The Philippine National Police (PNP) on Wednesday launched hotlines for the public to report verifiable information on the whereabouts of Sen. Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa, who has been wanted by the International Criminal Court (ICC) since November last year.
The move followed Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla’s announcement last Friday of a P50-million bounty for the senator’s capture.
In a press conference, PNP public information chief Col. Allen Rae Co presented the following hotline numbers:
Globe – 0927-307-3501
Globe – 0995-512-2729
Globe – 0945-6115926
Smart – 0999-361-9878
Smart – 0960-6923025
Co said the numbers would be available 24/7 starting Wednesday. The public may also call 911 to report verified information on dela Rosa’s location.
He warned that prank callers providing false information could face criminal charges.
‘This is an official law enforcement resource, ito pong numbers na ito and you can be criminally charged kapat nilaro-laro ninyo,’ he said.
(This is an official law enforcement resource, these are these numbers and you may be held criminally liable for playing around with them.)
According to Co, there are still no updates on dela Rosa’s surrender.
He added that the negotiation with the supposed armed group allegedly protecting the ICC-wanted senator is ongoing.
Dela Rosa escaped the Senate building in the early hours of May 14 after the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued a warrant for his arrest due to his alleged involvement in the bloody war against illegal drugs during the administration of former Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.
The senator is among the personalities tagged as co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity case filed against Duterte before the ICC, as he served as the Philippine National Police chief from 2016 to 2018. Around 12,000 to 30,000 individuals were killed during Duterte administration’s bloody drug war, as per the investigation by then-ICC prosecutor Karim Khan.