The Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) may support efforts to help arrest Senator Ronald Dela Rosa, who fled the Senate on May 14, once their assistance is requested.

"We would like to emphasize that the front liners for this kind of operation are law enforcement agencies. So, we in the AFP, we remain grounded in law and lawful orders," Col. Francel Padilla, AFP spokesperson, told reporters in a press briefing on Tuesday.

"In the event that we are required to augment or assist, that is the time that we will give our service," she added.

Dela Rosa, who has an arrest warrant from the International Criminal over his alleged involvement in crimes of humanity, appeared before the Senate on May 11 after nearly six months in hiding. He has sought relief from the Supreme Court regarding the legality of the ICC arrest warrant since the country does not belong to the Rome Statute.

When asked if the military has received a request to track down Dela Rosa, Padilla refused to answer, noting that it is an operational matter.

"Well, these are all operational details that we cannot divulge," she said.

The arrest of Dela Rosa was ordered by the Department of Justice (DOJ) on May 21, after the Supreme Court dismissed his petition for a temporary restraining order (TRO) and/or status quo ante order to invalidate his International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. Robina Asido/PHS