‘Bato’ challenges crime bosses to gun duel

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

FIGHT me in a gun duel.

Chief Supt. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa posed this challenge to the 20 bigtime drug and crime lords reportedly raising P1-billion bounty for his and President-elect Rodrigo Duterte’s heads.

In a chance interview at Camp Crame on Tuesday, Dela Rosa dared crime bosses at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) to line up and fight him in a shooting match. If he wins all 20 matches, he gets the P1 billion pot money.

“’Yung P1 billion na pera ninyo na bounty gagawin natin ’yang pot money. Bente kayo na Intsik na drug lords or kung sino pang mga drug lord nandyan. Kayong bente hahamunin ko kayo ng draw. Man versus man. Mag-draw tayo,” he said.

“Sabay tayo bubunot ng baril. Isa-isa. So isasalang ako, matutumba ko ’yung isa, next. Tumba ko ’yung isa, next. Hanggang sa swertehin ako aabot ako sa 20. Then the pot money will go to me,” he added.

Once he gets the P1 billion pot money, the incoming chief of the Philippine National Police said he would donate it to local government units grappling with a high number of drug addicts so they could put up drug rehabilitation centers.

Asked if he could confirm that drug kingpin Peter Co was among the drug lords who want him dead, Dela Rosa said: “ I won’t confirm or deny. Bahala na si Peter Co mag-isip dyan kung siya ba ’yan.”

Reacting to reports that Co wants to be transferred to Iwahig Penal Farm in Puerto Princesa City, Palawan, the police official gave him this warning: “You cannot run. You cannot hide. The long arm of the law will catch you and will be after you.”

An INQUIRER.net source revealed on Monday that top drug and crime lords in Bilibid are contributing to the fund. The bounty will be for the heads of Dela Rosa, Duterte, a new senator and a prison official. /ac