The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) on Wednesday urged Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa to peacefully surrender following the issuance of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant against him, warning that law enforcers are duty-bound to pursue fugitives who refuse to submit to authorities.

NBI Director Melvin Matibag said Dela Rosa, a former top police official, should understand how law enforcement operates when implementing arrest warrants.

“That is his personal view,” Matibag said in a television interview, referring to Dela Rosa’s refusal to surrender. 

“But he came from law enforcement. We’ve probably heard him tell suspects before to surrender peacefully so there would be no chaos, no chasing, and so they could face the law properly,” he went on. 

Matibag stressed that the ICC warrant must be respected because it came from a “competent court.”

“If he does not surrender, there will always be pursuit operations,” he said. “That is the job of law enforcement — to enforce warrants of arrest. Otherwise, there will be a breakdown of law and order.”

The NBI chief added that surrendering peacefully would prevent further tension and avoid involving more people in the controversy.

NBI agents attempted to serve the ICC warrant on Dela Rosa when he arrived at the Senate on Monday afternoon. However, the senator rushed toward the session hall and was later placed under Senate protective custody.

Matibag clarified that no NBI agents were deployed at the Senate on Wednesday, although Philippine National Police (PNP) personnel remained in the area to maintain order.

He also said the ICC warrant against Dela Rosa remains “live,” although the bureau has temporarily paused efforts to enforce it.

“Right now, the warrant is still active…But temporarily, our direction is not to execute or enforce it,” Matibag said. 

The NBI chief criticized Dela Rosa’s remarks that he had openly passed through checkpoints without hiding despite reports of a possible ICC warrant since last year.

“That sounds like a mockery of law enforcement and law and order. It is not good to promote resistance against law enforcement and the government because police powers are one of the inherent powers of the government,” Matibag said. 

Matibag also defended the actions of NBI agents during Monday’s dramatic chase inside the Senate, saying there had been prior coordination with the Senate Office of the Sergeant-at-Arms (OSAA) before agents entered the premises.

“We could not have entered the Senate grounds without coordination with Senate security,” he said.

Addressing viral videos of the incident, Matibag claimed the people closest to Dela Rosa during the chase were actually members of the senator’s own staff, while NBI agents were still several meters behind.

He denied reports of physical violence during the pursuit, saying CCTV footage only showed a chase and no wrestling or punching.

“What people saw was track and field — just chasing,” he said.

However, Matibag alleged that Dela Rosa himself pushed and tackled one of the female NBI agents involved in the operation.

The NBI chief also defended agents accused of hurting a Senate security personnel member during the commotion that followed. 

According to Matibag, the agents believed they were being illegally detained after the Senate moved to place Dela Rosa under protective custody.

“When our agents were leaving, they were blocked. The same security personnel who allowed them inside suddenly wanted to detain them. That could already constitute illegal detention and obstruction of justice,” he said. 

Matibag pointed out that the instinct of law enforcers in such situations is to take into custody individuals they believe are obstructing official operations.

He maintained that the injured OSAA personnel was not punched, but merely fell on the stairs during the chaos.

Meanwhile, Matibag said the NBI and the Senate would continue communicating regarding the contempt order issued against several NBI agents after Monday’s confrontation.

“There will be an exchange of communication between the Senate and the NBI,” he said, citing possible discussions to ease tensions following the high-profile clash.