National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) Director Melvin Matibag confirmed on Friday that the bureau is preparing to summon Nancy Dela Rosa, the wife of Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa, as authorities continue their tracking operations against the lawmaker.
Senator Dela Rosa went into hiding following an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
“We are contemplating issuing a subpoena sa kanya [Nancy Dela Rosa],” Matibag said during a press conference, noting that the agency is tracking everyone who had recent contact with the senator.
The decision follows a statement previously released by Mrs. Dela Rosa, where she acknowledged that her husband took advantage of the confusion surrounding the May 13 Senate shooting incident to escape protective custody. Senator Robin Padilla, who admitted to driving Dela Rosa out of the Senate premises, is already facing obstruction of justice charges filed by the PNP-Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (PNP-CIDG).
Mrs. Dela Rosa had earlier appealed to the judiciary not to allow her husband to be turned over to The Hague. Senator Dela Rosa is wanted by the ICC as an indirect co-perpetrator in crimes against humanity stemming from the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs. Former President Rodrigo Duterte is also preparing for his upcoming ICC trial expected late this year.