The Philippine National Police has received at least 500 pieces of information in connection with its continuing search for Sen. Ronald dela Rosa, PNP Chief Gen. Jose Melencio Nartatez Jr. said.
Nartatez said the information came through text messages sent to various police stations, as well as directly to police officers and their commanders.
He said the reports underwent verification, and that police operatives had personally visited and acted on some of the locations identified.
The reported locations included areas in Western and Eastern Mindanao, the Visayas, Bicol and Southern Tagalog, as well as several islands.
Nartatez said some of the islands and remote areas mentioned were places he had not heard of before. He also described the difficulty of reaching certain locations, saying some required as much as four hours of walking or crossing 11 rivers.
The PNP chief assured the public that the police response concerning dela Rosa’s arrest would not be influenced by politics.
He also said he had ordered a verification of whether any PNP officials assigned in Mindanao, particularly in Davao, had previously served as personnel of the senator.
Nartatez said officers found to have acted unprofessionally in carrying out their duties could face administrative charges.
The PNP did not identify in the statement any specific island or remote location where dela Rosa might be staying. It also did not provide details on how many of the 500 reports had been confirmed or resulted in further police action.
The information-gathering effort remains part of the police search for the senator, with authorities checking reports from different parts of the country. Nartatez’s remarks outlined the volume and geographic spread of the tips received, along with the internal review involving police personnel assigned in Mindanao and Davao.
The reports covered multiple regions and islands across the country.
