Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa stated his steadfast support for former President Rodrigo Duterte, emphasizing the controversial anti-drug campaign of the previous administration and the ongoing investigations involving it.
“My loyalty to President Duterte is forever.. Dela Rosa said in a combination of Filipino and English during an appearance on One News’ “Storycon,” “I will sink or swim with him.”
Even though he has a close relationship with Duterte, Dela Rosa thinks he can head a Senate investigation into the drug campaign, which Duterte led while he was the former police chief. As the head of the Senate committee on dangerous drugs and public order, he stressed the need to carry out his responsibilities in an unbiased manner.
Dela Rosa stated, “If my position as chairman is questioned, I’m open to the possibility of having the Senate convened as a committee of the whole to investigate.” His reference was to a previous investigation into purported PDEA leaks that linked a number of prominent individuals, including President Ferdinand Marcos Jr., to illicit drug activity.
Dela Rosa explained that if his committee decides to launch a new investigation, it will build on the PDEA leaks probe rather than beginning from the beginning. He admitted that although he had been reluctant to look into the drug war at first, the ongoing investigations by different House committees made it clear that checks and balances were necessary.
“I see the spreading of lies there,” he added, expressing alarm about contradictory witness testimony in the House of Representatives. In front of the Senate, we want to make sure that witnesses will speak consistently.
Duterte could feel more comfortable going to a Senate investigation than a House one, Dela Rosa pointed out.
Franklin Drilon, a former Senate president, expressed worries that the Senate’s reputation would be harmed by Dela Rosa and Senator Bong Go’s participation in the probe. Having been Duterte’s special assistant prior to being elected to the Senate in 2019, Go shares Dela Rosa’s tight relationship with the president.
“The Senate’s credibility is on the line,” Drilon cautioned, implying that a committee of the whole might be a more appropriate course of action. However, the Senate session must restart on November 4 before such a committee can be formed.
