Dela Rosa ready to face Senate debates: ‘Bawal bang mag-Tagalog dun?’

MANILA, Philippines — He may be a newbie, but Senator Ronaldo “Bato” Dela Rosa expressed no fear facing veteran legislators in the Senate.

“Excited” was how Dela Rosa described on Tuesday his first two days at his new job.

Asked if he was already prepared to debate with his colleagues when the 18th Congress opens on July 22, he just quipped: “Bawal bang mag-Tagalog dun?”

“‘Pag nahirapan akong mag-English, eh ‘di Tagalog-in ko. ‘Pag nahirapan akong mag-Tagalog, eh ‘di Bisaya-in ko. Depende sa kakayanan. Basta ang importante, I can deliver the message,” he also said in an interview at the Senate.

Dela Rosa said one of the bills that he is ready to defend in the Senate is the reimposition of the death penalty for high-level drug trafficking.

And he also said he prefers that capital punishment be carried out by firing squad.

READ: Bato wants public execution of drug traffickers by musketry

Dela Rosa also vowed to stand his ground even if challenged by the most senior or veteran members of the Senate.

“Anong magagawa ko, ako ang proponent (of the death penalty) so I have to stand my ground regardless kung mga siga ‘yung nandyan na mag-interpolate sa akin so kelangang tayuan ko ‘yan talaga,” the former top cop said.

“Kung tiwala ka sa sarili mo hangang makaya mo lang bakit ka matatakot? Kahit na mga beterano bakit ka matatakot sa mga beterano makipag-argue dyan kung may punto ka naman,” he further said. (Editor: Katherine G. Adraneda)