Team DailyPedia
Former Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III and lawyer-singer Jimmy Bondoc stirred discussion on social media after posting contrasting messages as rumors circulated that Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had been arrested.
Bondoc wrote on social media: “Bad news is coming. Pray hard that it is not true, for the good of the nation.”
He did not elaborate on what he meant by the “bad news,” prompting speculation among netizens.
Around the same time, Sotto shared a contrasting message.
“Praise God the Philippines has good news today.”
Like Bondoc, the former Senate president did not provide additional details or explain what he was referring to.
The two posts fueled online speculation that they could be related to the circulating reports about Dela Rosa. However, there has been no official confirmation that either post referred to the former Philippine National Police chief or to the same event.
Meanwhile, government officials denied reports that Dela Rosa had already been arrested.
The Department of Justice (DOJ) said it had not received any information confirming the senator’s supposed arrest.
“We cannot confirm that information, at least not yet. Wala pa po kami natatanggap na nangyari ‘yan. ‘Yan lang po masasabi ko ngayon,” DOJ spokesperson Atty. Polo Martinez said.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government (DILG) also said it had no information supporting the reports.
“Please tell the press corps that as far as the PNP is concerned, we have no information to that effect,” Interior Secretary Juanito Victor Remulla said.
The National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) likewise confirmed that its search for Dela Rosa remains ongoing.
“No. Not on our part,” NBI Director Melvin Matibag said when asked if the agency had arrested the senator.
Dela Rosa is the subject of an International Criminal Court (ICC) arrest warrant in connection with alleged crimes against humanity linked to the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drugs campaign. The ICC alleges that former President Rodrigo Duterte and Dela Rosa were co-perpetrators in the crimes against humanity of murder and attempted murder stemming from killings during Duterte’s tenure as Davao City mayor and Philippine president.
For his part, Dela Rosa’s lawyer, Israelito Torreon, said he had not received any information about his client’s supposed apprehension.
Torreon also disclosed that he has had no communication with the senator since speaking to him approximately two hours after Dela Rosa reportedly left the Senate building on May 14.
