Firearms Trail Keeps Bato Dela Rosa Manhunt Centered on Davao

Where the Manhunt Stands

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa has spent more than four months evading a warrant from the International Criminal Court. Philippine police say the search has not slowed down, even as the fugitive senator keeps a low profile.

The court in The Hague unsealed the warrant on May 11, 2026. Judges found reasonable grounds to believe Dela Rosa acted as a co perpetrator in the killing of at least 32 people between July 2016 and April 2018, first in Davao City under his early command and later nationwide once he became national police chief.

Dela Rosa avoided arrest inside the Senate building in Pasay City for three days, with SWAT officers posted outside while fellow senators kept him in what they called protective custody. He left the building before dawn on May 14 and has not appeared in public since. Amnesty International said afterward that his Senate seat gave him no special protection from the warrant and criticized colleagues who appeared to help him evade it.

Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla said in September that police know where Dela Rosa is hiding, but that unnamed powerful people continue to shield him from arrest.

The Philippine Supreme Court rejected a bid to block his arrest on May 20, and the National Bureau of Investigation has said it still believes Dela Rosa is inside the country and considers him a flight risk.

Firearms Trail in Davao City

Part of the case against Dela Rosa now runs through Davao City, where his camp has slowly turned over guns registered in his name.

Police revoked Dela Rosa's license to own and carry firearms on May 27, 2026, and ordered the surrender of 117 registered guns nationwide.

His representatives handed over 20 firearms at a Davao City residence on June 11, then six more on June 24, bringing the total to 26. The weapons were logged and issued acknowledgment receipts before being moved to the Regional Civil Security Unit 11 office at Camp Sgt. Quintin Merecido in Buhangin, Davao City.

Police say 91 firearms remain unaccounted for. Officers describe the surrenders as a partial and voluntary gesture that does not affect the separate, active search for Dela Rosa himself.

Investigators have also said they shifted away from standard arrest procedures, since Dela Rosa spent decades inside the police force and knows conventional tactics well. Intelligence reports describe him changing locations frequently across several provinces with help from a network of associates.

Community Response and Online Rumors

The case has generated frequent rumors in Davao and beyond, some of them false.

A post that falsely claimed Dela Rosa had been caught inside a Davao City hotel spread widely in August. It drew roughly 372,000 views, more than 4,300 reactions, and over 500 shares before fact checkers stepped in.

The rumor gained traction after Dela Rosa's lawyer, Jimmy Bondoc, posted a cryptic message online warning that bad news was coming and asking followers to pray it was not true. NBI Director Melvin Matibag later confirmed to reporters that no arrest had taken place and that the manhunt was still active.

Local commentary since then has stayed split between residents frustrated by the drawn out search and others skeptical that an arrest will happen soon, given the senator's past standing inside the police force.

What Residents Should Watch For

Anyone with information on Dela Rosa's location can report it to the nearest police station or the PNP hotline, officials said.

Households or businesses holding any of the 91 unaccounted firearms registered to Dela Rosa are urged to coordinate a lawful turnover through the police Civil Security Group rather than through private arrangements.

Residents should verify any arrest or capture claim through official PNP, NBI, or Department of Justice statements before sharing it, given how quickly the August rumor spread before it was corrected.