Jamaine Punzalan

MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes joins a press conference at the MMDA Head Office in Pasig City on January 5, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News

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Andrea Taguines

ABS-CBN News

<div><span class="fr-img-caption fr-fic fr-dib" style="width:960px;display:block" width="960"><span class="fr-img-wrap"><img src="https://od2-image-api.abs-cbn.com/prod/editorImage/177941807499420260105-mmda-general-manager-nicolas-torre-MT7.jpg" style="width:960px" class="fr-fic fr-dib" width="960"/><span class="fr-inner" style="text-align:left">MMDA Acting Chairman Don Artes joins a press conference at the MMDA Head Office in Pasig City on January 5, 2026. Maria Tan, ABS-CBN News </span></span></span></div><p>MANILA — Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III said Friday he was willing to join the search for Sen. Bato Dela Rosa if ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p><p>“‘Pag Presidente nag-utos, automatic no choice diba? Mga otoridad mismo nagsasabi, legal ang warrant, pwedeng i-implement,” Torre said during a media forum in Manila.</p><p>Torre, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, previously served as head of the PNP Criminal Investigation and Detection Group and led the arrest of former president Rodrigo Duterte in March 2025 based on a warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).</p><p>Dela Rosa is also wanted by the ICC over his role as former police chief and enforcer of Duterte’s drug war.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/vida-pnp-nbi-now-tasked-to-effect-arrest-of-dela-rosa-1242">DOJ tells PNP, NBI to arrest &#x27;fugitive&#x27; Dela Rosa </a><br/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/12/-they-want-us-to-vanish-bato-blames-duterte-critics-for-icc-arrest-warrant-1309">&#x27;They want us to vanish&#x27;: Bato says ICC arrest warrant based on ‘fabrication’ by Duterte critics </a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe src="https://www.facebook.com/plugins/video.php?height=314&amp;href=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.facebook.com%2Freel%2F1297227255811302%2F&amp;show_text=false&amp;width=560&amp;t=0" width="560" height="314" style="border:none;overflow:hidden" scrolling="no" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><p>But Torre said that even without a special directive from Malacañang, the MMDA could still assist law enforcement authorities in areas under the agency’s jurisdiction.</p><p>“Part pa rin naman ako ng gobyerno e. Kaya in terms of manhunt, pwede naman kaming sumali. Binabantayan namin. Malay mo nagtago sa landfill, sa estero, sa kalsada, yan pwede kaming maasahan dyan,” Torre said.</p><p>“Pero sa ibang areas na may iba namang office of primary responsibility, e sila na magtrabaho kasi whole-of-government approach siya e,” he added.</p><p>The Department of Justice (DOJ) has requested CCTV footage from the MMDA related to <a href="http://www.abs-cbnnews.com/news/nation/2026/5/20/cctv-shows-dela-rosa-padilla-leaving-senate-after-may-13-gunfire-1353">Dela Rosa’s exit from the Senate building </a>in Pasay City.</p><p>“Whatever the investigating office needs, and whatever the other government agencies need, the MMDA is ready to offer it. We will give them all the information that is on our database,” Torre said.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/22/-wala-namang-humarang-sa-amin-padilla-says-dela-rosa-dropped-off-in-makati-after-senate-exit-1015">‘Wala namang humarang sa amin’: Padilla says Dela Rosa dropped off in Makati after Senate exit</a></div><p>Torre said the issue should be viewed as an institutional process rather than a personal matter.</p><p>“Ang pagtingin ko dyan sa mga bagay na yan kasi institutional yan e. It’s not about a person. It’s not about me. It’s not about Senator Bato. This is about a process, a system, a law,” he said.</p><p>“We have to respect the process, let the systems work,” he added.</p><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/rodrigo-duterte-under-cell-monitoring-due-to-rare-occasions-of-fall-icc-registry-1435">ICC Registry says Duterte’s falls were ‘rare occasions,’ disputes defense claim of ‘frequent episodes’</a><br style="color:rgb(0, 0, 0);letter-spacing:normal;orphans:2;text-align:start;text-indent:0px;text-transform:none;widows:2;word-spacing:0px;-webkit-text-stroke-width:0px;white-space:normal;text-decoration-thickness:initial;text-decoration-style:initial;text-decoration-color:initial" id="isPasted"/><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/icc-judges-reject-defense-request-to-leave-to-appeal-decision-confirming-charges-in-duterte-case-2226">ICC judges reject defense plea to appeal decision confirming charges vs Duterte</a></div><div><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/X54jeG2qNEY?&amp;t=1s&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><span class="fr-video fr-deletable fr-fvc fr-dvb fr-draggable" contenteditable="false" draggable="true"><iframe width="640" height="360" src="https://www.youtube.com/embed/IT__LW5hnsk?&amp;wmode=opaque&amp;rel=0" frameBorder="0" allowfullscreen="" class="fr-draggable"></iframe></span><br/></div><div><a href="https://www.abs-cbn.com/news/nation/2026/5/21/icc-judges-reject-defense-request-to-leave-to-appeal-decision-confirming-charges-in-duterte-case-2226"> </a></div>

<p>Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III said Friday he was willing to join the search for Sen. Bato Dela Rosa if ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.</p>

Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) General Manager Nicolas Torre III said Friday he was willing to join the search for Sen. Bato Dela Rosa if ordered by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.

Torre says willing to join search for Dela Rosa

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Torre says willing to join search for Dela Rosa

Andrea Taguines,

ABS-CBN News

Published May 22, 2026 10:49 AM PHT

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Updated May 22, 2026 12:29 PM PHT

Read More:

Torre

Dela Rosa

ICC

Bato

Bato Dela Rosa

war on drugs

arrest

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