Sec. Jonvic Remulla stressed that lives are at stake if they force the arrest of Sen. Bato dela Rosa
Department of the Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla said that Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is in Mindanao and is being protected by a group.
In a press briefing on Tuesday, the Secretary stated that they are continuing negotiations with the group sheltering the Senator.
Remulla said that they are focused on securing Dela Rosa’s surrender and preventing a potentially bloody confrontation, based on the report from GMA News.
“He’s in Mindanao. He’s under the protection of a group we are currently initiating conversations with for his turnover to the authorities,” Sec. Jonvic Remulla said.
The DILG Secretary explained that law enforcement officers cannot simply enter the location where Dela Rosa is staying to arrest him, as doing so could lead to a bloody confrontation.
“In exchange for up to 10,000 potential deaths, I would rather negotiate first than cost the lives of Filipinos in this. You don’t always solve problems with a hammer. Sometimes you solve things better in a more peaceful, humane way,” Remulla said.
The Secretary did not explain how he arrived at the figure of 10,000, nor did he disclose the basis for his estimate.
In September, Remulla warned once again that an attempt to arrest Dela Rosa could escalate into a bloody incident, though he did not elaborate on the specific scenarios that might trigger such violence.
An arrest warrant has been issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Dela Rosa, naming him an indirect co-perpetrator in crimes against humanity linked to the deaths that occurred during the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Authorities previously attempted to serve the arrest warrant on Dela Rosa on May 11, an event that led to heightened tension and a pursuit within the Senate building.
Following this, Dela Rosa was placed under the custody of the Senate for his protection. However, he left the premises on May 14 and has not appeared in public since.
Previously, Sec. Jonvic Remulla expressed regret that authorities did not arrest Dela Rosa immediately. He noted that, at the time, he had chosen to respect a “gentleman’s agreement” between the Senate and the executive branch regarding the senator’s custody.
