Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced that authorities will issue a subpoena to Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Monday in connection with ongoing investigations into alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) during the Duterte administration’s drug war.
Remulla said he has directed Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. to mobilize the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG), the PNP Legal Service, and the Directorate for Investigation and Detection Management to facilitate the issuance of the subpoena.
He clarified that the subpoena is not an arrest warrant, but an order requiring Dela Rosa to personally appear before the CIDG as part of the probe into alleged EJK cases during his tenure as PNP chief and former Davao City police director.
“We are here to clarify a few things. Number one, we do not have a[n] (Interpol) red notice for General dela Rosa, this has been circulating. I have not seen a copy, I have no information of a copy, but I’m here to deny all rumors that there is a red notice, and that’s clear,” Remulla said in a press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City.
“However, I have given orders to General Nartatez to resume the investigation regarding his previous actions as the City Director of Davao and Regional Director of Davao Region,” he added.
Remulla said Dela Rosa remains in the Philippines, particularly in the Davao Region, and that local police units in Davao and Police Regional Office 11 have already been alerted regarding the upcoming subpoena.
He also assured that the senator would be treated with due respect once summoned.
“Well, we will treat him with all the respect that he deserves. He is a senator, a former chief of the PNP, former director of the BuCor (Bureau of Corrections) and I assure you there will be no handcuffs,” he said.
The Interior chief said the investigation will revisit complaints and records related to the drug war, including more than 6,000 deaths reported during police operations and alleged vigilante-style killings involving some law enforcement personnel.
PNP Chief Nartatez said the probe will use findings from the House Quad Committee report, along with other complaints and documentation on alleged abuses during the anti-drug campaign.
“We cannot move forward as a country until there is a reconciliation of the truth of what happened in those years. So this is just the initial step in finding out what really happened,” Remulla said.
“It is also a strong message to the public that the Philippine National Police stands for accountability. There are no sacred cows and we are not protecting anyone,” he said.
Dela Rosa, who served as the first PNP chief under former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2016, is among officials linked to the International Criminal Court (ICC) investigation into alleged crimes against humanity tied to the previous administration’s anti-drug campaign.
He has been absent from Senate sessions and public engagements since November 2025, following reports of an ICC-issued warrant related to the case.
Photo courtesy of Bato dela Rosa / Facebook
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