‘Bato’ to drug lords: Leave PH; you have nowhere to hide here

Police Chief Supt. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO/JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS

DAVAO CITY, Philippines—Police Chief Supt. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa, the former Davao police chief chosen by President-elect Rodrigo Duterte to head the Philippine National Police (PNP), has an advice to drug lords and drug pushers: Leave the country because they have no place to hide under the coming administration.

READ: Davao City’s anti-illegal drugs campaign to go national

“Mag-abroad sila. Wala silang matataguan dito (They must go abroad, they have nowhere to hide here),” Dela Rosa said at a press conference Thursday at SM City Davao.

Dela Rosa, who mirrors Duterte’s tough-talking demeanor against criminals, said he would implement nationwide Davao’s Oplan Tuktok Hangyo or Oplan “Knock and Plead,” by which police would knock on doors of alleged drug pushers and plead for them to surrender.

READ: Incoming PNP chief vows ‘violent’ crackdown on drug lords

And if they don’t surrender, they would suffer the force of the law, Dela Rosa said.

“‘Yung mga lalaban, mamatay kung ayaw. Kung lumabas, buhay siya. Ganun lang yun,” Dela Rosa said.

Dela Rosa said instead of crying out violation of their human rights, the drug users actually thank them for giving them a second chance to live instead of killing them.

“Ang sabi ng mga drug adik na kinakatok ko, ‘Sir, nagpapasalamat po kami sa inyo at kinausap niyo kami at hindi niyo kami agad pinatay,'” Dela Rosa said,

Dela Rosa also said police officers caught using and peddling drugs should surrender because they know what’s coming for them.

But Dela Rosa said that the PNP under his watch would take a nurturing approach to youths addicted to drugs.

He said now that the former Davao city mayor Duterte is president, and that the former Davao city police chief is the next PNP chief, it would be possible to implement the Oplan Tuktok Hangyo in the entire country.