MANILA (Bloomberg): Reports that a Philippine senator wanted by the International Criminal Court has been arrested are untrue, a presidential palace official said Wednesday, adding the speculation is rather an attempt to draw attention away from the ongoing impeachment trial of Vice President Sara Duterte.
"We can see the motive behind the diversionary tactic of allies,” Presidential Communications Office Undersecretary Claire Castro said in a statement.
"What they’re doing is all about timing” to overshadow allegations of spending by the vice president that aren’t supported by receipts.
Senator Ronald dela Rosa is a former police chief who oversaw an anti-narcotics campaign from 2016 to 2018 under Sara’s father and then President Rodrigo Duterte.
In May, dela Rosa famously barricaded himself inside the Senate building after an International Criminal Court arrest warrant against him, before escaping late at night under unclear circumstances.
He’s been in hiding ever since, evading authorities’ efforts to arrest him.
Interior and Local Government Secretary Jonvic Remulla also told reporters on Wednesday that dela Rosa is still at large. The Office of the Vice President didn’t immediately respond to a request for comment.
Sara Duterte, the election running mate turned political rival of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., is facing an impeachment trial in the Senate that’s been underway since last month and which is expected to continue until at least September.
The once-dominant Marcos-Duterte alliance has splintered into a fierce political feud, with both camps trading accusations as legal battles intensify in the lead up to the 2028 election.
©2026 Bloomberg L.P.
