CLAIM: Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa was arrested at the airport.
RATING: FALSE
A YouTube video uploaded by the channel “VIRAL BROADCAST PH” falsely claimed that Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa had been arrested by the international police inside the Manila airport.
Flagged content: The Nov. 30 video claimed that Dela Rosa cried and went wild after being seized by Interpol inside the Manila airport.
- The caption reads, “BREAKING NEWS! BATO DELA ROSA HULI SA AIRPORT, NAHARANG NG INTERPOL ANG PAGTAKAS, NAIYAK AT NAGWALA (sic).” (“Breaking news, Bato Dela Rosa is already caught in the airport, Interpol prevents escape, cried and went wild”)
Our debunk: No statements or documents were released by the Philippine government confirming Dela Rosa’s arrest.
- The creator of the video used a photo from Interpol and a distorted photo of a bald man boarding a plane.
- Dela Rosa recently congratulated his son on social media for getting a police promotion.
- Dela Rosa has been absent from Senate plenary sessions since Nov. 11.
- On Dec. 13, Dela Rosa did not attend the bicameral conference committee hearing on the proposed 2026 national budget.
Rewind: Dela Rosa is the former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) under the Duterte administration, where he led the “war on drugs” campaign.
- On Nov. 8, Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla said that the ICC had issued a warrant of arrest against Dela Rosa in connection with a case involving crimes against humanity at the international court.
Why we fact-checked this: The YouTube video has amassed 23,940 views, 134 comments, and 1,600 likes as of the time of writing.
Spot the fake: Follow credible news sources to gather information.
- Examine evidence and sourcing to distinguish between factual information and false claims. Francis Mediavillo
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