Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. NOY MORCOSO/INQUIRER.net
It would be “unacceptable” for the Philippine National Police (PNP) for the drug war critics to liken the members of the police with the devil, PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa lamented.
Like the critics, Dela Rosa said the police are also “God-fearing.”
Dela Rosa was reacting to the rally led by the Catholic bishops on Sunday that called for an end to the killings in President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. The EDSA rally drew 20,000 members of religious and student groups, as well as the opposition lawmakers and their allies.
During the Mass, Lingayen-Dagupan Archbishop Socrates Villegas, president of the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines (CBCP), urged the police and military to “stop the violence and uphold the law.”
“Baka in-assume nila na sila ang nasa good side. Sila ‘yung mga may halo dito sa ulo at ‘yung PNP ‘yung mga demonyo na mahawak na trident na fork. Parang Satanas tingin nila sa pulis. That’s a very bad depiction of the situation,” the police chief said in a press conference at Camp Crame on Monday.
“Kami rin naman ay makadiyos, working for justice and truth. Otherwise umalis na lang kami sa pagkapulis kung ganun tingin sa amin,” he said.
Dela Rosa said his police are also answerable to the Lord, just like how the priests are accountable if they commit a sin.
Dela Rosa also told the Church that “nobody is perfect.”
“Kung ikaw ay pulis na gumagawa ng krimen mananagot ka kay Lord, kung ikaw naman ay pari na gumagawa ng kasinungalingan mananagot ka kahit pari ka. Prangkahan lang tayo dito sa mundong ibabaw. Nobody is perfect dito sa mundong ibabaw,” he said.