- 225,000-strong PNP mobilized after DOJ declares senator a ‘fugitive’
THE DEPARTMENT of Justice (DOJ) has officially ordered national law enforcement agencies to execute an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, prompting the Department of the Interior and Local Government to place the entire 225,000-strong Philippine National Police on active manhunt status.
The sweeping enforcement directive marks a total administration shift, occurring just two days after the Supreme Court denied Dela Rosa’s emergency prayer for a protective temporary restraining order.
In a definitive legal pronouncement, DOJ Secretary Frederick Vida declared the former PNP Chief a “fugitive,” effectively stripping away political buffers and greenlighting simultaneous operations by the PNP and the National Bureau of Investigation.
When questioned by reporters regarding the scale of the impending operation—specifically if a rumored 10,000-man elite task force would be deployed—DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla clarified that the scope of the manhunt encompasses the entire state apparatus.
“It is not just a 10,000-man task force. The entire 225,000-strong force of the Philippine National Police is now tasked with tracking down Senator Ronald Dela Rosa,” Remulla stated. “We will follow the lead of the Secretary of Justice.”
Following the DILG’s declaration, PNP Director General Jose Melencio C. Nartatez Jr. issued an official command statement confirming that the police force will immediately execute the DOJ’s operational order.
“The PNP respects the processes of the justice system and recognizes the authority of competent government agencies in the implementation of lawful orders,” Nartatez said. “As a law enforcement agency, the PNP shall perform its mandate in accordance with existing laws, due process, and established operational procedures.”
Nartatez assured the public that despite the highly charged political profile of the target, all actions undertaken by field units would remain “impartial, professional, and within the bounds of the law.”
The enforcement order creates a volatile standoff in Davao Region, which serves as the traditional stronghold of the Duterte political faction and Dela Rosa’s primary home base.
As of press time, TIMES has yet to receive a response from the Police Regional Office XI on whether it has already received operational directives to arrest or detain Dela Rosa the moment he is spotted within its territorial area of responsibility.
