Malacañang said reports circulating about the alleged arrest of Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa are part of a diversionary tactic intended to draw attention away from recent Commission on Audit (COA) findings presented during the impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro said the timing of the reports appeared intended to divert public attention from the COA’s disclosures regarding alleged millions of pesos in confidential funds of the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education that allegedly lacked supporting receipts.
Castro said the findings were presented during the impeachment proceedings a day earlier.
She also said statements made by lawyer Jimmy Bondoc and former presidential spokesperson Harry Roque regarding dela Rosa lacked sufficient context.
The Palace official urged the public to remain discerning when evaluating information circulating online and to verify the source and possible motives behind such reports.
Castro also encouraged the public to rely on verified reports from mainstream media organizations.
The Palace maintained that the reports regarding dela Rosa should be viewed carefully while awaiting official information from the appropriate authorities.
Dela Rosa has reportedly remained out of public view for the past two months following reports that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had issued a warrant for his arrest.
Malacañang did not provide additional details regarding the senator’s status and limited its remarks to the alleged timing and context of the circulating reports.
The Palace reiterated its appeal for the public to avoid speculation and to rely on verified information as developments continue.
