‘No regrets’: Bato ready for jail over Vegas trip
Philippine National Police Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. NESTOR CORRALES/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Philippine National Police (PNP) Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday said he was willing to go to jail if proven guilty of ethics breach for his sponsored trip to Las Vegas to watch the fight of Sen. Emmanuel “Manny” Pacquiao.
In a press briefing in Camp Crame, Dela Rosa said he respects and welcomes the Office of the Ombudsman’s fact-finding investigation into his travel perks, but added that he had no regrets in accepting the sponsored trip to watch the Pacquiao-Vargas bout last Nov. 5.
READ: So it was wrong? OK, probe me, says Bato of Vegas trip
“My respect to the Office of the Ombudsman remains at nirerespeto ko ‘yung kanilang (and I respect their) functions. Trabaho nila ‘yan just like yung kami sa PNP na mag-imbestiga ng violations sa batas, ganun din sila (It’s their job just like us in the PNP to investigate violations of law). But anyway the truth will come out and sana magkaroon ng fair interpretation sa batas para naman po walang maagrabyado (I hope there would be fair interpretation of the law so everyone would be treated equally),” Dela Rosa said.
“On my part naman kung talagang lalabas sa investigation na na ako ay may kasalanan na nagawa (if the investigation would reveal that I committed a wrongdoing) then I’m ready to go to jail kung ikulong nila ako (if they would imprison me). Okay lang sa akin magpapakulong ako kung ako talaga ay nagkamali (It’s all right for me to be put to jail if I committed a wrongdoing). Basta what’s important is that I’m honest…Kung nagawa ko yun (If I committed a wrongdoing) I’m man enough to go to jail if proven guilty,” he added.
Dela Rosa had admitted that Pacquiao hosted him and his family in Las Vegas and paid for their plane tickets, hotel accommodations and allowance.
The Ombudsman probe will look into possible criminal and administrative liabilities that Dela Rosa may have committed, particularly violations of Presidential Decree No. 46, which punishes public officials for receiving gifts “on any occasion,” as well as Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
READ: Ombudsman probes ‘Bato’ for ethics breach in Vegas trip
But Dela Rosa maintained that his acceptance of free trip and accommodations from Pacquiao was not politically motivated.
“Itong sa akin ay pampulis lang, hindi pamulitika (This concerns my post as a police officer and it’s not politically motivated). Whatever kung merong insinuations na politically motivated or not hindi ko po pinapasok sa utak ko ‘yan (If there are insinuations that this is politically motivated or not, I don’t think about it),” he said.
“I’m ready to accept the consequences of actions. Anyway hindi po ako nagsisi dahil nabigyan ko ng quality time yung aking pamilya at libre pa. So okay lang kung mapunta ako sa kulungan at masaya pamilya ko at hindi yun kinorrupt na pera at hindi ko po hinihingi ‘yun,” Dela Rosa added.
(I have no regrets because I was able to spend quality time with my family for free. So it’s all right if I go to jail as long as my family is happy and the money didn’t come from corruption and I didn’t ask for it.) RAM/rga
