PNP Chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. NOY MORCOSO III/INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
“So it was wrong? OK, then investigate me,” an apparently surprised Philippine National Police Director General Ronald dela Rosa yesterday responded when he learned that the Office of the Ombudsman was starting its investigation on his sponsored trip to Las Vegas, Nevada, on Nov. 5.
Dela Rosa earlier admitted that boxing champ Sen. Manny Pacquiao had hosted him and his family when they watched the Pacquiao-Vargas bout in Vegas and that the senator took care of their plane tickets, hotel accommodations and allowance.
“Bahala na ang propriety na ’yan (Propriety be damned). All I know is that it’s free,” Dela Rosa told reporters upon arrival from Vegas on Tuesday.
In a text message, Rawnsle Lopez, acting director of the Office of the Ombudsman media bureau, said that the antigraft body was “conducting a fact-finding investigation regarding the alleged travel perks received by the PNP chief when he went to Las Vegas.”
The Deputy Ombudsman for the Military and Other Law Enforcement Offices (Moleo) was tasked to head the probe, Lopez said.
Ethical standards
The investigation will look into possible criminal and administrative liabilities that Dela Rosa may have incurred when he accepted the free trip and accommodations from Pacquiao.
Probers could check if there were violations of Presidential Decree No. 46, which punishes public officials for receiving gifts “on any occasion,” as well as Republic Act No. 6713, or the Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials and Employees.
“What’s important is that we did not steal any public funds,” Dela Rosa said. “It would be difficult to imprison me because of an invitation. Let’s see… I’m okay [to be investigated],” the police chief told reporters in Davao City on Friday following his arrival from Malaysia, where he joined President Duterte during the latter’s visit.
In a radio interview, Dela Rosa said he never had official transactions with Pacquiao, whom he called his “personal friend.” There was no reason to think there would be strings attached in Pacquiao’s freebies, he added.
Pacquiao invitations
“I accepted the invitation not in consideration of my position as PNP chief, (but) because we’ve been friends for a long time. I’ve known him for years when he was not yet famous. It was also not done in consideration of any transaction between the office of the PNP chief and the office of Senator Pacquiao,” Dela Rosa said.
As a former amateur boxer who had always idolized Pacquiao, the police chief asked, “What’s wrong with going there to show my support? It’s a rare thing to be able to witness the achievements of a Filipino senator in world boxing history. It was an honor for me and [my] family to be invited.”
He was also transparent enough to volunteer the information about his sponsored Vegas trip, the PNP official said, adding that he had also accepted previous Pacquiao invitations to his bout with Floyd Mayweather Jr. in 2015 and with Timothy Bradley Jr. in April this year. He went on leave to watch both boxing matches, he added.
On Tuesday, Interior Secretary Ismael Sueno defended Dela Rosa and said no government fund was spent for the trip and that the PNP chief had secured Malacañang’s permission for his travel to Vegas.
Pacquiao, for his part, chalked things up to their being both from the Visayas where, he said, giving treats was considered better than being involved in shenanigans. “Alam mo kaming mga Bisaya, OK lang ’yang ilibre, kaysa gumawa ng kalokohan,” the senator said on Tuesday.