Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa acknowledged that former President Rodrigo Duterte’s statements on the existence of a “death squad” and his encouragement of police killings could be used as evidence against him. In a recent Senate hearing, Duterte admitted to ordering officials to “encourage” suspects to resist arrest, which he suggested justified lethal force. Dela Rosa, a close ally and former police chief during Duterte’s administration, stated that Duterte, who spoke under oath, will need to defend himself if charges are brought forward.
Dela Rosa noted that Duterte himself has called for agencies to investigate and file cases if necessary. “That can be used against him, especially since he made it under oath,” said Dela Rosa, emphasizing that the former president’s statements are his own responsibility.
During the same session, Dela Rosa defended his “shit happens” remark about child casualties in police operations, clarifying that it pertained only to the specific case of three-year-old Myca Ulpina. She was killed in 2019 during a police operation that targeted her father, with officials alleging he used her as a shield. Dela Rosa claimed his words were taken out of context by critics, who linked them to an estimate of over 120 child casualties in the drug war.
Dela Rosa, along with Senator Bong Go, affirmed their intent to attend Senate hearings related to the anti-drug campaign to prevent misinformation. “I will attend because I don’t want lies to perpetuate,” said Dela Rosa, underscoring the need for transparency amid ongoing scrutiny of Duterte’s policies, which are also under investigation by the International Criminal Court (ICC) for alleged crimes against humanity.