MANILA, Philippines – Cabinet officials may sink or swim with the government, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said on Thursday.
Dela Rosa aired this sentiment a day after President Rodrigo Duterte barred his Cabinet from travelling to the United States.
“Once these Cabinet members joined this government, it is presumed that they are ready to sink or swim with this gov’t,” he said in a text message.
“If they are not ready to sink then they have an option to quit swimming with this government,” he added.
The cancellation of Dela Rosa’s US visa triggered Duterte’s order to terminate the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) between the Philippines and United States.
Aside from terminating the VFA, the President also barred his Cabinet officials from travelling to the US.
“I will not allow any Cabinet member to go there at this time. No Cabinet member should be allowed to go to the United States,” Duterte said Wednesday.
Dela Rosa was the chief implementor of the government’s brutal war on drugs when he served as Philippine National Police chief.
Thousands of drug suspects have been reportedly killed since the brutal war was launched by the Duterte administration.
Duterte bars Cabinet members from traveling to US