The Philippine National Police (PNP) has received about 500 tips on the possible whereabouts of Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa as authorities continue efforts to locate him, PNP chief Police General Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said Monday.
During a press briefing at Camp Crame, Nartatez said it continues to verify reports and conduct operations based on information received from the public.
The PNP chief said the information came from various locations across western and eastern Mindanao, the Visayas, and northern Luzon.
“Tulad ng sinabi ko there are non-less than 500 informations na dumating na. Those were properly validated, pinuntahan po natin at inoperate po natin,” Nartatez said.
He also disclosed that some of the leads pointed to an island whose existence he had only recently learned about.
Dela Rosa has a P50-million bounty on his head, with a powerful group in Mindanao allegedly providing him protection amid the ongoing manhunt.
Earlier, the police launched hotlines operating 24 hours a day to allow the public to report information that could help establish Dela Rosa’s whereabouts.
This stemmed from an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Dela Rosa over alleged crimes against humanity in connection with the war on drugs under the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
[Reports from RH Edniel Parrosa]
