Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa – Photo courtesy of Bato Dela Rosa/Facebook.
The hunt for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa may be gaining ground, with the National Bureau of Investigation saying agents have developed promising leads on his whereabouts after months of searching.
NBI Director Melvin Matibag said Saturday that authorities were continuing to track the senator but were holding back operational details that could jeopardize efforts to apprehend him.
Rather than immediately acting on available information, Matibag said investigators were waiting for an appropriate opportunity to move against Dela Rosa.
The senator has largely stayed out of public view since May amid efforts to arrest him in connection with proceedings before the International Criminal Court.
Dela Rosa, who headed the Philippine National Police during the early years of the Duterte administration, is accused of involvement in alleged crimes against humanity arising from the government’s anti-drug campaign.
His disappearance has not been uninterrupted. Dela Rosa resurfaced at the Senate in May and participated in proceedings that resulted in Alan Peter Cayetano becoming Senate president before again retreating from public view.
The NBI has since continued its manhunt, using information gathered by investigators to determine his possible movements and location.
Matibag stopped short of saying that an arrest was imminent, but indicated that the bureau remained confident in the leads being pursued. He did not provide a timetable for when authorities might act.