‘Worse than Marawi’: Remulla warns of bloodbath if authorities try to arrest Dela Rosa

MANILA — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla warned that trying to arrest Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court warrant,  could lead to a bloody confrontation.

Remulla, whose department has supervision over the Philippine National Police, said Dela Rosa is hiding in Mindanao and is under the protection of a powerful group with armed men.

He said authorities are negotiating for Dela Rosa’s surrender and warned that an operation could result in heavy casualties among police personnel.

“He’s hidden in deep,” Remulla said.

“They are very financially — have a lot of armed men,” he said. “We have to [negotiate], otherwise if we go in hard, the body bags will be high,” he said. 

He warned that a confrontation could lead to a casualty count “worse than Marawi”, referring to the city in Lanao del Sur that ISIS-linked terrorists captured in 2017. 

“We do not want a civil war to start because of arrest of one man,” he said.

Remulla did not identify the group allegedly protecting Dela Rosa or provide evidence of his claim.

Dela Rosa has been in hiding since leaving the Senate in May, when authorities sought to enforce an arrest warrant issued by the ICC over his alleged role in killings during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.

The ICC unsealed the warrant on May 11, saying there were reasonable grounds to believe Dela Rosa was responsible for the crime against humanity of murder in connection with the anti-drug campaign.

The allegations have not been proven in court.

Remulla also expressed regret over not taking Dela Rosa into custody when the senator appeared at the Senate in May.

“I dropped the ball. I should’ve arrested him at the Senate,” he said.

He referred to a supposed gentlemen’s agreement on taking custody of Dela Rosa, adding “but these people aren’t gentlemen.”

Remulla said he had trusted then-Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s assurance that Dela Rosa was in Senate custody and that the chamber would handle the situation.

Dela Rosa briefly appeared at the Senate on May 11 after months of absence, amid reports of the ICC warrant. He left the premises days later and has not publicly disclosed his whereabouts. 

The Supreme Court has since rejected his request for a temporary restraining order against his arrest and transfer to the ICC.

Remulla said he would no longer rely on informal agreements to prevent authorities from enforcing the law.

“There will be no more gentlemen’s agreements. I will no longer honor them. If they treat us with disrespect, I will respond in kind. Not in the sense that I will break any laws, but they should not use such agreements as a shield to prevent us from enforcing the law,” he said.

He said that in case the ICC issues a warrant for Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go — former President Rodrigo Duterte’s longtime aide — authorities will enforce it.

However, he stressed that Go, like other individuals who may be subject to an ICC warrant, would be afforded due process under the procedure prescribed by the Supreme Court for extradition.

“So he will be afforded that. Like Bato, he will be afforded that,” he said.

Remulla also discussed government efforts to locate other high-profile individuals facing criminal cases who remain at large.

He said former Ako Bicol party-list Rep. Zaldy Co is still in France, as authorities continued efforts to secure an Interpol Red Notice against him.

Co is facing plunder allegations linked to the flood control corruption scandal. Remulla previously said the government would pursue a renewed request for a Red Notice to help locate and apprehend the former lawmaker.

Remulla also said businessman Charlie “Atong” Ang is believed to be in Cambodia, while former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag is allegedly hiding in the mountains of the Cordillera region.

Ang and Bantag are among the individuals authorities have been pursuing in connection with separate criminal cases. Interpol Red Notices have previously been reported against both men.