The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) has officially classified Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa as “armed and dangerous” as authorities continue efforts to serve an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).

According to NBI Director Melvin Matibag, the designation is a precautionary measure applied to all individuals subject to warrant service, stressing that agents must always assume the possibility that a target may be armed.

Matibag explained that the assessment was influenced by recent footage showing the senator leaving the Senate with companions carrying duffle bags, which raised suspicions that firearms could be involved.He also pointed to events at the Senate as reinforcing the agency’s cautious stance.The NBI clarified that arrest warrants cannot be served through legal counsel, rejecting earlier suggestions made by Dela Rosa’s lawyer.

In parallel, the Philippine National Police (PNP) is reviewing whether the senator’s firearm licenses should be revoked through its Firearms License Revocation and Restoration Board.However, officials noted that canceling licenses does not automatically allow authorities to recover weapons.The NBI also warned that additional arrest warrants from the ICC may still be issued against other individuals linked to ongoing investigations.

Authorities confirmed that tracker teams have already been deployed to locate Dela Rosa, while the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) declined to disclose details of his whereabouts, citing operational confidentiality.The PNP previously stated that the senator remains in the Philippines.The ICC warrant is connected to alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s drug war.

Former President Rodrigo Duterte has already been detained in The Hague in connection with similar charges, and Dela Rosa has been identified by ICC prosecutors as a co-conspirator during his time as Philippine National Police chief and later as senator.