Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa, outgoing PNP chief, talks to reporters in Camp Crame on Wednesday, Apri 18, 2018. (Photo by JHOANNA BALLARAN / INQUIRER.net)
Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa, outgoing chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), on Wednesday dared Human Rights Watch (HRW) to file a case against him and prove its allegation of police abuses carried out under the Duterte administration’s anti-illegal drug campaign.
Dela Rosa said HRW should stop making noise and instead provide evidence to its claim that there were abuses committed in the crackdown.
“Huwag silang sigeng dakdak ng dakdak [They should stop making noise]. If they have the evidence and they have the case, file the case,” Dela Rosa said in an interview during his farewell visit to police units in Camp Crame in Quezon City.
Dela Rosa said that the PNP had held erring police officers accountable, as shown in the sacking of Caloocan City police officers allegedly involved in the killing of teenagers Kian delos Santos, Carl Angelo Arnaiz, and Reynaldo de Guzman.
“Look what we have done to these abusive policemen – those involved in Caloocan. We filed the case,” he said. “Kami mismo ang naghahabol sa kanila hindi namin pinagtatakpan.”
[We were the ones who ran after them and we did not cover them up.]
Early on Wednesday, the HRW said Dela Rosa, who will formally retire on Thursday, should answer for the thousands of killings committed under the deadly anti-drug campaign.
The international watchdog said that Dela Rosa would leave the PNP with a rights record worse than that of former dictator President Ferdinand Marcos.
READ: Human Rights Watch wants Bato accountable for EJKs
In an earlier interview, Dela Rosa said he would face any charges that would be filed against him once he had retired.
He said he had the “balls” to face the accusations and would not try to escape accountability. /atm