Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Tuesday said the Philippine National Police (PNP) has recalled two security officers who were assigned to his residence in Davao City.

In a phone interview with reporters, Dela Rosa lamented the security personnel detailed to him were instructed to report back to their respective units within the PNP on Monday, 24 March.

“Itong pag-uwi ko dito sa Davao wala na akong security. Pinapa-report na sila sa unit nila… Nag-iistambay sila dito… Pagdating ko dito wala na sila dahil pina-report na sila ,” Dela Rosa said. 

(When I returned to Davao, I no longer had security. They were ordered to report back to their unit. They had just been staying here, but when I arrived, they were already gone because they had been told to return.)

This comes after the arrest of former President Rodrigo Duterte pursuant to a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

In his Facebook post on Tuesday, Dela Rosa also said that his security detail had been “recalled by the PNP.” 

Dela Rosa stated that retired cops and soldiers have begun volunteering to replace his recalled security.

When asked for a comment, the PNP Public Information Office quoted the Police Security and Protection Group (PSPG), which denied the claim, calling it “fake news.”

However, Dela Rosa said he understand that the police commanders are just being cautious. 

“I understand them. They're not making things difficult for me. They're just being careful, thinking that they might get into trouble later. So, I understand. They're not trying to pressure me, they're just avoiding any trouble on their part,” he said. 

Dela Rosa stressed recalling his security is not a cause for concern. 

“Normal naman yan (It’s just normal). They can be there, they cannot be there,” he added. 

Dela Rosa was among the architects of President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs campaign. 

Dela Rosa served as the chief of the Philippine National Police during the previous administration. He was one of Duterte's co-accused in the crimes against humanity case related to the implementation of the war on drugs campaign.

Where is Bato?

Meanwhile, Malacañang raised questions about the whereabouts of the re-electionist senator.

During a press briefing on Tuesday, Palace Press Officer Claire Castro addressed the issue, clarifying that Duterte still has security personnel with him in The Hague, despite uncertainty over how the International Criminal Court (ICC) handles such matters.

“When he left, he had his preferred security. Now that he has been brought to the ICC, at the moment, we do not know what the ICC mandates regarding his security, but he still has security with him,” Castro explained. “That has not been removed.”

However, when asked about Dela Rosa’s claim that his own security had been revoked, Castro questioned his visibility in public.

“Where exactly is Senator Bato? Do we even see him? I don’t know, I’m sorry. As of the moment, I haven’t seen him, so how can we provide him security if he isn’t even showing up?” she said.

She then implied that Dela Rosa may simply not be present for his security personnel to be assigned.

“Maybe he’s just not around. Security personnel can’t just stand around if he’s nowhere to be found. If he shows up, then that wouldn’t be a problem,” she added.