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

Detailed summary

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.

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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.

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.

Opening of the article, excerpted from Rappler. To read the rest, open the article on the publisher's site.