MNLF denies sheltering Sen. dela Rosa amid manhunt in Mindanao

The Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) has denied that it is giving refuge or protection to Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, according to Edge Davao, as authorities step up efforts to find and arrest the Davao-born lawmaker.

In a statement dated October 30, 2026, the MNLF Information Committee said there is no established formal relationship between the senator and the organization. "The claim that the MNLF may be protecting him is speculation, not a confirmed fact," the group said.

The statement came after Interior Secretary Juanito Victor "Jonvic" Remulla said dela Rosa was reportedly under the protection of a powerful armed group in Mindanao, and that authorities were exploring negotiations with that group to facilitate his arrest.

The MNLF said the senator's past dealings with the organization were mostly tied to peace-building efforts and government policies on former combatants. Reports cited by Edge Davao note that dela Rosa first encountered the MNLF as a student in Marawi, where he witnessed clashes between government troops and MNLF fighters. He later supported programs for former combatants and their children and pushed for faster integration of qualified MNLF and Moro Islamic Liberation Front members into the Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines.

The group said these engagements should not be read as an alliance or an arrangement to shield him. It acknowledged that founding chairman Nur Misuari knows dela Rosa personally and has political links through his friendship with former president Rodrigo Duterte, but said these do not make the senator a member or show the organization is involved in his situation. The MNLF also pointed to its fragmented structure, raising doubts over whether the Misuari faction could even protect him or prevent his arrest.

Dela Rosa has not been seen in public since leaving the Senate premises in the early hours of May 14, 2026, after authorities tried to serve an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant. The warrant, issued in November 2025 and unsealed in May 2026, concerns alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration's war on drugs. The senator has denied wrongdoing.

On October 23, Remulla announced a P50-million reward for information leading to dela Rosa's capture and described him as armed and dangerous. The Department of the Interior and Local Government also set a deadline for him to surrender.