Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa. | File photo / Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines — Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said he would punch Kerwin Espinosa in the face if he saw the self-confessed drug lord in person and called him a liar following Espinosa’s allegations before the House of Representatives quad committee on Friday.
“Ang masasabi ko lang kay Kerwin Espinosa, sinungaling siya. Kapag nakita ko siya, suntukin ko siya sa mukha, masyado siyang sinungaling,” dela Rosa told reporters in a phone interview on Friday after Espinosa claimed that he was ordered by the former top cop to implicate Peter Lim and former Senator Leila de Lima in the illegal drug trade.
(I can only say to Kerwin Espinosa that he is a liar. When I see him, I will punch him in the face; he is too much of a liar.)
READ: Kerwin Espinosa willing to quit mayoral race to get justice for slain dad
The senator then proceeded to defend himself, maintaining that the only time he talked to Espinosa was when he asked if Police Col. Jovie Espenido received money from the confessed drug lord.
According to dela Rosa, he visited Espinosa to ask about the matter personally.
READ: Bato told by House solons: Stop hiding behind VP Sara
Senate hearing
“Kinonfirm ko lang ‘yung nangyari kay Espenido nga, kung totoo ba ‘yung sinabi niya na tumatanggap sa kanya ng pera si Espenido. Yung gabi lang na ‘yun, after ng Senate hearing, kasi nabagabag ako talaga dahil nga sinabi niya na si Espenido raw ay tumatanggap ng pera sa kanya,” dela Rosa recalled.
(I just wanted to confirm what happened with Espenido, whether it was true that he was receiving money from him. It was that night, after the Senate hearing, because I was really disturbed by what he said about Espenido supposedly taking money from him.)
READ: Garma apologizes drug war shortcomings in Cebu City
“Other [than] that, wala na kaming pinag usapan. Paano ako magkuha na idiin pa si Peter Lim, sinong — anong makukuha ko roon? Na meron namang imbestigador na may hawak sa kanya,” he added.
(Other than that, we didn’t talk about anything else. How can I further implicate Peter Lim? What would I gain from that, when there are investigators already looking into him?)
Not a credible witness
The former top cop said Espinosa was not a credible witness in the first place, despite his cases being dismissed. Dela Rosa said the truth stands that Espinosa remains to be a drug lord.
“Alam na alam ng mga tao ‘yan kahit na nakakulong siya sa National Bureau of Investigation [ay] gumagana pa rin ang droga doon sa lugar niya sa Albuera. Gumagana pa rin kasi siya pa rin ang nagpapatakbo,” he claimed.
(People know that even though he’s jailed at the NBI, the drug operations are still running in his area in Albuera. It’s still functioning because he’s still the one in control.)
As former President Rodrigo Duterte’s top cop during his administration, dela Rosa was also the chief implementer of Duterte’s brutal campaign against illegal drugs, which landed him on the roster of officials who were accused of crimes against humanity by drug war victims-families before the International Criminal Court.