DAVAO DEL SUR, Philippines — A photograph showing Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa at a cemetery in Digos City has triggered fresh speculation about his whereabouts, but police have clarified that the image is not recent and does not prove that he appeared in public during Undas 2026.
The Police Regional Office-Davao (PRO-Davao) reiterated on Wednesday, November 4, that there was no verified sighting of the senator at Digos City Memorial Park during this year’s observance of All Saints’ Day and All Souls’ Day.
According to police, the photograph circulating online was taken approximately three years ago. The image was recirculated on social media around November 1, prompting questions about whether dela Rosa had resurfaced in Davao del Sur.
The Philippine National Police (PNP) had already issued a similar clarification on November 3. PNP spokesperson Police Colonel Allen Rae Co said the police technical team checked the photograph and confirmed that it was an old image.
Co also said the person who originally uploaded the photograph acknowledged that it dated back around three years.
“There is no truth that he showed up,” Co said, rejecting claims that the photograph documented a recent appearance by the senator.
The original uploader, Rey Anthony Malig-on, also clarified in the comments section of a Daily Tribune report that the photograph was old. Despite the clarification, the image continued to circulate and attract considerable attention online.
Police urge public to verify viral photographs
PRO-Davao Acting Regional Director Brigadier General Benigno L. Guzman reminded the public to check the source, date and context of photographs before sharing them.
Authorities warned that old images can easily be misrepresented when reposted without their original captions or publication dates, potentially creating misleading impressions about a person’s movements.
The PNP has also cautioned that deliberately submitting false information or flooding police hotlines with misleading reports could have legal consequences.
Co said authorities continue to receive tips about dela Rosa’s whereabouts and are validating information as it comes in. However, he declined to disclose operational details, citing the need to protect the ongoing efforts to locate the senator.
The distinction is important: the police clarification disproves the claim that this particular photograph shows a recent cemetery appearance. It does not, by itself, establish where dela Rosa is currently staying.
Bato dela Rosa remains the subject of an intensified manhunt
The viral photograph gained attention amid continuing efforts by Philippine authorities to locate dela Rosa, who is wanted under an arrest warrant issued by the International Criminal Court (ICC).
The ICC originally issued the warrant under seal on November 6, 2025. It was made public on May 11, 2026, after the court ordered its unsealing.
The warrant concerns allegations of crimes against humanity, specifically murder, linked to the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte’s anti-drug campaign.
According to the ICC, there are reasonable grounds to believe that dela Rosa may bear criminal responsibility as an indirect co-perpetrator in an alleged common plan involving the killing of people perceived or alleged to be associated with illegal drugs. The warrant identifies alleged killings between July 2016 and April 2018, involving at least 32 victims.
These are allegations contained in the ICC proceedings, not a final judgment of guilt.
Dela Rosa served as chief of the Philippine National Police during part of Duterte’s presidency and previously held police positions in the Davao region.
₱50-million reward raises pressure on authorities
The government’s search for the senator intensified after Interior Secretary Juanito Victor “Jonvic” Remulla announced a ₱50-million reward for information that would lead to dela Rosa’s arrest.
The Department of the Interior and Local Government said a dedicated task force had been organized to locate and apprehend him. Authorities have also appealed for information from the public while saying that any operation must be carried out in accordance with the law.
The reward has drawn further attention to the case, including questions raised by dela Rosa’s legal team about its legal basis. His lawyers have also continued to challenge the enforcement of the ICC warrant before the Supreme Court.
The senator’s camp has sought renewed court intervention, arguing that the government’s enforcement posture has escalated. The legal dispute remains separate from the question of whether the viral Digos photograph is authentic or recent.
Davao police previously reported no movement in the region
The latest clarification follows an earlier statement from PRO-Davao that police had detected no movement by dela Rosa in the Davao region.
In a briefing reported by SunStar on October 29, PRO-Davao spokesperson Police Major Catherine Dela Rey said authorities were monitoring whether the senator was in Region 11 but had not detected any movement at that time.
The Philippine Army’s 10th Infantry Division also said it had received no standing directive or request to assist in an arrest operation.
Those statements did not confirm the senator’s location elsewhere. They reflected only what regional police and the military unit had reported about their monitoring and operational involvement at that time.
National police authorities, meanwhile, have maintained that they are validating tips and coordinating efforts to locate him.
Why the old photograph matters
The Digos cemetery image illustrates how a photograph taken years earlier can become a source of fresh speculation when it is shared during a major public event.
Undas draws large numbers of Filipinos to cemeteries and memorial parks, making images of public figures in these locations especially likely to attract attention. But a photograph’s circulation date is not necessarily its capture date.
In this case, both the police and the original uploader have said the image dates back approximately three years. There is therefore no verified basis for describing it as proof that dela Rosa visited Digos City Memorial Park during Undas 2026.
For the public, the reminder is straightforward: check the original post, publication date and official verification before treating a viral image as breaking news.
For authorities, the larger challenge remains locating the senator and addressing the legal and operational questions surrounding the ICC warrant.
As the manhunt continues, the question of dela Rosa’s whereabouts remains unresolved. But one claim has now been addressed: the viral cemetery photograph was not evidence of a new appearance in Digos.
