Malacañang on Thursday confirmed that President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. has issued a standing order to have Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa arrested.
In a press briefing on August 6, Palace Press Officer Undersecretary Claire Castro confirmed that the President’s directive related to the arrest of Dela Rosa is still active, adding that the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) are handling the necessary operations.
“Yes, still there is,” Castro said when asked if there remains a standing order from Marcos to arrest Dela Rosa.
The directive is in connection with the arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC), which identified Dela Rosa as an alleged co-perpetrator in the case involving crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s war on drugs.
Castro also said the Palace is looking into the individuals behind the spread of false information claiming that Dela Rosa had already been arrested.
She said Presidential Communications Office (PCO) Secretary Dave Gomez had instructed the agency’s Anti-Fake News Desk to investigate those responsible for circulating the reports and determine whether the act was malicious.
“Nakausap po natin mismo si Sec. Dave Gomez at ipinag-utos sa Anti-Fake News Desk natin na tingnan lahat ng nagpapakalat ng fake news katulad ng nangyari dito sa diumanong pagpapa-aresto kay Sen. Bato dela Rosa at titingnan po natin kung ito ay malisyoso,” Castro said.
The Palace official added that authorities are also studying whether those behind the misinformation may have violated any laws, stressing that the government would not ignore the spread of fake news.
“Kapag nakita namin kung ano ang dapat na ipataw, ibibigay po namin sa inyo kung anong kaso ang pwedeng isampa sa kanila. Pero hindi po ito tutulugan ng gobyerno lahat po ngayon ng fake news… talaga naman pong pinatututukan ng PCO,” Castro said.
Castro also suggested that online trolls may have been behind the false reports that circulated on various social media platforms regarding Dela Rosa’s alleged arrest.
Earlier this week, rumors spread that Dela Rosa had already been arrested. However, the Department of Justice (DOJ) and Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) said they had no information confirming that the senator had been taken into custody.
Dela Rosa is wanted by the ICC over alleged crimes against humanity charges stemming from the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
