PNP chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa (INQUIRER PHOTO)
Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” de la Rosa on Friday admitted that illegal gambling syndicates had been offering him millions of pesos in exchange for protection.
Speaking before the members of Metro Manila police at Camp Bagong Diwa in Taguig City, De la Rosa said he had consulted President Duterte if he could accept the money because like any other person “I also need money.”
But De la Rosa said he turned down the offers because Duterte explained to him that accepting the bribe from the syndicates would affect the government’s drive against illegal gambling.
“Alam ninyo kung ikaw pala ang chief PNP, ang laki ng pera na i-offer sa iyo sa illegal gambling, millions. Pero hindi ko tatanggapin ’yan. Kahit anong gawin nila, hindi ko tatanggapin,” De la Rosa said in his speech at the National Capital Region Police Office headquarters.
“You know why? I asked the President about this. Sabi ko, ‘Sir, sayang itong pera na ito tatanggapin ko. Tao lang naman tayo nangangailangan ng pera.’ Sabi ni Presidente, ‘tanggapin mo ’yan pagkatapos nakatali na ’yung kamay mo. Kung tayo ay magiging victorious sa ating gyera sa droga, kung tayo manalo after six months the people will be expecting you to eliminate another social ill in the society. So what’s next? Expected ng taumbayan gyerahin natin ’yung illegal gambling tapos nakatali kamay mo?’” he recalled.
De la Rosa also urged other policemen to “slowly disengage” in illegal gambling activities because it would not do them any good.
He said some policemen in Western and Central Visayas had long been accepting protection money that they could no longer distinguish whether it came from illegal gambling or illegal drug syndicates.
“’Yung mga tumatanggap, late lang nila narealize na ’yun palang player ng illegal gambling ’yun na rin ang player ng illegal na droga,” De la Rosa said.
Drug and gambling lords were “using the same structure and apparatus,” he said.
“Kung tumatanggap kayo ngayon, I advise you to slowly disengage sa illegal gambling dahil walang pupuntahan ’yan. ‘Yung pera sa droga, wala tayong kinabukasan dyan. Sisirain tayo,” he added./rga