Bato dares De Lima to name source who claimed Go was ‘kumpare’

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa denied the claim of Senator Leila de Lima that it was President Rodrigo Duterte’s aide Christopher “Bong” Go who asked him to reinstate Supt. Marvin Marcos to his position.

Dela Rosa challenged De Lima to reveal the name of her source who claimed Go was the “kumpare” who influenced Dela Rosa to bring back Marcos and his men to the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) unit in Eastern Visayas police.

“Sabihin niya muna sa akin kung sino ang source niya, sabihin ko kung sino ang kumpare ko na nakausap ko (She should tell me first who her source is, then I’ll tell her who the comrade I talked to was),” Dela Rosa said in an interview after sending off another batch of Special Action Force commandos to man the New Bilibid Prisons on Friday.

READ: De Lima: ‘Bong’ Go called Bato to reinstate Supt. Marcos

Asked if Go, Special Assistant to the President, was the one who backed Marcos, Dela Rosa said: “Basta meron akong kumpare. Hindi siya. (I have a comrade. It’s not him.)”

Go also denied calling Dela Rosa to protect Marcos.

READ: Bong Go: De Lima accusation ‘pure hearsay’

Dela Rosa earlier admitted that someone higher than him asked him to reinstate Marcos and his men.

For “humanitarian purposes,” Dela Rosa said he granted the request of his “kumpare,” whom he said was a higher official assigned in Malacañang.

READ: Bato admits ‘kumpare’ asked him to reinstate Supt. Marcos to CIDG

It was Marcos’ unit that led the search inside the cell of slain Albuera, Leyte Mayor Rolando Espinosa Sr. last Nov. 5.

Before the operation, Marcos and other CIDG Region 8 members were ordered relieved for allegedly accepting drug money from the Espinosas.

Marcos and his subordinates at the CIDG Region 8 are currently under restrictive custody at the PNP headquarters in Camp Crame. CDG/rga