NBI tracks Senator Bato's whereabouts, presses surrender
National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag said Tuesday the bureau has leads on the whereabouts of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, urging the lawmaker to surrender and end the disturbance sparked by his resurfacing.
Speaking at the Manila City Hall Reporters’ Association (MACHRA) “Balitaan” forum on Tuesday, May 19, held at Harbor View Restaurant in Ermita, Manila, Matibag said Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief, should understand how law enforcement works and should not use his position to evade accountability.
He said the NBI is already tracking possible locations of the senator but declined to disclose details, citing operational security and the risk of speculation.
Matibag also pointed to Senator Robin Padilla as a possible source of information, noting he was the last person seen with Dela Rosa.
At the same time, the NBI chief pushed back against Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano’s call for his suspension, saying the issue of command responsibility should instead be directed at Senate leadership, where the disturbance took place.
He maintained that no NBI personnel were present inside the Senate during the incident and insisted that the bureau did not initiate the escalation.
Matibag also rejected what he described as “feudal thinking,” stressing that public office should not place anyone above the law and that actions-- not positions-- should be judged based on legality.
To underscore his point, he cited former Senators Antonio Trillanes IV and Leila de Lima, who faced arrest warrants while in office and submitted themselves to legal processes.
He said he is ready to face any investigation and accept responsibility if found at fault, adding that the NBI is nearing completion of its own probe, with the final determination to be made by the Department of Justice.
Matibag also disclosed that no NBI agents were deployed to the Senate that night in observance of a “gentleman’s agreement,” under which he held off action pending a Supreme Court ruling on Dela Rosa’s petition for a temporary restraining order.