Palace: Bato Dela Rosa arrest rumor diversion from COA findings

MANILA, Philippines — Malacañang on Wednesday dismissed as a “diversionary tactic” the circulation of unverified reports claiming that Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had been arrested, saying they were intended to divert public attention from irregularities flagged in Vice President Sara Duterte’s confidential funds.

On Tuesday afternoon, unconfirmed reports circulated saying that Dela Rosa had been arrested in connection with an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant. However, both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) denied the reports.

“They’re doing this for the timing—to overshadow the COA’s revelations about Vice President Sara’s millions of pesos in confidential fund expenditures at the OVP and DepEd that had no supporting receipt,” said Palace Press Officer Claire Castro i a Viber message to reporters.

READ: Bato dela Rosa manhunt ongoing – NBI chief Matibag

“The motive is evident in the diversionary tactics being employed by Vice President Sara’s allies. Be discerning—mainstream media should still be your primary source for verified news,” she added.

The embattled senator’s legal counsel, Atty. Jimmy Bondoc, also posted a cryptic message on Facebook that read, “Bad news is coming,” but deleted it a few minutes later.

According to Castro, the posts by Roque and Bondoc lacked context and were intended to overshadow the COA’s findings on Duterte’s confidential funds.

“Before believing rumors, let’s first examine the source. What is the motive of those spreading them?” Castro said.

“This is where we should place our trust—in established mainstream media that strive to remain unbiased, because they verify the facts before reporting the news,” she added.

Dela Rosa remains at large under an ICC arrest warrant over his alleged involvement in the war on illegal drugs during the administration of former President Rodrigo Duterte. /mr