REELECTIONIST Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa yesterday rallied the public to vote for the senatorial candidates of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban), which he said was the birthday wish of former president Rodrigo Duterte.
“Si pangulong Duterte, bilang chairman ng PDP-Laban, siya po ay nagnanais at nangangarap na maraming PDP-Laban candidates ang mananalo dito sa halalan… Sana po yung kanyang panawagan ay pakinggan ng ating mga kababayan para naman po maraming PDP-Laban ang makapasok (As chairman of the PDP-Laban, former president Duterte wants that many PDP-Laban candidates will win in the midterm elections… I hope that the former president’s call will be heeded by the people so we will have many PDP-Laban candidates who can make it to the Senate),” he said.
Aside from Dela Rosa, the other PDP-Laban senatorial candidates are reelectionist Sen. Christopher Go, lawyer-singer Jimmy Bondoc, Jayvee Hinlo, lawyer Raul Lambino, former executive secretary Vic Rodriguez, party-list Rep. Rodante Marcoleta, detained pastor Apollo Quiboloy, and actor Philip Salvador.
Dela Rosa said the former president’s wish was conveyed to him by Vice President Sara Duterte.
“Sinabi niya na hindi na niya magawa ang mangampanya, tumayo sa stage (dito) sa Pilipinas… Kaya sabi niya, ipaabot sa inyo na kailangan niya ng tulong, kailangan niya ang mga PDP senators at mga guest candidates ng PDP-Laban (He cannot join the party’s campaign sorties in the Philippines anymore. That’s why he is seeking the public’s help by voting for the PDP-Laban candidates and guest candidates who he needs),” Dela Rosa quoted the vice president as telling him.
The vice president also supposedly told Dela Rosa, who was the former president’s first PNP chief when he became president in 2016, that he wants his allies and supporters to stop discussing the legal aspects of the crimes against humanity case filed against him before the International Criminal Court (ICC).
