National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag expressed confidence that authorities have a strong chance of arresting Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, citing information the agency has been receiving.
However, Matibag declined to disclose whether the senator was believed to be in Mindanao.
“I cannot answer that,” Matibag said, while maintaining his belief that Dela Rosa remained in the Philippines.
The NBI chief also said he remained hopeful that authorities would arrest the senator before Christmas.
Matibag’s statement comes as the agency continues efforts to locate Dela Rosa, although he did not provide specific details about the information received or the senator’s possible whereabouts.
Meanwhile, Matibag confirmed that former Bureau of Corrections chief Gerald Bantag is also being monitored by the NBI.
He said the agency has a dedicated fugitive search unit assigned to cases involving individuals being sought by authorities.
Matibag did not disclose further details about the operations or the specific leads being pursued by the agency.
