File photo of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa in a Senate hearing. (Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB)
MANILA, Philippines— Enraged by the finger pointing at a Senate hearing on Tuesday, Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa threatened to throw a microphone at a police officer who refused to name his informant in the biggest drug haul last year.
The buy-bust operation in Tondo, Manila last October led to the arrest of dismissed Police Master Sergeant Rodolfo Mayo and the seizure of 990 kilograms of shabu worth P6.7 billion.
This and the alleged “massive attempt” to cover up the arrest of Mayo are the subjects of the ongoing investigation of the Senate committee on public order headed Bato by Dela Rosa.
READ: Abalos unveils massive attempt to cover up dismissed cop mayo’s arrest
During Tuesday’s hearing, the senator pressed Police Captain Jonathan Sosongco, head of Philippine National Police’s Drug Enforcement Group-Special Operations Unit (DEG-SOU) 4A arresting team, to name their informant in the drug sting.
Sosongco, however, claimed not knowing the informant, saying this person was only referred to him by the team of Police Senior Master Sergeant Jerrywin Rebosora from the Intelligence and Foreign Liaison Division (IFLD).
According to Sosongco, his interaction with the informant was only limited to phone conversations.
But dela Rosa was not convinced.
“Wag mo akong lolokohin ha. Babatuhin kita nitong microphone na ito ha. Huwag mo akong loloko-lokohin,” he warned.
(Don’t try to deceive me, okay? I’ll throw this microphone at you, you know. Don’t fool around with me.)
The senator reminded Sosongco that he was clearly seen on CCTV with some policemen loading the stolen shipment of shabu onto a vehicle.
He was about to ask the same question to Rebosora when he noted that the cop was smiling.
“Wag ka patawa-tawa dyan Rebosora… na ha-high blood na ako dito,” an already irate senator said.
Rebosora denied Sosongco’s claim, saying they would not entrust their informants to other teams.
“Who’s telling the truth? Ikukulong ko na kayong lahat dito ngayon e. (I will detain all of you here now.),” dela Rosa said.
The senator later asked Sosongco to just give him the number of the informant, but the latter said the phone he was using then was no longer with him.
To this, dela Rosa said: “Wag kang patawa tawa ha. Akala mo, walang senador na pwedeng manuntok dito ha.”
(Don’t laugh, okay? You think there’s no senator who can punch here, huh?)
“Sabi mo tinatawagan mo. Tapos ngayon, wala kang number?” the senator asked in disbelief.
(You said you were calling him, and now you don’t have his number?)
Senator Ramon “Bong” Revilla Jr. also chided Sosongco for lying before the committee.
“Napakasinungaling mo naman oh. Huwag nyo namang kaming gagauhin dito… Ginagago nya kami e,” Revilla said.
(You’re such a big liar. Don’t try to fool us here…You’re fooling us.)
On Bato dela Rosa’s suggestion, Senator Robin Padilla moved to cite Sosongco in contempt.
Sosongco was later detained in the upper chamber.
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