Senator Ronald “Bato“ dela Rosa is already presumed to be “armed and dangerous” under existing law enforcement protocols as authorities continue efforts to locate and arrest him over an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant for crimes against humanity, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said on Saturday.

Speaking at the Saturday News Forum, Matibag said the designation follows standard operating procedure for law enforcement agencies when tracking fugitives.

“It’s our standard protocol that if we’re doing a search or locating a fugitive from justice, ang presumption namin lagi is armado ‘yan at delikado ‘yung magiging approach,” Matibag said.

The senator’s current whereabouts remain unknown, and authorities have been searching for dela Rosa after he exited the Senate premises hours after a shooting incident on May 13.

Matibag explained that law enforcement officers are trained to approach all fugitives with caution, especially individuals with backgrounds in law enforcement or security operations.

He admitted that dela Rosa’s experience as a former police chief may give him an advantage in avoiding arrest because he is familiar with police tactics and operational procedures.

“It is one of the major concerns kasi nga galing siya sa law enforcement, so he knows how the law enforcement officer behaves kung paano siya natrack o hahanapin,” Matibag said.

Despite this, the NBI chief stressed that authorities remain determined to enforce the ICC arrest warrant.

“Ang sa akin lang dito: the law will catch up on you and the law enforces will get you kung saan ka man naroroon,” he added.

The NBI also said it is prepared to implement the ICC arrest warrant against dela Rosa “whether he likes it or not.”

Matibag again appealed to the senator to surrender voluntarily and face the charges before the ICC.

“Kusa na siyang sumuko at harapin niya ‘yung kanyang hinaharap na kaso sa ICC,” he added.

According to the NBI chief, investigators continue to receive daily leads regarding the possible whereabouts of the senator.

Matibag meanwhile, said authorities have no record showing that dela Rosa has left the Philippines.

“If we will look to the records of the Bureau of Immigration…’yung mga point of entries na identified natin is being monitor ay sasabihin natin, wala naman pong record ng paglabas,” he said.

“Pero by the looks of it, baka wala siyang balak na sumuko dahil nandiyan na nga siya sa Senado, bigla pang nawala. Sabi ko nga, huli na naging bato pa,” he added,

The NBI also appealed to the public to report any information regarding dela Rosa’s location.

Matibag warned that individuals who may be helping the senator evade arrest or hide from authorities could face charges, including “obstruction of justice.“

Aside from tracker teams deployed by the NBI, additional units of the agency have also been tasked to assist in locating and arresting dela Rosa.

Dela Rosa is facing allegations of crimes against humanity linked to the anti-drug campaign under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte, during which he served as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) from 2016 to 2018.