‘Move on, walang forever,’ Bato tells families of drug war victims

As Christmas day nears, Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said the police do not want people holding grudges against them.

Thus, he asked families of drug war victims and surrenderers to “just move because there is no forever.”

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa (left) giving gifts at a gift-giving program. Photo by Ryan Leagogo/INQUIRER.net

“Sana tayo bilang mga Kristyano o anong relihiyon, itong panahon ng Pasko, gusto namin na sana kahit paano mapapaluwag ‘yung damdamin niyo dahil ayaw namin na forever tayong may sama ng loob,” Dela Rosa said during the PNP’s gift-giving program on Saturday.

“Sana mag-move on na tayo. Walang forever.”

(As Christians or believer of any other religion, this Christmas, we did this for you so you wouldn’t forever hold a grudge. Let’s move on. There’s no forever.)

The PNP’s top cop also asked the families to forget whatever happened in the past for the sake of their children and to protect them from an environment of drug, violence and crime.

“Kalimutan na natin ‘yung mga masasamang nangyari alang-alang sa mga bata,” he said.

(Let’s forget all the bad things that happened for the sake of the children.)

The Christmas program benefitted around 1,100 family members and children whose relatives died, arrested and surrendered in the government’s drug war.

Addressing particularly the children, Dela Rosa explained to the young audience that the PNP is conducting the drug war to protect future generations. “Para sa inyo ito (This is for you),” Dela Rosa said.

“Alam ko karamihan sa inyo nasasaktan na may nakakulong o napatay sa aming anti-drug operations. Kung ‘yan ay masakit, masakit rin sa amin na nangyari ‘yan,” Dela Rosa added.

(I know many of you are hurt because someone gets jailed or killed in our anti-drugs operations. If that’s painful for you, it’s also painful for us.)

The party was hosted by the Quezon City Police District’s Station 6 or the Batasan police, which recently made headlines in and out of the country for having “Davao boys” conduct its deadly anti-drug raids.

Among those present was Kathrina Polo, whose husband Cherwen was shot by Station 6 cops in an anti-drug raid last August 2016.

Polo, who was seated with the QC local officials and police on stage, gave a brief message to her fellow widows.

Polo also told them to “move on.” “Yung iba nasa proseso pa, naiiyak pa kapag naalala. Ganyan din ako noong una. Pero as time flies, kahit paano matatanggap natin mga pangyayari,” she said.

(Some of you are still in the process and it still brings tears when you remember it. I was like that too at first. But as time flies, we will somehow accept it.)/ je