‘It’s a thankless job’: Bato panned for calling critics ‘ingrates’

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Opposition lawmakers on Tuesday slammed Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa for calling critics of the administration’s war on drugs “ingrates.”

In a press conference, Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano said the public is not indebted to any public official like Dela Rosa who should just be doing his job.

“Walang utang na loob ang taumbayan sa kaniya. Trabaho niya yan. Thankless job ito (The public does not owe him anything. That’s his job. This is a thankless job). Damned if you do, damned if you don’t!” Alejano said.

READ: ‘Bato’ slams critics of drug war: You are ‘ingrates’ 

Alejano said the public, not even the critics, should not be called ingrates because the government is accountable to the public.

“Walang ingratong Pilipino, dahil lahat sila ay nagmamay-ari sa gobyerno. At kaming lahat sa gobyerno, nandito para serbisyuhan sila, di para singilin sila,” Alejano said.

(No Filipino is an ingrate because the people have a stake in the government. All of us in the government are here to serve them, not to charge them.)

Akbayan Rep. Tom Villarin added that Dela Rosa should not be calling the critics ingrates, and instead should be held responsible for the deaths in the administration’s war on drugs.

“Dela Rosa should be accountable for the deaths dito sa (in the) war against drugs. I think later he will be tasked through the proper courts na mapanagutan itong (to answer for the) war on drugs,” Villarin said. /idl