Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop lashed out anew at Senator Ronald "Bato" De la Rosa, his former colleague in the Philippine National Police (PNP), for branding the ongoing House probe into the previous administration's war on drugs a "demolition job" aimed at discrediting Vice President Sara Duterte and her allies ahead of the 2028 polls.
"There's no demolition job here. Only legitimate questions that need clear answers," said Acop, a former police general and Dela Rosa's upperclassman at the Philippine Military Academy. "Sen. Dela Rosa should be man enough to face the facts and take responsibility, instead of hiding behind VP Sara's skirt."
Former Iloilo City mayor Jed Mabilog, who went into a seven-year self-exile in the United States following his inclusion on Duterte's narco-list, narrated how he narrowly escaped an alleged ambush had he granted De la Rosa's invitation to go to Camp Crame at the height of anti-drug campaign in 2017.
Mabilog told the quad committee on Thursday that De la Rosa's invitation to help him "clear his name" turned out to be a setup where he would be forced to point former Senators Franklin Drilon—his second cousin—and Mar Roxas as drug lords.
The erstwhile mayor said it was only a call from an unnamed PNP colonel that saved him from the supposed assassination of at least 20 men spying on his home.
De la Rosa, former president Rodrigo Duterte's PNP chief who spearheaded the bloody drug war, called the House inquiry a "fishing expedition" and a "demolition job" intended to taint Vice President Duterte's reputation in the next presidential elections in 2028.
The VP, who has been at odds with the House leadership, is perceived as the front-runner in the 2028 national polls.
Acop, quad comm's vice chair, dismissed De la Rosa's accusations as "baseless," asserting that they are not into "political games."
“The committee's job is to investigate and legislate to stop these crimes. We don't care about the 2028 election—what matters is justice for the victims,” Acop said in Filipino.
Back in August, Acop peppered De la Rosa with sharp words for calling backers-turned-critics House members "unprincipled" and "opportunistic" for scrutinizing the Duterte administration's war on drugs.
Acop lambasted De la Rosa for being the former president's "lapdog" who took advantage to rise from PNP chief to senator, leading a brutal drug war that "targeted the powerless while shielding the powerful."
The senator, however, apologized to Acop, saying he was not what he was alluding to as he has the highest respect for the congressman as his upperclassman.
De la Rosa has repeatedly denied the quad comm's invitation to shed light on the so-called extrajudicial killings of the Duterte administration, which killed more than 7,000 people, based on the government's data.
Local and international human rights organizations, however, estimated that the death toll exceeded 30,000, affecting predominantly low-income families and communities.
Manila Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr., a co-chair of the panel, deemed De la Rosa’s claims “far from the truth.”
“Our committee is committed to addressing systemic problems, and this investigation is about holding those responsible accountable, not playing politics,” Abante stressed.
The quad comm, he added, welcomes everyone who wishes to provide crucial information about the drug war.