Sen. Ronald ‘Bato” Dela Rosa (File photo / Joseph Vidal/Senate Social Media Unit)
MANILA, Philippines — Former national police chief turned senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa did not give a categorical answer on whether or not President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. was on the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency’s (PDEA) drug users list during the administration of then president Rodrigo Duterte.
“No idea ako, no idea. Hindi ko sinabing hindi ko nakita, basta hindi ko alam. Dahil kung PDEA list ‘yan, PDEA ang tanungin niyo, hindi ako,” dela Rosa said in an ambush interview on Wednesday.
(I have no idea, no idea. I didn’t say I didn’t see it, and I just don’t know. Because if it’s a PDEA list, you should ask PDEA, not me.)
Asked if the Philippine National Police, which he used to head, has had a list similar to PDEA, dela Rosa replied: Wala akong alam, wala akong alam dyan. Basta concerned lang ako sa PNP, hindi ako concerned sa PDEA.
“Ang sabi nga ay PDEA list, so PDEA list — doon kayo sa PDEA magtanong. Huwag sa PNP,” he stressed.
(I don’t know anything, I don’t know anything about that. I’m only concerned with the PNP; I’m not concerned with the PDEA. It’s a PDEA list, so ask PDEA, not the PNP.)
Former president Rodrigo Duterte earlier alleged that President Marcos is a drug user.
Duterte added that when he was Davao City mayor, the PDEA showed him proof that Marcos was on its drugs watchlist.
PDEA, however, refuted Duterte’s claim, saying that Marcos was never on the government’s list of illegal drug users.