Bato apologizes to ‘idol’ lawmaker

Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa —Senate Public Relations and Information Bureau

MANILA, Philippines — A contrite Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday apologized to Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, saying he was not among the lawmakers whom he called “unprincipled” and “opportunistic” for vilifying former President Rodrigo Duterte’s bloody war on drugs after previously supporting it.

“I’m very sorry if you reacted that way. I was not referring to you,” Dela Rosa addressed Acop in a hastily called press briefing.

“You were never a bootlicker to the Duterte administration. I never heard you sing praises to the war on drugs that we waged … That’s why I was surprised you reacted that way,” he said.

READ: Bato lashes back at drug war supporters-turned-critics

The senator said he has “high respect” for Acop as he considers him and former Sen. Panfilo Lacson his “idols” among Philippine Military Academy (PMA) graduates who joined politics after retiring from the police service.

Acop is a member of the PMA Class of 1970, while Dela Rosa, Duterte’s closest security aide before becoming the first PNP chief under his administration, is a graduate of the PMA Class of 1986.

As for Acop’s remarks calling him the “real opportunist” and Duterte’s “lapdog,” Dela Rosa said he respects the opinion of his “upper class” in the PMA.

On Friday, Dela Rosa hit Duterte’s political allies-turned-critics for painting them as “villains” after “singing hallelujah to us.”

Acop responded that Dela Rosa was “the real opportunist” as he “used his ties” with Duterte to seek a Senate post in 2019 after “leading a bloody drug war that targeted the powerless while shielding the powerful.”