ANTIPOLO Rep. Romeo Acop yesterday told Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to stop hiding under Vice President Sara Duterte’s “skirt” and confront the allegations tied to his role as the chief enforcer of the bloody war on drugs under the Duterte’s administration, under which he served as PNP chief.

Acop, a retired former police general himself, made the statement as he dismissed as “baseless” Dela Rosa’s claims that the testimony of former Iloilo City Mayor Jed Patrick Mabilog before the House quad committee last Thursday was part of a “demolition job” to discredit the Vice President and her allies in the run-up to the 2028 national elections.

“There’s no demolition job here – only legitimate questions that need clear answers. Sen. Dela Rosa should be man enough to face the facts and take responsibility, instead of hiding behind VP Sara’s skirt,” he said.

Acop, who is a senior vice chair of all four House panels comprising the quad committee, said the hearings aim to uncover the truth behind the extrajudicial killings linked to Duterte’s drug war, as well as its connections to illegal Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) and the drug trade since it has been revealed that POGO money was supposedly partly used to bankroll the reward system for cops who killed drug suspects.

The senior lawmaker said Mabilog’s testimony was crucial because the joint committee’s goal is “to craft laws that will put an end to these crimes – not to play political games.”

Mabilog, whom former President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to kill for his alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade, has revealed an alleged plot to force him to link Liberal Party stalwarts, former interior secretary Mar Roxas and former Sen. Franklin Drilon, to the illicit narcotics business.

The mayor, who was forced to go on a self-exile in the United States, denied being a drug protector, saying the Duterte administration used a fabricated drug list to persecute political rivals, with personalities unjustly implicated without due process.

Dela Rosa, the chief implementer of “Oplan: Tokhang” which is being blamed for the thousands of extrajudicial killings of drug suspects and innocent civilians, has dismissed the House investigation as a “fishing expedition.”

Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., chair of the Committee on Human Rights and one of the chairmen of the quad committee, laughed off Dela Rosa’s statement that the hearing is a “demolition job” and a “fishing expedition,” saying the committee “is committed to addressing systemic problems, and this investigation is about holding those responsible accountable – not playing politics.”

“As legislators, it is our duty to seek justice for the victims of illegal drug operations and expose the syndicates behind them. If we fail to do so, more Filipinos will continue to suffer,” he said.

Abante said Dela Rosa should just accept the House’s invitation to speak before the four House panels so he could answer Mabilog’s allegations.

“Our doors are always open to those who wish to provide the quad comm with information that will help us accomplish our task,” he said.