Bato hits back at Tulfo: Who is he to conclude drug war is a failure?
Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in one of the Senate’s hybrid hearing on September 7, 2021. Senate PRIB file photo / Albert Calvelo
MANILA, Philippines — Presidential aspirant Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Tuesday hit back at broadcaster Raffy Tulfo, who is seeking a Senate seat in 2022, for concluding that the Duterte administration’s drug war is a “failure.”
“Noon, hanga siya sa drug war. Ngayon failure na. Tatanungin ang taumbayan, sino siya para mag-judge na failure ‘yung drug war?” he said in an interview over ABS-CBN News Channel.
(Before he was amazed with the drug war. Now he’s calling it a failure. Who is he to judge that the drug war is a failure.)
“Siguro ‘yung mga tao na nagsasabi na failure ang drug war, just to be frank, ito ‘yung mga tao na nakatira sa mga gated community, mga posh subdivision na very safe sila sa kanilang pamumuhay doon dahil gwardyado sila,” he added.
(Maybe those who criticize the drug war as being a failure, just to be frank, are the people who live in gated communities and posh subdivisions where they are very safe because they are guarded.)
The senator, who was the chief implementer of the war on drugs as he headed the Philippine National Police (PNP) during the height of the drug war, also denied that there are no big personalities involved in illegal drugs who were arrested by authorities.
“Ano pala ‘yung mga intsik na nagamatay diyan, ‘yung mga mayor, ‘yung mga cong na tinamaan sa war on drugs hindi pala ‘yun malalaking mga tao?” he added.
(What about the Chinese people who were killed? The mayors, the congressmen who were also affected by the drug war, aren’t these big personalities?)
“That only goes to show that they are ignorant about the real situation of the drug problem sa Pilipinas (in the Philippines),” Dela Rosa added.
In a separate interview, Tulfo said the government’s drug war is “definitely a failure,” pointing out that President Rodrigo Duterte himself admitted so.
The criticized house-to-house anti-drug program “Oplan Tokhang” should be improve, Tulfo said.
“Oplan Tokhang” is the police’s anti-drug campaign during the early part of the Duterte administration, where officers would visit homes of people accused of being involved in illegal drugs.
In improving the program, Tulfo said those involved in illegal drugs should be “given another chance,” focusing on opening rehabilitation centers.
