The disrespectful Bato

PNP Chief Ronald dela Rosa. INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/LYN RILLON

Sung Kim, the new US ambassador to the Philippines, has struck a friendly chord with his host country when he said that US-Philippine relations will be based on mutual respect.

A Korean-American, Kim was probably taught by his parents that Asians, like his forebears, are sensitive people and demand respect from foreigners.

“This important relationship is, of course, based on mutual respect. I am confident that our mutual respect, combined with close ties and shared history and values, will ensure stability in our relationship over the long term and the years and decades to come,” Kim said in a meeting with media.

There you go: A US ambassador who will not interfere in our internal affairs, unlike his predecessor, Philip Goldberg.

Relations between the United States and the Philippines started to become strained under the Digong Duterte administration when Goldberg put his dainty finger on the election campaign.

The US envoy took part in the bashing of then presidential candidate Digong Duterte over the latter’s comment about an Australian missionary who was raped and then killed by prisoners during a hostage incident at Davao City jail.

The strained US-Philippine ties worsened when President Barack Obama criticized President Digong’s unorthodox method of solving the country’s drug problem.

Now that the new US ambassador has adopted a hands-off policy on President Digong’s war on drugs, relations between the two countries will become normal again.

Discerning people who watched the exchange of barbs between Sen. Leila de Lima and Philippine National Police  Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa couldn’t help but shake their heads over Bato’s disrespectful attitude.

The scene was at the Senate hearing on Monday.

The caustic remarks between the senator and the PNP chief started when De Lima brought up the reinstatement of Supt. Marvin Marcos as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in Eastern Visayas.

OK, De Lima started it, but Bato should have been respectful toward the senator.

“Ikaw ang mag-chief PNP kung kaya mo bang… (Why don’t you become PNP chief if you can…),” Bato shouted back at De Lima.

Bato, an ordinary police official before he was appointed to the top PNP post, has become swellheaded.

Even if Senator De Lima did not inspire respect because of her alleged involvement in the drug trade, still Bato was in the halls of the Senate, a revered institution.

If he doesn’t respect the person of De Lima, then he should respect her position as senator of the republic.

I’m surprised why Bato was not held in contempt by De Lima’s colleagues.