The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has insisted on the need to implement the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC) against Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa following the tensions that happened in the Senate on Monday, M1y 11.

“It’s a valid warrant. It’s a live warrant na kailangan pong iimplement ng law enforcement (It’s a live warrant that has to be implemented by law enforcement),” Matibag said during an interview on DZMM.

Dela Rosa was tagged as the chief implementer of the bloody drug war which critics started when he was still the chief of police of Davao City—and was later expanded to a national level when he was named as the chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP). 

More than 6,000 suspected drug pushers and users died in police operations, a number of these operations were flagged for human rights violations and lapses in police operational procedures that include planting of evidence and questions on the “nanlaban” narrative, or the suspects trading shots with cops. T

housands more died in the hands of drug war-inspired vigilante groups. 

The drug war resulted in Dela Rosa being charged as co-perpetrator in the crimes against humanity case with former president Rodrigo Duterte. 

And for Matibag, the Senate’s decision to put Dela Rosa under protective custody will not help the latter. 

“Pero (But), with or without that protective custody, my position is we can enforce the warrant of arrest because it is the exercise of the state of its police power,” said Matibag, who is also a lawyer.  

“It’s one of the inherent power po ng atin pong gobyerno na magpatupad po ng police power (It’s one of the inherent powers of the government to enforce police power),” he explained.

If law enforcement cannot enforce this power, the director warned “there will be a breakdown of law and order” and that the Philippines’ relationship with the international community will also be affected. ‘It will create a precedent na pwede pala, pagka meron pala umiiwas na mapapanagot o maaresto, maaari palang kanlungan doon sa Senado (a person who has to be arrested can seek shelter in the Senate),” said Matibag. 

On the other hand, Matibag admitted only the courts can stop law enforcement from implementing the arrest warrant.

Considering that the Senate and law enforcement have their respective positions about the arrest of Dela Rosa, Matibag pointed out “‘pag may pagtatalo ang nagiging final arbiter naman po lagi ang atin pong korte, lalong-lalo na po ang ating Korte Suprema (whenever there is dispute, the final arbiter has always been the courts, especially the Supreme Court).”

In the meantime, the director said “hindi namin inimplement muna temporarily ‘yung ating warrant of arrest (we are temporarily suspending the implementation of the arrest warrant).”

Following the failed arrest of the senator, Matibag said  “I have reported it to the property authority, sa mga boss po natin sa DOJ and of course as executive (to our boss at the Department of Justice and the executive). “We will wait for ano sa atin instruction (We will wait for their instruction). We will implement the instruction,” he said.

Matibag noted “yesterday there’s an inter-agency coordination on this matter po ‘yung mga involved po na agency nag-usap-usap po dito (the involved agencies have been talking).”