PNP clueless on Dela Rosa’s whereabouts

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December 10, 2025 | 12:00am

MANILA, Philippines — The Philippine National Police (PNP) has yet to receive information on the whereabouts of Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, who has not been seen in public following reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) has issued a warrant of arrest against him.

“As of now we don’t know his whereabouts,” acting PNP Chief Lt. Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez told reporters yesterday.

Dela Rosa has not attended Senate sessions since Nov. 11, after Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla announced that the ICC had issued a warrant for the senator’s arrest.

As the first PNP chief under the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte, Dela Rosa implemented Duterte’s controversial war on drugs. At least 6,200 drug suspects were killed in alleged shootouts with the police and personnel from other law enforcement agencies.

However, critics of Duterte said the figure could go as high as 30,000, including those who were victims of extrajudicial killings.

Nartatez pointed out they could not arrest Dela Rosa as there is no official word yet from the ICC.

Duterte was arrested last March after the ICC coursed a copy of its warrant against the former president to the International Criminal Police Organization or Interpol.

‘He’s just here’

Dela Rosa is in the Philippines, his lawyer, Israelito Torreon, told reporters.

“I may be mistaken, but he’s just here in the Philippines,” Torreon said in Filipino, adding that he has not spoken directly with the senator and now courses all communication through Dela Rosa’s wife and children.

He confirmed he also received information similar to former presidential spokesman Harry Roque’s claim about an ICC warrant, but said he does not have any clear evidence of the supposed warrant’s existence and noted the ICC’s jurisdiction remains pending before its Appeals Chamber.

Torreon said Dela Rosa is acting out of concern for his personal safety and wants clarification from the government on procedures should the Philippines decide to implement the surrender mechanism under Section 17 of Republic Act 9581.

“He wants to be clarified as to what are the procedures to be undertaken if the government will really implement the surrender aspect… because there is no law in our country which details the procedure,” he said.

“He wants to be guided so that he will also know how to exercise his rights under the Philippine Constitution,” Torreon added.

Museum for EJK victims

Party-list groups Tingog and Akbayan hosted yesterday the launching of “Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom for EJK Victims,” showing an exhibit about extrajudicial killings at the South Wing Annex Lobby of the chamber.

Reps. Jude Acidre (Tingog) and Chel Diokno (Akbayan), along with founder Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, led the rites showing the country’s first-ever mobile museum dedicated to the stories of victims of extrajudicial killings during the Duterte administration.

“This museum is not about politics. It is about people. People whose stories deserve to be told. People whose pain deserves to be acknowledged. People whose lives – and deaths – must teach us to never again allow fear to be weaponized against the poor,” Acidre said.

The mobile museum is an initiative of Program Paghilom, founded by Villanueva, a 2025 Ramon Magsaysay Awardee, and is mounted in observance of the National Human Rights Consciousness Week.

The Lakbay Museo ng Paghilom is open from Dec. 9 to 11 at the South Wing annex lobby of the House of Representatives. — Neil Jayson Servallos, Delon Porcalla, Jose Rodel Clapano