Bato ‘shameless’ having bloodstains from Duterte drug war

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed no regrets about enforcing the previous administration’s war on drugs campaign.

“There is no shame in having blood on my hands because I protected the Filipino people,” Dela Rosa made this statement during the proclamation rally of the Partido Demokratiko Pilipinas (PDP)-Laban on late Thursday.

He was responding to President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s statement when he presented the senatorial slate of the Alyansa para sa bagong Pilipinas in Iloilo City on Thursday.

“Wala sa kanila ang may bahid ng dugo dahil sa tokhang. Wala sa kanila ang kasabwat sa pag-aabuso na binulsa ang sako-sakong pera, pinagsamantalahan ang pandemya, binayaan na magkasakit at mamatay ang ating mga kababayan noon panahon ng Covid (None of them have blood on their hands because of "tokhang." None of them were accomplices in the abuse who pocketed sacks of money, exploited the pandemic, and allowed our fellow countrymen to get sick and die during the Covid period),” Marcos said during the rally.

Dela Rosa sees Marcos’s remarks seems discrediting the senatorial candidates in favor of the previous administration’s Oplan Tokhang — the war against illegal drugs campaign introduced by former President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Wala namang ibang involved d'yan sa tokhang kundi ako, 'di ba? Kaya with all due respect, sasagutin ko lang po. Kung 'yung aking mga kamay ay may bahid ng dugo, hindi ko po 'yan ikinakahiya. Kung 'yung aking mga kamay ngayon ay may bahid ng dugo, dugo ng masasamang tao (There’s no one else involved in 'tokhang' but me, right? So, with all due respect, I will respond. If my hands are tainted by blood, I’m not ashamed of it. If my hands now are tainted by their bloods, it's the bloods of dangerous people),” Dela Rosa said.

“Kung kinakailangan na madumihan ng dugo ng masamang tao ang aking kamay para maprotektahan ang buhay ng mga matitino, mababait, at mga law-abiding citizens, gagawin ko po yan. Itaga niyo po sa bato (If it is needed for my hands to be stained with the blood of evil people to protect the lives of the good, kind, and law-abiding citizens, I will do that. You can carve it in stone),” he added.

Dela Rosa, who was the former chief of the Philippine National Police and the chief architect of Duterte’s bloody drug war, has slammed those personalities by throwing negative comments against the PDP-Laban’s senatorial candidates.

He said the noises from the other side “only shows” that the Duterte-led Party is “not an insignificant opposition.”

"Wala nang ginawa kundi puro pagtira nang tira sa atin. Tahimik nga kami. We were giving you the moment. Sa inyo na ang February 11 at sa amin ang February 13. You have the moment. Pero bakit tayo tinitira? Ibig bang sabihin takot sila sa atin? (They’ve done nothing but attack us over and over. We were quiet. We were giving you the moment. February 11 is yours, and February 13 is ours. You have the moment. But why are we being attacked? Does this mean they’re afraid of us?),” Dela Rosa remarked.

“Isa lang na indicator yan. Kasi kung insignificant opposition tayo, bakit ko pakialam kung sino sino 'yan sila. Bahala kayo d'yan. Mga insignificant kayo. Pero the mere fact that no less than the President of the Philippines ang tumitira, ibig sabihin, we are somebody, 'di ba? (It’s one indicator. Because if we are insignificant opposition, then why do they care about who they are? That’s up to you telling them we are insignificant but the mere fact that no less than the President of the Philippines is attacking, that means we are somebody right?),” he added.

In his speech, Marcos also stressed none of the administration-backed senatorial candidates are pro-China and pro-Philippine offshore gaming operators.

He mentioned the increasing tension between the Philippines and China over the disputed West Philippine Sea (WPS).

“Wala sa kanila ang nagsisipsip po sa Tsina. ’Yung iba pumapalakpak pa na tuwang-tuwa na pagkabinobomba po ng tubig ang ating mga Coast Guard, kapag hinaharang ang ating mangingisda at ninanakaw sa kanila ang kanilang huli (None of them are pandering to China. Some even cheer and are thrilled when our Coast Guard is being sprayed with water, when our fishermen are blocked, and when their catch is stolen from them),” the President.

Dela Rosa quickly defended himself, emphasizing that he is ready to fight for the WPS to prove he is not pro-China, despite being an ally of Duterte.

“Ako, prangkahin ko kayo. Willing ako magpapakamatay dyan sa West Philippine Sea kung sabihin niyo na pro-China ako. Willing ako makipag-gyera dyan sa West Philippine Sea. Pro-China? Hinahamon ko ang taga-kabila, kung gusto nila bigyan ko sila ng baril at bala, atakahin natin yung mga nambubully dyan (I’ll be frank with you. I am willing to kill myself in the West Philippine Sea if they say I am pro-China. I am eager to wage war there in the West Philippine Sea. Pro-China? I challenge them, If they want I’ll give them guns and bullets and maybe we will attack the bullies in West Philippine Sea),” he said.