Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) chief Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Wednesday confirmed that he is running for senator in the upcoming May 2016 elections.
Dela Rosa confirmed this as he formally joined the ruling Partido ng Demokratikong Pilipino (PDP) Laban party. The oath-taking was administered by PDP-Laban President and Senator Aquilino “Koko” Pimentel III inside his Senate office.
Interviewed by reporters, Dela Rosa said his campaign would focus on law enforcement, peace and order, which are his forte.
“Magpapakatao ka lang, ‘wag plastic. Huwag mong gawin yung hindi mo kayang gawin. Yun lang kaya ko lang gawin ko, (Just be yourself, don’t be a hypocrite. Don’t do anything you know you can’t do. I will just do what I can do),” the ex-Philippine National Police (PNP) chief told reporters in an interview.
“Bakit ako makikisawsaw diyan sa aspeto ng ekonomiya hindi naman ako negosyante or economist. Sa health, di naman ako doctor, (Why will I meddle with aspects on the economy when I’m not a businessman or an economist. And on health matters, I’m not a doctor),” he said.
“Dito ako focus sa law enforcement, at saka sa corrections (I will focus here on law enforcement, and on corrections),” added dela Rosa.
Should he become senator, he also said he will not resort to embarrassing resource persons invited to attend Senate hearings.
Dela Rosa admitted he felt persecuted when lawmakers opted to embarrass him during congressional hearings.
The former PNP chief broke down many times in the Senate hearings when the upper chamber investigated the extrajudicial killings attributed to the Duterte administration’s brutal war on drugs, which he strongly supported.
“Alam ko ganu kahirap yung ikaw ay winawalanghiya sa Senado. Kaya kung palarin na maging senador tayo, hindi ako mamamahiya ng tao. Hindi ko gagawin yan (I know how hard it is when you are being targeted in the Senate. That’s why I won’t do the same thing when I become a senator. I won’t embarrass resource persons invited,” he said.
“Legislation kaya yan, di naman in aid of pahirap.. ganun din naramdaman ko.. lalo na yung may mga question na may agenda,(Because the hearings are in aid of legislation, not in aid of persecution. That’s the same thing I felt.
Especially those who asked questions with an agenda),” he stressed.
H. Tarragoza, mb.com.ph