be considered an operational lapse on the agency’s part, saying authorities followed proper procedures after the senator resurfaced earlier this week.
Dela Rosa reappeared at the Senate on Monday after going into hiding for six months. He allegedly wrestled with NBI agents who attempted to serve an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him.
“When the Senate declared that Senator Bato was under their protective custody, we chose to respect that decision because we respect the authority of the Senate as a co-equal branch of government,” Matibag said.
Prior to Castro’s announcement, a Secretariat official of the upper chamber confirmed to a senator that dela Rosa had already left the Senate at 2.30am on Thursday.
Dela Rosa is the subject of an ICC arrest warrant in connection with its investigation into the war on drugs lodged by former President Rodrigo Duterte, who is currently detained at the global tribunal in The Hague, Netherlands. - Philippine Daily Inquirer/ANN
