Who is ‘kumpare?’ Palace to find out from ‘Bato’

Philippine National Police Director General Ronald “Bato’ dela Rosa
INQUIRER FILE PHOTO / NINO JESUS ORBETA

Malacañang on Friday said it would ask Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to reveal the name of his “kumpare” (friend) who called him to reinstate Supt. Marvin Marcos, the police official allegedly involved in the killing of Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr.

In a Palace briefing, Communications Assistant Secretary Marie Banaag was asked if the Palace would order Dela Rosa to name his “kumpare.”

“I guess so. I guess so. [You will?] Yes,” Banaag told reporters.

Asked if the President would fire Dela Rosa’s kumpare, the Palace official said she would need to know first the identity of the Palace official who called the PNP chief.

“Alamin po natin muna kung sino si ‘kumpare’ kasi malaking bagay iyan na malaman ng publiko. For now, we cannot comment on that kung ano gagawin ng Presidente, kung ano ang maaari niyang gawin at doon sa gravity ng ginawa kung meron man at kung ano ang impluwensya ng tumawag sa kanya,” she said.

(We will find out first who “kumpare” is because it’s a big issue that the public also needs to know about. For now, we cannot comment on what the President will do to him, depending on the gravity of his actions, if there are any, and we still have to find out the influence to him (dela Rosa) of the person who called him.)

On Thursday, Sen. Leila de Lima identified Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go as the one who made a call to Dela Rosa and asked to have Marcos and his group reinstated to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8.

READ: Bato admits ‘kumpare’ asked him to reinstate Supt. Marcos to CIDG

Go has denied De Lima’s claim, saying it was “pure hearsay and unsubstantiated.” IDL/rga

READ: Bong Go: De Lima accusation ‘pure hearsay’