Malacañang on Wednesday dismissed unverified rumors claiming that Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had been arrested, calling them a “diversionary tactic” aimed at shifting public attention away from developments in Vice President Sara Duterte's impeachment trial.
In a message to reporters, Palace Press Officer Usec. Claire Castro said the circulation of unverified reports about Dela Rosa's supposed arrest appeared intended to overshadow issues raised during Tuesday's impeachment proceedings, particularly findings related to the vice president's confidential funds, according to a report by RH Leth Narciso.
"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 questioned posts made by lawyer Jimmy Bondoc and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque, saying their claims regarding Dela Rosa lacked sufficient context.
"Mapapansin na walang laman at walang konteksto ang pinapakalat nina Atty. Bondoc at Roque about Sen. Bato," Castro said.
According to the Palace official, the timing of the rumors suggested an attempt to divert attention from testimony presented during the impeachment trial, including findings by the Commission on Audit (COA) concerning millions of pesos in confidential funds allegedly spent by the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education (DepEd) without supporting receipts.
"Timing' ang ginagawa nila para matabunan ang mga naisiwalat ng COA patungkol sa mga walang resibo na paggasta ng milyon-milyong pisong confidential funds ni VP Sara sa OVP at DepEd," Castro said.
She also commended mainstream media organizations for verifying information before publishing reports.
"Dito po natin hahangaan ang kilalang mainstream media na hindi biased dahil bago magbalita ay inaalam ang katotohanan," she said.
Castro maintained that the spread of the false reports reflected the alleged motive of Duterte's allies to distract the public from the impeachment proceedings.
"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 added.
On Tuesday, August 4, unconfirmed reports spread on social media claiming that Dela Rosa had been arrested in connection with an alleged warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC). However, both the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) denied the reports.
Dela Rosa remains the subject of an ICC arrest warrant over his alleged role as a "co-perpetrator" in the Duterte administration's anti-drug campaign.
