Bato says he will face 'liars' during Senate probe

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa vowed to confront what he referred to as ‘liars’ during the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee's investigation into the Duterte administration’s "bloody" anti-illegal drugs campaign.

“No! I have to confront the liars because the public deserves to know the truth,” Dela Rosa said in response to Akbayan Representative Perci Cendaña's call for him and Senator Christopher “Bong” Go to take an indefinite leave of absence amid the Senate’s impending probe into the drug war.

Cendaña raised concerns over a possible “conflict of interest” due to the senators' central involvement in the drug war, particularly their alleged links to extrajudicial killings (EJKs) and the implementation of the “Davao model,” which surfaced during the House Quad Committee's investigation.

Dela Rosa dismissed the need for him to take a leave, stating that he wanted to directly address the allegations against him and the Duterte administration. He also criticized the House inquiry, calling it a "fishing expedition" aimed at discrediting the former President and his allies ahead of the 2025 and 2028 elections.

Dela Rosa expressed support for the Senate's parallel investigation into the drug war, saying, “Walang problema kahit hindi ako ang mangunguna. Ang importante ang Senado ay magkaroon ng parallel investigation at actively magpa-participate din naman ako kahit na hindi ako ang magpe-preside (There’s no problem even if I won’t lead it. What’s important is to have a parallel investigation, and I will actively participate even though I will not preside).”