Dela Rosa joins his class at the Philippine Military Academy alumni homecoming. Photo by Gabriel Pabico Lalu / INQUIRER.net
FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City, Philippines — Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and now senatorial bet Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa admitted that the grind of the campaign season has made him rethink his Senate bid.
Dela Rosa however stressed during the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) alumni homecoming on Saturday at Fort del Pilar that he wants to be senator and that he would never back out of the race.
“Wala na akong boses, mahirap magkampanya pala. Kaya nga eh, kung pwede lang sanang mag-withdraw eh, withdraw na ako pero wala na, nasimulan na, kailangang tuloy na tuloy na,” Dela Rosa said in jest.
“Gusto, sinong hindi gusto?” he replied when asked if he really wanted to become a senator. “Ang sabi ko lang, minsan mag-isip ka mag-withdraw, pagod na pagod ka, pero never, no retreat no surrender, fight ‘yan fight,” he added.
Dela Rosa, who served as chief of the Davao City police when President Rodrigo Duterte was still city mayor, was appointed by the President as his first PNP chief.
After his mandatory retirement in April 2018, Dela Rosa was appointment to head the Bureau of Corrections until his resignation in October 2018, to start his senate bid.
Dela Rosa is running under the PDP-Laban slate. He is also included in the Senate lineup of Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio’s Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).
On kissing Kapampangan
Dela Rosa recently drew fire over his remarks during the HNP’s sortie in Pampanga last Monday where he said that the fastest way to learn the Kapampangan language is by kissing Kapampangan women.
His remark drew flak from opposition candidates particularly human rights lawyer and Otso Diretso stalwart Chel Diokno, women’s right advocates and Commission on Elections (Comelec) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon.
“Ang babaw naman no’ng bumabatikos sa akin ‘don, sabihan ko sila ang babaw ninyo. Biro lang ‘yon, walang epekto sa kampanya ko ‘yon,” he said.
Guanzon in particular tweeted that she has Kapampangan roots, and warned Dela Rosa by tweeting “Try lang ni Bato halikan ako”.
The former police chief insisted it was just a joke, and people should not take it seriously.
“Nye, halikan ko siya? Kissable lips ba siya? Meron kasing nagpapasama (sa biro) that’s only a pure joke, mamaya sabihin na naman, ‘sabi ni Bato hindi raw kissable lips si Commissioner Guanzon’,” he added. /muf