Digong will face Senate — Bato

Former President Rodrigo Duterte, along with possibly two senators, Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go will face Senate investigators as its inquiry into the war on drugs starts Monday.

Dela Rosa, a staunch ally of the former Chief Executive, confirmed that Duterte will attend the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee investigation, which aims to look into alleged abuses and summary executions during the anti-drug campaign.

“Yes, it’s confirmed. The former President told me that he is going to attend the Senate hearing regardless of who is presiding,” said Dela Rosa, who previously served as a Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

The senator made this confirmation after posting a photo on his official social media page showing him having dinner with the former President, his common-law wife Honeylet Avanceña, and former Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez.

‘No holds barred’

On Friday, Dela Rosa maintained that no special preparation is needed for the upcoming Senate inquiry on 28 October stating that he will not hold back during the hearing.

“No holds barred. I don’t need to prepare. I will not be extra careful when it comes to the truth. I don’t care who will be hurt by my words because I am only after the truth. The truth will come out,” he said.

Dela Rosa added, “I will be frank and candid with everyone. You know me. That’s how I operate. They can ask me. They can interrogate me. They can question me anytime they want.”

Aside from Duterte and Dela Rosa, former Special Assistant to the President Bong Go, now senator, is also likely to participate as a resource person.

Senator Joel Villanueva urged all three to attend the hearing, citing their significant roles in the implementation of the drug war. “It’s kind of weird for some people, but for us, it’s clear that they are not just senators but also resource persons, considering there are accusations against them,” Villanueva said.

In a Facebook post on Saturday, Dela Rosa stated that if given the chance to repeat the drug campaign, he would not change anything about the way it was conducted during Duterte’s term.

Dela Rosa was the PNP chief when the Duterte administration’s “Tokhang” campaign took place, which resulted in the deaths of thousands of alleged drug personalities, pushers, and users.

“I believe that an iron fist is the best solution for the government to totally eradicate the drug problem in the country,” Dela Rosa said in Filipino.