Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla denied viral rumors that Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has been arrested under an International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant, confirming the senator remains at large.
Addressing social media speculation—which escalated after images of a long-range aircraft circulated online—Remulla clarified that Dela Rosa would not be flown immediately to the Netherlands if apprehended. Instead, the former police chief would first undergo standard local booking procedures and appear before a Philippine court.
Dela Rosa and former President Rodrigo Duterte are named as co-perpetrators in an ICC case concerning alleged crimes against humanity during the past administration’s anti-drug campaign.
“We will go to the process as prescribed,” Remulla said, dispelling claims that Dela Rosa was being flown directly to The Hague.
“As of 6 p.m. last night, there has been no arrest for Senator Bato. There has been a lot of speculation that he was arrested and he is being whisked away to the Hague, Rhat’s not true,” Remulla added.
The DILG chief noted that cross-agency checks with the Department of Justice (DOJ) and the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI)—alongside the Philippine National Police (PNP)—yielded no record of an arrest. Malacañang suggested the viral rumors might be a distraction strategy amid ongoing impeachment proceedings.
Remulla assured the public that authorities will maintain full transparency and uphold standard legal protocols if an arrest occurs.
“We are always open, We are always transparent in what we do. All the proper channels, all proper procedures will be done according to the rule of law.”
According to the latest intelligence monitored by the DILG, Senator Dela Rosa was last tracked in Mindanao.