Dela Rosa hits 'opportunistic' solons who changed views on drug war

Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa on Friday took a swipe at "opportunistic" members of the House of Representatives whom he said were all praises as the Duterte administration was implementing the war on drugs, but changed their views after the new administration came in.

While saying he understands that this is part of politics, Dela Rosa said he was saddened by the fact that these lawmakers have forgotten their principles.

"Nakakalungkot isipin. Kung gaano kabilis noon, they are singing 'hallelujah' to us (It saddens me. Before, they were fast to sing 'hallelujah' to us), 'thank you for drug war, thank you for the peace and order, thank you for the tranquility, thank you for keeping the streets safe from the drug menace, thank you and thank you,' bow and bow," Dela Rosa told reporters in a virtual interview.

Dela Rosa, the former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP) who first implemented Duterte's war against drugs, lamented that, "Ngayon, you are the villain. 'Bakit kayo nag-conduct ng war on drugs...? Mali ang ginawa ninyo. Ganun kabilis magbago ang tao (Now you are the villain. 'Why did you conduct the war on drugs...? What you did was wrong. That's how fast people can change.)

"For those who are so fast in changing their stand, in changing their views and changing their everything, all I can say is that these people are so opportunistic. They forget their principles," Dela Rosa said, adding that, "Mas pina-prioritize nila 'yung opportunity. Whatever that opportunity is, sila lang nakakalaam (They give more priority to opportunities. Whatever the opportunity is, they are the only ones who know.)

However, Dela Rosa said he was not generalizing all these congressmen as such, noting that there are some members of the House of Representatives who are choosing to keep silent because they don't want to "antagonize" their leadership and the members of the majority bloc.

Dela Rosa made the remark amid the ongoing House probe into the alleged links of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to extrajudicial killings (EJKs) committed under the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

For him, the investigation into the EJKs and the drug war has been "very redundant," noting that the same set of people are testifying on the same claims, but cases have yet to be filed before the courts.

"We are wondering why binuhay na naman nila. Kaya nga that even emboldened us, together with [former] President Duterte, not to attend dahil paulit-ulit na lang 'yan. The same people tinatanong. Same answer ang sinasabi and yet wala naman silang nakasuhan. Noon pa 'yan, pabalik-balik na," he said.

(We are wondering why they brought this up again. This have even emboldened us, together with former President Duterte, not to attend because the same issues are discussed over and over. The same answers are provided yet they do not file charges against anybody. This has been going on for a while already.)

"'Yung POGO is different pero nili-link pa rin nila sa EJK, nili-link pa rin nila sa drugs. So be it. Let them conduct investigation. I'm not criticizing their investigation about POGO. Sa akin lang 'yung drugs and EJK na ulit-ulit lang," he added.

(POGO is different but they are linking it to the EJK issue and drugs nonetheless. Let them conduct their investigation. I'm not criticizing their investigation about POGO. My take is that discussions on drugs and EJK are just repeated over and over.)

According to Dela Rosa, there was no invitation from the lower house for him to attend the joint investigation into the EJKs, the war on drugs, and the POGOs.

Duterte is currently facing an investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) over alleged crimes against humanity due to the drug war-related killings during his term.

In late July, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV said Dela Rosa and four other former and active police officials have been tagged as suspects in ICC's investigation.

Based on police records, the drug war deaths reached about 6,000 but human rights groups contend that there were as many as 30,000.

Lawyer Chel Diokno recently told the House committee on human rights that based on a 2017 yearend accomplishment report of the Duterte administration, a total of 20,322 persons were killed in the war on drugs. — VDV, GMA Integrated News