‘Bato’: Media ban at event not to avoid another public gaffe

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa addresses the media who were barred from covering the New Year’s Call, his first as police head. JULLIANE LOVE DE JESUS/INQUIRER.net

If Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa had his way, he would have allowed the media to cover his first New Year’s Call as chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) on Friday morning.

Dela Rosa laughed off speculation that the reason the media were prohibited from covering his first meeting of the year with top police commanders was his recent blunder of announcing President Duterte’s hefty cash gifts from P50,000 to P400,000 for officials.

READ: Where did Duterte’s bonus for PNP come from? Don’t ask, says Bato

“That’s not true. Were you barred? Sayang ang gaganda ng mga gown ng aming mga asawa hindi niyo na-cover (That’s too bad because you weren’t able to cover the beautiful gowns of our wives),” Dela Rosa said as he laughed during a press conference hours after the ceremony.

The police chief stressed that he had no intention of preventing the media from entering the venue at the traditional New Year’s Call ceremony.

He added in jest: “Sorry. Wala akong instruction na i-ban kayo. Hindi naman ‘yung ma-cover na magkakamali na naman ako kung ano sasabihin ko. Hindi po ako ganun (I did not have any instructions to have you banned. I was not (concerned) that you might cover another gaffe. I am not like that). I am not trying to cover my ass. You can see my ass if you want to see it.”

Dela Rosa then pointed out that officers from the PNP’s Headquarters Support Service (HSS), who were in charge of the logistical arrangement for the event in Camp Crame, were the ones who decided to ban the media coverage there.

READ: PNP bars media from covering New Year’s call in Camp Crame

He said it was a standard operating procedure for the HSS to tighten security during events where top police officials are gathered in one place.

“Kapag ganyan kailangan (strict ang security) kasi andyan lahat ng mga heneral. Paano kung ma-bomba ‘yang multipurpose center, ubos lahat ng heneral ng PNP (A ceremony like that requires strict security because all the generals are in attendance. What if the multipurpose was bombed, then all the generals of the PNP would e dead),” Dela Rosa said.

But contrary to what Dela Rosa said, reporters covering PNP have been allowed to cover the New Year’s call for several years in the past.

Media were also allowed to take shots of the PNP’s chief speech before top police commanders and to interview officials there after the event.

Last December, Dela Rosa drew criticisms for publicly announcing President Duterte’s Christmas bonuses for top police officials during an event in Camp Crame. He later retracted his statement and said the Malacañang cancelled the release of cash gifts for the police. But several police officials later admitted that they received the bonuses in cash on the same day Dela Rosa announced it in Crame. IDL/rga

READ: EXCLUSIVE: Police exec admits receiving cash bonus from Duterte