(DC file photo)
MANILA – Governors in Mindanao and Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) Chief Minister Abdulraof “Sammy Gambar” Macacua have pledged to cooperate with authorities in locating Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, according to National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag.
Matibag said the local leaders committed to working together to ensure that their respective jurisdictions would not be used as hiding places by the senator.
The governors and the BARMM chief minister also assured authorities that they would immediately provide relevant information should Dela Rosa be spotted in their areas.
The commitment is expected to strengthen coordination between national law enforcement agencies and local government officials as authorities continue efforts to locate the senator.
Dela Rosa has been the subject of intensified efforts to determine his whereabouts amid developments involving the International Criminal Court’s (ICC) investigation into the Duterte administration’s controversial anti-drug campaign.
Authorities have yet to publicly confirm his current location.
The NBI’s announcement underscores the cooperation being sought from Mindanao’s local leaders to prevent individuals being sought by authorities from using their territories as places of refuge.
