Joint state law enforcement operatives on Wednesday raided a house belonging to an uncle of Senator Robin Padilla following intelligence reports that it was being used as a hideout for fugitive Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
The Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) and the National Bureau of Investigation conducted the search at a residence owned by Virgilio Cariño inside the Diamond Subdivision in Barangay Balibago.
Reports said that the operation is part of law enforcement efforts to execute an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant against dela Rosa, who faces allegations of crimes against humanity stemming from the Duterte administration’s anti-drug campaign.
Local officials, including barangay kagawad Ednel Batac, executive officer Elmer Samson, and neighborhood watchmen, witnessed the raid.
Operatives also coordinated with the subdivision’s homeowners association. Local officials said authorities were searching for a backup pickup truck owned by Cariño, which was allegedly used to help dela Rosa evade capture.
Intelligence reports indicate dela Rosa has been hiding since sneaking out of the Senate premises aboard Padilla’s vehicle following a shooting incident at the complex.
The results of Wednesday’s raid have not yet been disclosed by authorities.
This operation came as the PNP-CIDG announced Wednesday it would file a formal complaint with the Department of Justice against Padilla and several other individuals for obstruction of justice, a violation of Presidential Decree No. 1829.
Following an investigation, the CIDG concluded that Dela Rosa’s departure from the Senate at dawn on 14 May was not an accidental “hitch ride” in Padilla’s car, but a highly coordinated, preplanned logistical maneuver designed to avoid detection.
Investigators also found that a second vehicle tailed Padilla’s car to serve as a security escort and backup.
The CIDG said the legal action aligns with its mandate to enforce the law equitably, warning that helping a fugitive evade prosecution undermines the justice system and compromises public order.
Authorities previously cautioned that anyone harboring the fugitive senator will face criminal prosecution.