‘Have balls to admit fault,’ says Dela Rosa as Senate opens probe into PNP-PDEA misencounter

DELA ROSA LEADS HEARING ON PDEA-QCPD MISENCOUNTER: Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chairman of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, presides over a public inquiry Monday, May 24, 2021, on the misencounter between members of Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency-Special Enforcement Service and Quezon City Police District-Special Operations Unit near a mall along Commonwealth Avenue in February this year. (Photo credit/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said those at fault in the February “misencounter” between police and anti-drug operatives in Quezon City should “have balls” to admit to their mistakes.

This, as the Senate public order and dangerous drug committee, which Dela Rosa chairs, finally opened on Monday its investigation into the incident, where two policemen, a Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) agent and an informant were killed.

“We cannot and should not tolerate what happened in this incident, mananagot ang kailangang managot (Those at fault should be held accountable),” said Dela Rosa, a former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

“Alam niyo, kung sino man ang nagkamali dito, sana may bayag tayo na humarap at aminin kung sino ang nagkamali. The truth will set us free,” he added.

[You know, to those who were at fault, they should have balls to admit their mistake. The truth will set us free.]

The hearing, which was initially scheduled last March 2, has been postponed twice.

It was first deferred after President Rodrigo Duterte requested both chambers of Congress that they postpone their respective investigations to give way to the National Bureau of Investigation’s own probe on the matter.

The Senate inquiry was postponed the second time last March 14 after then PNP chief Gen. Debold Sinas and PDEA director-general Wilkins Villanueva, who are key resource persons for the hearing, both tested for COVID-19.

According to Dela Rosa, his committee decided to push through with the hearing after PNP officers and PDEA operatives had a near misencounter at a Quezon City mall parking lot last week.

“Lumamig na sana itong issue na ito, kumalma na sana, pero nangyari na naman itong sa Novaliches, baka sabihin na naman ng mga tao na masyado na kaming nagpabaya sa Senado, particularly ang committee on dangerous drugs,” Dela Rosa said.

[This issue was subsiding, but then this incident happened in Novaliches, the public may think that we are not doing anything about this,  particularly the committee on dangerous drugs.]

“Bakit nangyari na naman ito? Kung nangyari na naman ito, parang hindi na tayo natuto. Kaya this committee deemed it proper to continue itong nate-tenggang imbestigasyon,” he added.

[Why did this happen again? If this happened again, it’s like we never learned. That is why this committee deemed it proper to continue this hearing.]

Nevertheless, Dela Rosa believes that such incidents would not affect the administration’s war against illegal drugs.

“I have no doubt that the campaign against illegal drugs of our government will continue to be relentless regardless of the personalities involved,” he said.

EDV