MANILA — Malacañang on Wednesday accused allies of Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio of using false claims that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa had been arrested as a diversionary tactic aimed at drawing public attention away from the impeachment trial and the alleged irregularities in the use of confidential funds presented before the Senate impeachment court.
Palace Press Officer Claire Castro dismissed the arrest rumors as baseless, noting that the Philippine National Police (PNP), the Department of Justice (DOJ), and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) had all denied that Dela Rosa had been taken into custody.
She also urged the public to verify information before believing or sharing online posts.
“Bago po ang ating mga kababayan na maniwala sa mga usap-usapan, alamin natin ‘yung source? Ano ang motibo ng mga nagpapakalat?” Castro said.
Castro emphasized that established news organizations verify information before publishing reports, making them more reliable sources than unverified social media posts.
“Dito po natin hahangaan ang nasa kilalang mainstream media na hindi biased dahil bago magbalita ay inaalam ang katotohanan,” she said.
The Palace also questioned the timing of the online posts made by individuals allied with the Vice President, saying they appeared designed to overshadow the impeachment proceedings.
“Mapapansin na walang laman at walang konteksto ang pinapakalat nina Atty. (Jimmy) Bondoc at (Harry) Roque about Sen. Bato,” she said.
According to Castro, the rumors emerged as the impeachment court heard findings related to the alleged spending of confidential funds by Duterte-Carpio during her tenure as Vice President and secretary of the Department of Education.
“Timing ang ginagawa nila… para matabunan ang mga naisiwalat ng Commission on Audit patungkol sa mga walang resibo na paggasta ng milyun-milyong pisong confidential funds ni VP Sara sa OVP at DepEd,” she said.
She urged Filipinos to remain vigilant against misinformation and continue relying on verified news sources.
“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,” Castro added.
Dela Rosa has remained out of public view since the International Criminal Court (ICC) issued an arrest warrant against him in connection with the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign./PN
