Bato Dela Rosa: While we’re waging war vs NPA, others in gov’t are relaxed in office

(FILE) Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, chairperson of the Special Committee on Marawi City Rehabilitation and Victims’ Compensation, presides over Monday, September 19, 2022, the organizational meeting where various agencies involved in rebuilding Marawi presented their progress report. (Joseph Vidal/Senate PRIB)

MANILA, Philippines— While government troops are risking their lives fighting communist rebels, “others” in various government agencies are relaxing in their offices.

At Tuesday’s joint Senate hearing, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa did not mention what he meant by “others” in his argument for such a case when he urged the passage of his measure for a national strategy to achieve inclusive and long-lasting peace.

But the former National Police chief, now legislator, did refer later in his argument to many agencies that should be helping troops who are risking their lives on the line.

De la Rosas’s measure also proposes creating the National Council to End Local  Communist Armed Conflict.

“Kami gusto lang namin talaga tulungan kayo. I have been there. I have fought these communists for a long time. I have lost a lot of my men in my war and my battles against the NPA (New People’s Army) kaya alam ko kung gano kahirap na problema ito,” he said.

(We want to help you. . I have been there. I have fought these communists for a long time. I have lost many men in my war and my battles against the NPA, so  I know  how this difficult this problem is.)

So it was a “glimmer of hope” when the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac) was created through Executive Order No. 70 issued by former President Rodrigo Duterte in 2018.

“Nakita ko napakaganda pala nito, ito na hinihintay naman noon,” Dela Rosa.

It was then that the former police chief shared their sentiments while they were fighting the rebels.

“…What kind of war is this? Tayo lang pinabayaan ng gobyerno na makipagyera, makipagtayan sa NPA samantalang itong DSWD na ito, itong DOH, itong DPWH even the National Security establishment walang pakilaam because they are sitting inside their chair, inside their office, nagpapalamig lang sa opisina,” Dela Rosa said.

(What kind of war is this? We’re left alone by the government to wage war with NPA while this DSWD, this DOH, this DPWH, and even the National Security establishment — don’t care because they are sitting inside their chair, inside their office, relaxing at their office.)

DSWD is the Department of Social Welfare and Development; DOH is the Department of Health while DPWH is the Department of PublicWorks and Highways)

“Kaming nandun sa field nakipagpatayan, kami ang nasasaktan, kami ang nahihirapan,” he said.

(While we, who are doing the fighting, get wounded and suffer.)

This is why now that he is a senator, Dela Rosa said he wants to honor those who sacrificed their lives fighting the communist insurgency.

“E kung ayaw ninyo sa executive yung aming proposal then what can we do?” he said, noting that their efforts in Congress would be put to waste if the measure would not get the support of the executive.

(But if you don’t like our proposal in the executive, then what can we do)

“Sa akin lang naman, we’re here to help you solve the insurgency problem. Yun lang po,” he stressed.

Dela Rosa made the lengthy remarks when National Security Adviser (NSA) Clarita Carlos initially spoke against institutionalizing the NTF-Elcac into a council.

“I believe that it is not in order to institutionalize the Ntf-Elcac into a council. What is being suggested here is for a task force to have substantive legal personality, so it becomes a council. And therefore, it will have a life of its own and will continue to address something which, I think, is time-bound,” Carlos said.

But after hearing Dela Rosa’s “compelling” arguments, Carlos expressed her willingness to change her mind.

“Because I’m a scholar, I’m willing to change my mind,” she said, “I forgot there’s a sunset clause there. But, yes, it would render itself obsolescent when the reason for its being would have been obliterated, so I’m willing to change my mind for the record. So I’m now withdrawing what I earlier articulated,” she said.

/MUF/abc