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January 14, 2026 | 2:13pm
MANILA, Philippines — Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said on Wednesday, January 14, that Sen. Bato dela Rosa is most likely in Davao with his family.
In a broadcast interview on Wednesday, January 14, Remulla shared how he’s neighbors with Dela Rosa in Cavite, so he’s quite aware of whether the senator’s home or not.
“Ang alam ko, kasi magkapitbahay kami dito sa Cavite, so hindi siya nauwi dito. Alam ko nasa ano siya, nasa Davao, kasama ang kanyang pamilya roon,” he said in GMA’s Unang Balita news segment.
(As far as I know, because we’re neighbors here in Cavite, he didn’t come here. I believe he’s in Davao with his family.)
The public has been searching for Dela Rosa, who has been absent from the Senate for nearly two months since reports surfaced that the International Criminal Court (ICC) allegedly issued an arrest warrant against him.
Ombudsman Boying Remulla, Jonvic’s older brother, made the claim in November 2025, saying he had already seen a copy of the arrest warrant issued.
Jonvic, however, said his brother has not shown him a copy of the arrest warrant. He added that, to date, he has received no confirmation from proper authorities that such a warrant exists.
“Wala, wala pa ako nakikita. Haka-haka lang,” he said. (No, I have not seen one yet. It's pure speculation.)
Asked whether the Ombudsman showed him a copy, the Interior secretary said his brother appears to be avoiding him on this topic.
“Mailag sa akin eh. Ayaw magpakita ng data eh,” Jonvic said. (He’s avoiding me. He doesn’t want to show the data.)
He added that no arrest could be enforced until the Department of Interior and Local Government gets a hold of this alleged warrant.
“Pero kasi, wala kaming magagawang aksyon diyan hanggang may actual warrant of arrest,” he said.
Shortly after the Ombudsman’s announcement, the ICC revised its court regulations to require arrest warrant applications to be classified to standardize its prosecution process for charged individuals.
This means an arrest warrant can be issued but not made public.
Bato’s drug war link
The alleged ICC warrant is connected to the ongoing case against former President Rodrigo Duterte over crimes against humanity, which covers a part of his deadly war on drugs and other violent anti-crime campaigns as Davao City mayor.
Before Dela Rosa became a lawmaker, Duterte appointed him chief of the Philippine National Police in 2016, making him the architect of the nationwide anti-illegal drug campaign implemented through “Project Double Barrel,” an expanded version of the “Oplan Tokhang” model used in Davao City.
The project sought to target high-value personalities, as well as street-level users and pushers, involved in the country’s illegal drug trade.
However, the campaign was carried out with little regard for due process or human rights, as even children and innocent individuals were killed by police authorities in the course of the bloody war on drugs.
Official data show more than 7,000 extrajudicial killings during the anti-illegal drug campaign, while human rights groups estimate 12,000 to 30,000 deaths, including unreported cases linked to vigilante-style killings.
Detained at the ICC for 10 months, Duterte remains in custody while awaiting trial and other proceedings, with the Pre-Trial Chamber I rejecting his interim release request after being determined a flight risk with a strong political influence.
Meanwhile, Dela Rosa has been posting on his official Facebook page media interviews with other senators, indicating that his office remains operational despite his absence from the Senate.
Senate President Tito Sotto said Dela Rosa can only be compelled to show up when the plenary needs his vote to break a stalemate or when a measure needs all senators’ votes
Dela Rosa is widely recognized as a staunch supporter of the Duterte family in the Senate, having defended former president and his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, during congressional probes and impeachment efforts.
