The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) formally asked the Philippine National Police (PNP) to immediately cancel all firearms licenses belonging to Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa after identifying the lawmaker as ‘armed and dangerous’ following his disappearance from Senate protective custody.
In a letter signed by NBI Director Melvin Matibag and addressed to PNP Chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr., the bureau asked the PNP Firearms and Explosives Office to revoke all firearms licenses under dela Rosa’s name and to facilitate the surrender and confiscation of approximately 118 firearms registered to him.
The NBI also urged police units to issue an order requiring the senator to surrender all firearms within 48 hours.
The NBI said the firearms include semi-automatic and select-fire rifles, UZI submachine gun variants, high-powered .338 caliber rifles, battlefield-grade shotguns, and various handguns, reportedly kept at his registered address in Davao City.
“Law enforcement officers tasked with serving the ICC [International Criminal Court] warrant are placed in extraordinary and disproportionate peril so long as these weapons remain in the subject's lawful possession,” the letter stated.
“The immediate confiscation of these firearms is a necessary and proportionate measure to protect their lives,” it added.
The bureau also called on the PNP to coordinate with all territorial units, particularly in the Davao Region, to ensure the immediate confiscation of the weapons should the senator fail to voluntarily surrender them.
In its letter, the NBI cited Section 4 of Republic Act 10591, or the Comprehensive Firearms and Ammunition Regulation Act, which prohibits firearm ownership or possession by individuals facing a pending criminal case punishable by imprisonment of more than two years.
“Any person who is an accused in a pending criminal case before any court of law for a crime that is punishable with a penalty of imprisonment of more than two (2) years,” the letter noted.
The NBI said dela Rosa is currently the subject of an arrest warrant issued by the ICC for alleged criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator in crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs, during which he served as PNP chief.
“The NBI stands ready to provide all supporting documentation, legal assistance, and operational coordination as may be required,” the letter added, emphasizing urgency in acting on the request.
Earlier, the NBI said dela Rosa is presumed “armed and dangerous” under law enforcement protocols as authorities continue efforts to locate and arrest him in connection with the ICC warrant.
