Allies try heading off bloodshed over Bato

The Senate minority bloc on Saturday urged the Marcos administration to go the extra mile and negotiate a peaceful surrender with Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, warning against a potentially bloody confrontation as authorities intensify efforts to arrest the former police chief over his alleged involvement in the Duterte administration’s deadly war on drugs.

In a statement, the minority offered to facilitate talks between the government and Dela Rosa’s lawyers, saying his willingness to face charges before Philippine courts should serve as a basis for dialogue.

Dela Rosa’s counsel, meanwhile, questioned the legal basis for the P50-million reward the government has put for his arrest.

The law office of Torreon and Partners asked in a statement what case and what court order justified the government reward.

The statement came hours after Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced the bounty.

Remulla said in a press briefing at Camp Crame that the reward was for information leading to Dela Rosa’s arrest, and that the senator is now considered “armed and dangerous.”

He said the money would come from the DILG and the Philippine National Police intelligence funds.

The law firm argued that the reward had no Philippine warrant behind it. It said no local judge had examined, endorsed, or adopted the International Criminal Court warrant against Dela Rosa, and that the intelligence funds cannot pay for enforcing a foreign court’s process.