Bato: No regrets leading Duterte’s drug war

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SEN. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa yesterday said he has no regrets implementing the controversial war on drugs of the previous administration amid allegations that extrajudicial killings in pursuit of the campaign were rewarded by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Dela Rosa, who was the first PNP chief of Duterte, enforced the violent drug campaign that killed thousands of individuals.

In an interview with reporters, Dela Rosa also said he is willing to be grilled by his colleagues in the Senate when the blue ribbon sub-committee probes the drug war. 

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The investigation, which will be led by Minority leader Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III, will kick off on Monday.

“No regrets. If you are going to give me the chance to do it again, I will do it again. The same approach because alam mo na, you can’t fight a war especially against drug personalities by being disente, by being pa-cute-cute…You have to be forceful enough to send your message down the spine of these criminals

(No regrets. If you are going to give me the chance to do it again, I will do it again. The same approach, because as you know, you can’t fight a war, especially against drug personalities, by being decent, by being ‘cute’… You have to be forceful enough to send your message down the spine of these criminals),” Dela Rosa said.

He maintained that he did nothing wrong in implementing the campaign against illegal drugs.

Asked if he would feel offended when his fellow senators grill him during the hearing, Dela Rosa said: “No, no, no, no. I won’t feel offended. Because kaya nga tayo na nagpasalamat na magkakaroon ng parallel committee hearing para to ferret out the truth (I am grateful that we are holding a parallel committee hearing so we can ferret out the truth). I will not be offended. Bakit ako ma-offend? Dapat lang itatanong sa akin yan para mabigyan ng clarification lahat-lahat ng mga doubts nila (Why should I feel offended? They should ask me questions so I can clarify all their doubts).”

“The truth is there, you cannot change that. I know the truth, that’s why they cannot fabricate stories against me,” he added in a mix of Filipino and English.

ESTABLISH THE TRUTH

Dela Rosa said he is “excited” to ask “frank and candid” questions to Col. Jovy Espenido, self-confessed drug lord Kerwin Espinosa, former Philippine Charity Sweepstakes Office (PCSO) general manager Royina Garma, resigned National Police Commission commissioner Edilberto Leonardo, and former Sen. Leila de Lima, among others.

Espenido and Espinosa have recanted their drug allegations against De Lima, claiming that they were supposedly pressured by Dela Rosa to implicate her in the illegal drugs trade.

Garma and Leonardo testified before the quad committee of the House of Representatives about the alleged reward system for cops who killed drug suspects.

They alleged that the reward money was purportedly distributed by a staff of Sen. Christopher “Bong” Go, who was a close aide of Duterte since the time that latter was mayor of Davao City until he became president.

Garma said the staff member also joined Go when the latter was appointed as special assistant by the former president.

“I am not going to harass them. I’m not going to use my power as member of that committee. I will just establish the truth,” Dela Rosa said when asked how he plans to confront his accusers.

“(But) I will not be extra careful as far as the truth is concerned. I don’t care kung sino masasaktan sa aking pananalita. Basta ang habol ko lang dito ay lalabas ang katotohanan…I don’t care kung ano ang sabihin nila. Hindi ako ang taong pa-cute cute lang, hindi ako taong magpa disente-disente kasi nga umiiwas…I will be frank and candid to everyone. Kilala niyo ako. That’s how I’m doing this (I will not be extra careful as far as the truth is concerned. I don’t care who gets hurt with the way I speak because I am after the truth… I don’t care what people may say about me. I am not that kind of person who plays cute and decent just to evade the truth… I will be frank and candid to everyone as you know me. That’s how I’m doing this),” he also said.

Dela Rosa said the last time he talked with Duterte was on Friday last week, when the former chief executive assured him that he will physically attend Monday’s Senate hearing.

Dela Rosa had initially wanted to conduct a motu proprio investigation after Garma reveled the alleged EJK reward system before the House quad committee.

But Senate President Francis Escudero doused cold water on his plan, citing a conflict of interest with regards his proposal.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros proposed the convening of the Committee of the Whole to do the probe to allow all senators to participate.

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In the end, senators decided to let the blue ribbon committee to conduct the investigation, noting that it is the only committee that is allowed to hold motu proprio hearings when Congress is on recess

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