President Marcos Wants Bato dela Rosa Arrested Quickly but Without Bloodshed
MARCOS JR. – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has ordered a lawful and non-violent arrest of fugitive Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, after the government offered a P50-million bounty and gave the senator one week to surrender, The Philippine Star reported on October 25, 2026.
Palace press officer Claire Castro said the President wants the police to move fast. “There should be no time wasted in enforcing the law. The police should act quickly and aggressively. That is the President’s order. Enforce the law and arrest those who need to be arrested,” she said.
But Castro stressed that no lives should be lost. “No one must die in the arrest of Senator Bato but they should not resist because our police force will not back down,” she added.
Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, faces an arrest warrant from the International Criminal Court (ICC) in connection with the Duterte administration’s war on drugs. Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said Interpol has issued a red notice for the senator and urged him to surrender instead of “playing a cat-and-mouse game” with authorities.
Dela Rosa’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, questioned the legality of the bounty, saying a reward without a warrant from a local court “invites people to take the law into their own hands.” Remulla brushed this aside and said manhunt operations will continue. PNP chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. also warned that anyone hiding the senator could face criminal charges.
The Senate minority bloc, through the office of Minority Leader Alan Peter Cayetano, defended Dela Rosa’s right to due process and his wish to face the accusations before Philippine courts. “We believe a peaceful resolution that respects our laws and protects lives remains possible,” the bloc said.
On Sunday, October 25, Sen. Panfilo Lacson, also a former PNP chief, said he prays that any arrest will be peaceful, BusinessMirror reported on October 26. “I sincerely hope and pray that should his arrest take place sooner or later, it will be carried out peacefully, without violence or tragedy,” Lacson posted on X.
Lacson also dismissed claims that the bounty was timed to stop Dela Rosa from voting in the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte, calling these “the product of overactive imaginations.”
Dela Rosa has been missing since he left the Senate premises in May. Earlier, the CIDG moved to file a case against a fellow senator over his alleged role in the escape. Read more: CIDG to File Obstruction of Justice Case Against Robin Padilla.
Photo: Newspapers.ph illustration. Sources: The Philippine Star, BusinessMirror