FACT CHECK: Dela Rosa quote denying existence of arrest warrant is fake

The unsourced quote card contradicts the existence of an ICC warrant that has been public since May 2026. His lawyers have also asked the Supreme Court to block its implementation. A quote attributed to Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa, where he supposedly claimed he would not surrender due to the absence of an arrest warrant, lacks credible verification. A warrant for Dela Rosa's arrest exists, issued by the International Criminal Court for alleged crimes related to the drug war. The Philippine government has initiated a manhunt for Dela Rosa, offering a reward for information leading to his arrest. This is AI-generated. Read the article for full context. Report any errors. Claim: A quote card shows Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa saying he refuses to surrender because he committed no crime and that no warrant exists against him. He also criticized the government for using funds on “anti-BBM” issues instead of El Niño relief. Rating: FALSE Why we fact-checked this: A quote card posted as a reel on November 5 by the Facebook page Manny Catcher attributes a lengthy statement to Dela Rosa. It reads: “Bakit ako susuko kung wala naman akong ginawang krimen — wala akong pinatay, wala akong ninakaw, at wala ring warrant laban sa akin?” (Why should I surrender when I committed no crime, killed no one, stole nothing, and there is no warrant against me?) He goes on to criticize the government, questioning why there was money for operations targeting the President’s critics instead of addressing the looming impact of El Niño. He also allegedly questioned why the “buwayang naka-barong” (crocodiles in barongs) — referring to corrupt politicians — have not been arrested. As of writing, the post has garnered over 153,000 views, 1,700 reactions, and 185 shares. The facts: No credible news report or public statement from Dela Rosa verifies that he made the remarks in the quote card. The post provides no date, event, interview, or news outlet as the source of the statement. The closest matching remark dates back to March 2025, when the senator was asked about the possibility of the International Criminal Court (ICC) issuing an arrest warrant against him. He said, “Kung wala tayong makita na hustisya dito sa ating bansa, bakit ka susuko?” (If we cannot attain justice here, why should I surrender?) Aside from this, Dela Rosa has not released any personal statement since evading a dramatic Senate arrest in May. ICC warrant: Dela Rosa is the subject of an ICC warrant issued confidentially on November 6, 2025, and made public on May 11, 2026. The warrant concerns allegations of murder as a crime against humanity in connection to the drug war campaign by former president Rodrigo Duterte. It covers the killings of at least 32 people killed between July 3, 2016, and the end of April 2018. Contrary to the claim, Dela Rosa’s actions also show acknowledgement of the existence of an arrest warrant. On October 28, his lawyers asked the Supreme Court to reconsider its earlier denial of his request for a temporary restraining order against his arrest and surrender to the ICC. Manhunt for Dela Rosa: On October 23, Interior Secretary Jonvic Remulla announced a P50-million reward for information leading to Dela Rosa’s arrest, describing the senator as armed and dangerous. He also gave Dela Rosa one week to surrender, with the deadline expiring on October 30. The Philippine National Police said it received at least 500 tips about Dela Rosa’s possible whereabouts. On November 6, National Bureau of Investigation Director Melvin Matibag said the bureau hoped to arrest the senator before Christmas. – Cyril Bocar/Rappler.com Efren Cyril Bocar is a journalist from Llorente, Eastern Samar, who graduated with a degree in English Language Studies at the Visayas State University. Cyril is also a graduate of the Aries Rufo Journalism Fellowship of Rappler for 2024. Keep us aware of suspicious Facebook pages, groups, accounts, websites, articles, or photos in your network by contacting us at factcheck@rappler.com. Let us battle disinformation one Fact Check at a time. How does this make you feel? Loading