MANILA, Philippines — Actress and former politician Andrea del Rosario has broken her silence after social media users heavily criticized her online over a newly circulated image involving a controversial lawmaker. The former Viva Hot Babes member pushed back against netizens demanding that law enforcement authorities investigate her and her husband, Anthony Garcia, as “persons of interest” following the viral upload.
The photo surfaced during a highly tense week for Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who remains holed up under protective legislative custody at the Senate building to evade a confidential International Criminal Court (ICC) warrant of arrest.
The controversy exploded after a photo showing Del Rosario and her husband smiling alongside Dela Rosa began making rounds on major digital platforms and online showbiz gossip communities like Reddit’s r/ChikaPH.
Given Dela Rosa’s active evasion of law enforcement and rumored flight tactics from the legislative plenary, netizens quickly accused the actress of harboring or associating with a wanted individual. However, Del Rosario clarified that the image is being completely taken out of context:
- A Multi-Year Throwback: Taking to her official Facebook account, Del Rosario explained that the photo was not taken recently, but was rather an automatic memory notification that popped up on her feed.
- The “For Fun” Repost: The actress admitted she reposted the old memory onto her timeline simply to ride the wave of current national news trends, failing to realize the aggressive digital backlash it would trigger.
“Person of interest kaagad? Lesson: Pag 3 years old na ang post, dapat huwag na rinarapost! … That’s an old photo… Maybe 3 years ago! It was a memory that showed up and I reposted… Didn’t know that it would blow up! Lol.” — Andrea del Rosario via Facebook
The viral nature of the photo stems from the volatile grid lock surrounding the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief. Just days prior, the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) launched a surprise arrest attempt inside the Senate premises, leading to a dramatic chase where Dela Rosa escaped into the plenary hall.
Compounding public frustration, the Senate—under newly installed Senate President Alan Peter Cayetano—granted Dela Rosa structural “protective custody,” shielding him from international arrest warrants unless a local domestic court formally commands it.
Because the National Bureau of Investigation had recently considered other close political allies, such as Senator Robin Padilla, as potential persons of interest to trace Dela Rosa’s precise local movements, highly critical netizens immediately jumped to conclusions when Del Rosario’s throw-back photo surfaced.
Despite the digital noise, Del Rosario’s camp made it clear that they maintain zero current operational connections to the ongoing stand-off between the executive branch and the Senate majority bloc.
The actress, who previously dipped her toes into public service as the vice mayor of Calatagan, Batangas, has recently focused her public messaging on professional entertainment projects and personal health updates, having recently undergone minor eye surgery in March 2026 due to a persistent eye stye.
While critics labeled the repost as “clout-chasing” given the gravity of the drug war investigation, Del Rosario stands by her explanation that the image represents nothing more than a misplaced, multi-year-old social media memory.