MANILA — The manhunt for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa took a lighter turn Friday when Metropolitan Manila Development Authority General Manager Nicolas Torre III joked that his agency stands ready to help — but only within its jurisdiction.
When asked at a media forum whether he would accept a possible assignment to assist in apprehending the ICC-wanted senator, Torre offered a tongue-in-cheek response.
“Basta may information na si senator ay nandun sa landfill, sa waterways, sa ilog, pwede,” Torre said, drawing laughter from reporters. (“As long as there is information that the senator is in the landfill, in waterways, or rivers, we can help.”)
The quip was a veiled reference to the MMDA’s mandate over Metro Manila’s flood control systems, waterways, and waste management — territory far removed from the corridors where dela Rosa has been evading arrest.
The National Bureau of Investigation has been actively pursuing dela Rosa following an International Criminal Court warrant for alleged crimes against humanity tied to the Duterte administration’s bloody war on drugs. The Philippine Supreme Court denied the senator’s bid for a restraining order by a vote of 9-5-1 earlier this week, clearing the way for authorities to serve the warrant.
Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police chief and one of the chief architects of the anti-drug campaign, has so far eluded arrest. The NBI has vowed to detain him “whether he likes it or not.”
Torre, himself a former PNP official, did not elaborate further on whether the MMDA would play any formal role in the operation.
