Malacañang on Wednesday dismissed reports claiming that Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had been arrested, calling the rumors an attempt to divert public attention from the ongoing impeachment proceedings against Vice President Sara Duterte.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro urged the public to verify information before believing social media posts, particularly those coming from political supporters of the Vice President.
“Bago po ang ating mga kababayan na maniwala sa mga usap-usapan, alamin natin ‘yung source? Ano ang motibo ng mga nagpapakalat?” Castro said.
She also encouraged the public to rely on verified reports from established media organizations, saying news reports should be based on fact-checking and proper verification.
The Philippine National Police, Department of Justice, and National Bureau of Investigation separately denied that Dela Rosa was under government custody.
Castro said the posts circulating online lacked context and appeared to have been timed to distract from recent Commission on Audit (COA) findings involving Vice President Duterte’s use of confidential funds from the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
“Mapapansin na walang laman at walang konteksto ang pinapakalat nina Atty. (Jimmy) Bondoc at (Harry) Roque about Sen. Bato,” Castro said.
She alleged that the reports were being circulated to overshadow COA revelations on the spending of millions of pesos in confidential funds.
“Timing ang ginagawa nila… para matabunan ang mga naisiwalat ng COA patungkol sa mga walang resibo na paggasta ng milyun-milyong pisong confidential funds ni VP Sara sa OVP at DepEd,” she said.
Castro said the public should remain cautious about unverified claims and continue relying on sources that confirm information before publication.
“Makikita ang motibo sa ginagawang diversionary tactic ng mga kaalyado ni VP Sara. Maging mapanuri… mainstream media pa rin ang unang dapat na pagtiwalaan sa mga beripikadong balita,” she said.
Dela Rosa has remained out of public view after the International Criminal Court issued an arrest warrant against him over his alleged role in the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign.
Photo courtesy of The Straits Times
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