By Dean Aubrey Caratiquet
In acknowledgment of concerns about the use of intelligence funds in placing a bounty on Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, Malacañang said that this forms part of the government’s strategy to apprehend the lawmaker.
This, as the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) imposed a P50 million bounty on his head, with the Philippine National Police (PNP) giving the former PNP chief one week to surrender to authorities.
Senator dela Rosa was cited among the eight major co-perpetrators by the International Criminal Court (ICC) in its hearing on the crimes against humanity case of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Other figures cited in the Court’s records were as follows:
- Vicente Danao (October 2013-June 2016)
- Mayoral period: Chief of Davao City Police (October 2013-June 2016)
- Presidential period: Counterintelligence Chief, PNP Directorate for Intelligence in PNP National Headquarters (July 2016-February 2017); Chief of Directorial Staff and then Deputy Director for Operations of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (February 2017-November 2018); Manila Police District Director (November 2018-October 2019);
- Camilo Cascolan
- Mayoral period: Finance Chief of Davao Region Police Office (2011-2012)
- Presidential period: Chief of the PNP Directorate for Operations (July 2016-April 2018); Regional Director of the National Capital Region Police Office (“NCRPO”) (April-May 2018); Chief of Staff in the PNP Office of the Chief of Directorial Staff (September 2018-October 2019);
- Oscar Albayalde
- Presidential Period: Regional Director of the NCRPO (July 2016-April 2018); Chief of the PNP (April 2018-October 2019);
- Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go
- Mayoral period: Duterte’s Personal Aide and Special Assistant (1998-2016);
- Presidential period: Duterte’s Special Assistant and Chief of the Presidential Managerial Staff (June 2016-October 2018);
- Dante Gierran
- Mayoral period: Davao Regional Director of the National Bureau of Investigation (“NBI”) (2013–2016)
- Presidential period: Director of the NBI (2016-2020);
- Isidro Lapeña
- Prior to the charged period: Davao City Police Chief (1996-1998);
- Presidential period: Chief of the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (“PDEA”) (2016-2017);
- Vitaliano Aguirre II
- Mayoral period: lawyer for Duterte and other members of the Davao Death Squad (“DDS”);
- Presidential period: Secretary of Justice of the Philippines (July 2016-April 2018)
- other members of the PNP and high-ranking government officials.
Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said in a radio interview, “Kung ganito ang kanilang mga pamamaraan para gamitin ang kanilang mga intel funds, ito po ay naaayon naman [sa batas]. Hindi ito yung tipong 11 days, naubos agad ang intel funds o [confidential] funds. So ito ay tunay na operasyon at hindi pagpaplanta ng mga banana chips.”
When asked about whether freezing Sen. dela Rosa’s assets would aid his arrest, she deferred the question to the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC).
At this juncture, Senate President Sherwin Gatchalian called for the peaceful and orderly arrest of the former PNP chief without resorting to the use of force, with Senator JV Ejercito wishing that the lawmaker undergo due process once taken into custody by authorities.
As of press time, Senator dela Rosa remains in hiding and continues to be allegedly sheltered by an undisclosed armed group, months after the infamous chase when he hastily evaded authorities attempting to apprehend him, which eventually culminated in the Senate shooting incident that transpired on May 13.
Meanwhile, the Presidential Communications Office vowed to double down on awareness campaigns vs. fake news, and make inroads towards strengthening nationalism and curbing violence in schools nationwide.
Usec. Castro concluded, “Hangga’t mayroon pong gumagawa ng mali, hangga’t may gumagawa ng fake news, hangga’t may naninira sa gobyerno nang walang basehan, mas tatapang pa po tayo.” (with report from Clay Pardilla | PTV News)
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