‘Armed and dangerous’: DILG offers P50 million reward for Bato’s arrest

MANILA (UPDATE) — The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) on Friday announced it is offering a P50 million reward to anyone who can provide information that could lead to the arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is the subject of an International Criminal Court warrant.

DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla said he now considers Dela Rosa “armed and dangerous.” 

“As of today, Senator Bato [dela Rosa] will be considered armed and dangerous. We are placing a bounty of P50 million for his capture,” Remulla said in a press conference.

The Philippine National Police (PNP) gave Dela Rosa one week to surrender to authorities.

“We have given [Dela Rosa] all the courtesy that could be afforded as a senator of the Republic of the Philippines. But he has shown nothing but cowardice by remaining in hiding… Sen. Bato mistook my negotiation as a sign of weakness…It’s time to bring justice to his victims,” Remulla said.

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.