Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Friday expressed hope that Malacañang would consider the urgency of passing a measure pushing for reform in the Philippine National Police. 

Dela Rosa, a former Police chief, expressed his sentiments after President Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. decided to veto Senate Bill 2249 and House Bill 8327 or An Act Providing for Organizational Reforms in the Philippine National Police.

“Today, it seems the final word is a refusal to acknowledge that urgency. The irony is not lost on me, and it is precisely that irony that is so disheartening,” Dela Rosa, who authored the SB 2249, said. 

Dela Rosa said he is saddened to know that the efforts of the Congress, PNP, Department of the Interior and Local Government, and National Police Commission to push the reform in the police organization “have been out to waste.”

He then expressed hope that these government agencies could still support the lawmakers’ stance in crafting measures and policies that would improve the entire police force. 

“We know that the reform in the PNP is a huge step to maintain peace and order in the country,” Dela Rosa said. 

He insisted that the measure, which was vetoed by the President, “faithfully reflects the needs of the PNP."

Dela Rosa said it would, likewise, "equip the PNP with the legislative imprimatur that they require in order to be more effective, more efficient, in carrying out their mandate to serve and protect.”