Bato still has not left Phl — NBI

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa has not fled the country, National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) director Melvin Matibag believes, noting that it would be difficult for him to escape abroad given the global reach of the International Criminal Court (ICC) and Interpol.

“I believe Senator Bato is still here,” Matibag said, given that the ICC has 125 member states that would make it difficult for him to seek refuge in another country.

Matibag pointed out that even countries that are not a party to the ICC are still members of Interpol, which could complicate any attempt to avoid arrest overseas. He noted that an ICC-issued arrest warrant, once circulated through Interpol channels, can be acted upon by law enforcement agencies worldwide.

“Even countries that are not members of the ICC have commitments with Interpol. Once the warrant is disseminated, it can be used for an arrest in cooperating jurisdictions,” he said.

Matibag said local authorities continue to receive reports daily on the senator’s possible whereabouts, which are validated and carefully assessed.

“We receive reports every day and we follow them up. We carefully evaluate which information are credible and worth pursuing,” he said.

Right now, “we are following something that we hope would eventually turn positive,” he added.