PNP-CIDG to subpoena Bato over EJK probe, unrelated to ICC 'warrant'- Remulla

MANILA, May 11 ------ The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) would issue a subpoena to Senator Ronald dela Rosa today requiring him to personally appear before investigators as part of a continuing Philippine National Police (PNP) investigation.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla stressed that the order was “not an arrest warrant,” amid speculation that Dela Rosa could face arrest in connection with a supposed International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. “We do not have a red notice for General Dela Rosa. The news has been circulating. I have not seen a copy. I have no information of a copy,” Remulla said during a press briefing. “But I'm here to belie all rumors that there is a red notice. I hope that's clear,” he added.

Remulla said the PNP had been directed to resume the investigation into Dela Rosa’s actions during his stint as Davao City police director and regional director of the Davao Region, positions he held before becoming PNP chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte.

PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez said the renewed investigation would rely heavily on findings from the previous Quad Committee hearings in the House of Representatives, as well as complaints previously filed in connection with extrajudicial killings. “The Philippine National Police will be conducting, of course, investigation. This is a continuing one. Noong nakaraan, we have a quad com report with regards to EJK and other related incident. That would be the very basis and other reports coming from various unit that we may pursue,” Nartatez said. “The Philippine National Police through the CIDG will be giving summons to identified personalities doon sa mga reports na ‘yan,” he added. According to Remulla, Dela Rosa would be the first among several personalities expected to receive subpoenas in the coming days.

DELA ROSA STILL IN THE PHILIPPINES

Authorities said Dela Rosa was believed to still be in the Davao region and that Police Regional Office 11 had already been alerted regarding the subpoena service. Despite heightened monitoring, Remulla repeatedly emphasized that the senator was not under arrest and would not be treated as a criminal suspect during the proceedings. “We will treat him with all the respect that he deserves. He is a senator, a former chief of the PNP, a former director of the BuCor. We will, and I assure you, there will be no EJK,” Remulla said. “We will treat him with all respect. There will be no handcuffs. It is merely a subpoena for investigation, not an arrest warrant,” he added. The DILG also confirmed that airports, seaports, checkpoints, and airlines had been alerted to monitor Dela Rosa’s movements amid rumors that he could leave the country.

PNP INVESTIGATION SEPARATE FROM ICC PROCESS

Remulla maintained that the investigation was entirely separate from any ICC process, reiterating that the Philippines was no longer a member of the international tribunal. Pressed on why the government would not simply cooperate with the ICC if accountability was the objective, Remulla insisted the investigation was part of the PNP’s own effort to establish responsibility over past abuses and end speculation surrounding the issue. “We have to put a stop to all of this chatter. We have to make it clear that EJK is no longer a policy of the PNP. We have to make it clear that all officers involved must be held accountable,” he said.

The DILG chief also acknowledged longstanding criticisms over the lack of police cooperation in previous EJK investigations and said authorities intended to conduct a broader review of past anti-drug operations. “We cannot move forward as a country until there's a reconciliation of the truth of what happened in those years. So this is just the initial step in finding out of what really happened,” Remulla said.

In a statement, International Coalition for Human Rights in the Philippines (ICHRP) said it welcomes news of "imminent arrest of Duterte co-conspirator Bato." “The ICHRP urges the Philippine authorities to act on any warrant of arrest issued by the International Criminal Court for the arrest of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa... This development also serves as a warning to the Marcos Jr. government–the long arm of the law will catch up with those who commit and enable war crimes in the Philippines," said Peter Murphy, ICHRP chairperson. Dela Rosa has not attended Senate sessions since November 2025, after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla claimed that he had seen an ICC arrest warrant against the senator.

Source: news.abs-cbn.com