Bato clueless about Duterte remark on sacking 6 generals for drug ties

PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. RAFFY LERMA/INQUIRER FILE PHOTO

Even the chief of Philippine National Police (PNP) is clueless about President Rodrigo Duterte’s pronouncement about the firing “six generals” for their alleged involvement in drugs.

“Hindi ko alam ‘yung anim. Ang alam ko lang ‘yung lima pa lang. Magtanong ako kung sino,” PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said in an interview at Camp Crame on Tuesday.

Few days after he assumed office in July, Duterte publicly identified five active and retired police generals who are reportedly protecting drug lords.

The five generals were former National Capital Region Police Office (NCRPO) chief Police Director Joel Pagdilao, Western Visayas regional director Chief Superintendent Bernardo Diaz, Quezon City Police District (QCPD) director Chief Superintendent Edgardo Tinio and retired police generals Marcelo Garbo Jr. and Vicente Loot.

READ: 5 ‘narco’ generals on watch list

The three active generals—Pagdilao, Diaz and Tinio—have since been relieved from their posts.

During the 80th founding anniversary of the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) in Manila on Monday, the President mentioned in his speech that he had “fired six generals when I assumed the presidency for involvement in the drug industry.”

But even Dela Rosa could not confirm Duterte’s statement. Asked whether Duterte was referring to the five generals, the police chief gave a curt reply: “Baka ‘yun na ‘yun.”

Asked if there would be more officials who will be sacked from their positions for alleged drug links, Dela Rosa said the leadership of the PNP is still in the process of evaluating the performance of their men.

He said he will announce the result of the evaluation by December.