‘Anyone who tries to bring down Duterte will face war’

Dir. Gen. Ronald dela Rosa, PNP chief, faces the media during the annual alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy held on Saturday /Inquirer photo

Bato’s warning

FORT DEL PILAR, Baguio City — Dir. Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), on Saturday warned critics of President Rodrigo Duterte they should be ready to face war if they would try bring his administration down.

Dela Rosa made the warning as he also insisted that the International Criminal Court (ICC) move to conduct a preliminary examination on Duterte’s deadly crackdown against illegal drugs was part of the efforts of “anti-Duterte forces” to oust the President.

“Manigas sila. Hindi nila kayang ibagsak ’yung presidente na elected by the people at ’yung trust rating ay 83 percent. Manigas sila,” Dela Rosa said on the sidelines of the annual alumni homecoming of the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) here.

(Get lost. They cannot bring down a president elected by the people whose trust rating is 83 percent. Get lost.)

“You want to bring down the Duterte administration? Over my dead body. Giyera tayo. Kayo, kung gusto niyo giyera, hinahamon ko kayo. Gusto niyo ng kudeta, magkudeta kayo. Giyera tayo. Huwag niyo kong takutin,” he added.

(It’s up to you. If you want war, I’m daring you. If you want to launch coup d’etat, do it. Let’s make war. Do not threaten me.)

Dela Rosa maintained, however, that the PNP would not fall into a “trap,” referring to the ICC investigation.

“For all you know, ‘yang investigation na ‘yan ay nagsimula ‘yan dahil sa paninira,” he said. “Politically-motivated ‘yan. Tapos ngayon, ikaw bigay ka lang ng bigay hanggang sa pumasok ka sa trap nila. We will seek the help of the legal service kung ano dapat, anong legal, anong tama.”

(For all you know, that investigation started because of efforts to slander the President. That is politically-motivated. And now you keep giving information until you fall into their trap. We will seek the help of the legal service to know what should be done, what is legal, and what is right.)

Dela Rosa could not say if the PNP would give the pertinent information on the anti-illegal drug campaign once summoned by the ICC, saying that anti – Duterte forces may use it to infiltrate their ranks.

“Mahirap na mag-comment nang mag-comment, yun pala pinapasok na kami sa lungga nitong anti – Duterte forces. Yun naman talaga ang kanilang purpose – to bring down the Duterte administration,” he added. /