Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa took a swipe at Abang Lingkod Party-list Representative Stephen Paduano for insisting his attendance in a supposed courtesy call of police officers with former President Rodrigo Duterte which is being linked to the death of three Chinese drug lords inside the Davao Penal Farm and Prison in August 2016.
The former PNP chief under the last administration issued the remark as he denied his attendance to the said meeting which reportedly took place in Davao City weeks after Duterte assumed office.
“I vehemently deny that I was a party to that courtesy call or meeting.”
“It is very clear from the recorded video of that hearing that Cong. Paduano is very excited and very insistent of my alleged presence in that courtesy call despite repeated denials from all the resource persons. Again, I vehemently deny that I was a party to that courtesy call or meeting,” Dela Rosa said.
“The effort to wholesale former President Duterte, Sen. Bong Go and myself in one single stroke is very evident in his line of questioning.”
“The effort to wholesale former President Duterte, Sen. Bong Go and myself in one single stroke is very evident in his line of questioning,” the legislator added.
At a joint House hearing recently, Paduano asked several questions to National Police Commission (Napolcom) Commissioner Edilberto Leonardo regarding the supposed meeting and the latter had told the committee that he cannot recall seeing Dela Rosa in the said gathering.
Retired police colonel Royina Garma, who testified that the meeting took place and was present in the gathering, also stated that she cannot remember the lawmaker in the said courtesy call.
Earlier, the senator slammed the ongoing House probe on war on drugs, saying this is a “fishing expedition” meant to crush Duterte allies ahead of the 2025 and 2028 elections.
