PNP: Personal ties won’t affect Dela Rosa manhunt

MANILA — The Philippine National Police (PNP) is under pressure to prove that its search for Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa will not be hampered by his former position as head of the organization.

PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. accepted Malacañang’s challenge, insisting that the police force would not give special treatment to anyone in enforcing the arrest warrant against the senator.

“We welcome the challenge of Malacañang because it reinforces a fundamental principle of law enforcement: no position, rank, or personal relationship is above the law,” Nartatez said in a statement. 

The Palace raised the issue after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla admitted that Dela Rosa’s previous leadership of the PNP made the ongoing manhunt more difficult.

Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the administration expects Nartatez and the police organization to carry out their responsibilities without being swayed by personal relationships or past alliances.

In response, Nartatez said Dela Rosa’s former position would not place him above the law.

He reminded police personnel that their allegiance “must always be to the Constitution and the law, not to personalities or former positions.” 

The PNP said it continues to verify information on Dela Rosa’s possible whereabouts through dedicated hotlines.

Nationwide tracker teams have also been organized following the expiration of the one-week deadline given to the senator to surrender.

The government has put up a P50-million reward for information that could lead to his arrest.

Dela Rosa, who served as PNP chief under former president Rodrigo Duterte, is wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign from July 2016 to April 2018.