Bato keeps mum on possible Senate run

Philippine National Police chief Director Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa during the press briefing at Camp Crame in Quezon City on January 8, 2017. (INQUIRER.net/Noy Morcoso)

Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa remained mum on the possibility of running for Senate amid a survey result showing his name as a potential senatorial candidate for the 2019 elections.

“Wag tayo umasa dyan. Ok lang kung nandyan pasalamat tayo na kino-consider tayo. But I won’t take that very seriously focus muna ko sa trabaho,” Dela Rosa told reporters on Monday.

In a survey conducted last November 11 to 19, 2017 by polling firm Laylo Research Strategies, the PNP chief ranked 12th for the possible senatorial bets, together with Quezon City Mayor Herbert Bautista, and Senator Nancy Binay.

Senator Grace Poe ranked first, followed by Taguig City Rep. Pia Cayetano and Senator Cynthia Villar, Jinggoy Estrada, Senate President Aquilino Pimentel III, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, Senator Sonny Angara Jr., former Senator Lito Lapid, and Senator JV Ejercito, respectively.

“I cannot comment muna on that. Kailangan mag-focus sa trabaho. Pag sinabi ko na tatakbo ako lahat nalang ng decision ko dito sasabihin pulitika ang nasa isip ni Bato. Wala na, sira na diskarte ko,” Dela Rosa pointed out.

“Trabaho lang talaga in the best way that I can help the President bring about the reforms that he need to institute,” he added.

While Dela Rosa’s name appeared in the Laylo survey, he did not make it to the top 12 of the Social Weather Stations (SWS) survey conducted last December 8 to 17, 2017.

The SWS survey was topped by Poe, followed by Villar, Pimentel, Binay, Cayetano, Angara, Estrada, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., Duterte, Lapid, Ejercito, and reporter Erwin Tulfo.                             /kga