Nartatez orders probe into alleged police escort for Bato van

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. on Sunday ordered an internal investigation into allegations that local police escorted a black van carrying Sen. Ronald dela Rosa out of the Senate compound on 14 May. 

Nartatez said the PNP leadership launched separate verification measures to determine whether unauthorized police assistance took place.

“Let me be absolutely clear: the Philippine National Police does not operate on blind loyalty to personalities. We operate under the Constitution and the rule of law,” Nartatez said, adding that the integrity of the institution was at stake. 

He said concerned investigative units were directed to conduct an independent review of logbooks, CCTV footage, and radio dispatches from the morning of the alleged incident. 

Questions emerged after claims circulated that a black van was escorted out of the Senate premises, where dela Rosa had reportedly remained under protective custody. Pasay City police chief Col. Joselito de Sesto earlier confirmed he was inside the white police vehicle seen in a viral video leaving the Senate compound at around 3 a.m. on 14 May alongside a black van. 

However, de Sesto denied providing any escort or logistical support to the black van, which was suspected of carrying dela Rosa before his departure from the Senate complex. 

Nartatez said investigators were instructed to secure deployment logs, dispatch records, mobility records, duty rosters, and available body camera footage from police units assigned around the Senate complex and nearby areas on 14 May. 

“If the investigation reveals that there was any unauthorized coordination, false reporting, or logistical support given to evade legal processes, those involved will face the full brunt of administrative and criminal sanctions,” he said. 

The PNP chief also denied that Camp Crame authorized any covert assistance or special movement operations amid allegations that national police leadership knew of dela Rosa’s supposed departure plans. 

“As the chief of the PNP, I categorically state that the national leadership had no prior knowledge of, nor did it authorize any logistical assistance for the departure of Senator Dela Rosa from the Senate premises,” Nartatez said. 

He added that police deployment in the area was limited to public safety, crowd control, and perimeter management following the shooting incident that occurred hours earlier. 

Nartatez stressed that the PNP remains an apolitical institution loyal to the Constitution and the rule of law.

“We do not participate in clandestine escorts or partisan maneuvers. If any individual unit or officer acted outside of our official mandates to facilitate a departure under the guise of regular deployment, they did so entirely on their own accord,” he said. 

The Senate complex remained under heightened security following the volatile incident that prompted the deployment of personnel from the Pasay City Police and the National Capital Region Police Office.