Mystery surrounds the reported arrival of Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa in New York, as pro-Duterte groups scramble for confirmation and immigration records show no official trace of his departure.
A Facebook post by the Sara Duterte Supporters (SDS) New York chapter on Saturday claimed that Dela Rosa had landed in the United States to attend an upcoming gathering. According to the post, the senator was received by retired General Edgar Carigaba, a board director for the New York-based organization.
"Our guest for tomorrow’s event [is] none other than Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa," the online post read. "Senator Bato, you are free to roam around here. [The] International Criminal Court (ICC) here is just a brothel."
However, leadership within the Masa Sara Duterte Alliance (MASADA) New York admitted they are still trying to verify the claims.
“We are coordinating with the SDS on the reported arrival of Sen. Bato,“ a MASADA New York official told the DAILY TRIBUNE in a telephone interview. The official raised doubts about the trip, pointing out that the United States government had officially canceled Dela Rosa's U.S. visa back in January 2020.
The unverified travel reports come amidst heavy rumors that Dela Rosa was spotted alongside Senator Robin Padilla at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) shortly after leaving the Senate premises on 14 March.
Despite the online buzz, the Bureau of Immigration (BI) countered the claims, confirming that there are absolutely no official records of international travel for the lawmaker.
Dela Rosa remains the subject of an intense, nationwide manhunt by domestic law enforcement agencies seeking to serve an outstanding arrest warrant issued against him by the ICC.
Commenting on the situation, former Philippine National Police chief and current MMDA General Manager Nicolas Torre III emphasized that law enforcement authorities must remain “firm but fair” if an ICC warrant is to be implemented. Torre stated that any potential arrest should be executed legally, professionally, and without unnecessary confrontation, following the high-profile arrests of Apollo Quiboloy and former President Rodrigo Duterte earlier this wave.
