‘Bato-bato sa langit’
Judging from reactions and comments on social media, the Senate investigation on extra- judicial killings chaired by Senator Leila de Lima only increased the popularity of Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa.
Prior to the start of Tuesday’s Senate probe, barangay officials from Metro Manila flocked to the Senate in a show of support for General Bato, holding up placards that said “Go, go, go, Bato!” and “Noon bato hinahanap ng adik; Ngayon adik hinahanap ni Bato.” ( Meaning that in the past, addicts would be looking for “bato” which is a local euphemism for drugs, but the situation is different today because General Bato is now the one going after addicts.)
The PNP chief was like a rock star who got mobbed by the rallyists when he briefly stepped out of his vehicle to acknowledge the barangay officials whom he described as the “front liners” who cooperate with the police in the war against drugs, adding the PNP and the local officials have the same objective which is to make all barangays drug- free. It can be recalled Dela Rosa drew cheers when he met with the leftist groups that conducted a rally during the State of the Nation Address of President Rody Duterte, even going up on stage to tell the rallyists, “We are here to protect you. We are not here to harm you.”
A photo that’s being shared on social media shows the general and De Lima on TV, with Bato dela Rosa’s image getting a lot of thumbs up (“Like”) and heart (“Love) emoticons, while De Lima got a lot of angry faces (“Mad” emojis) – perfectly capturing the mood of viewers during Tuesday’s Senate probe.
Netizens watching the proceedings via online streaming were busy with posts and comments that were mostly supportive of the PNP chief who said the police are “not butchers” who kill for no reason, and that policemen are also human, not perfect and bound to make mistakes. The men and women of the PNP risk their lives in the performance of their duty, and it is unfair that they are being blamed for the spate of drug- related killings because the PNP as an organization does not condone summary executions, Dela Rosa said.
“Our people are also victims. They are also killed, and there is indeed a clear danger to the lives of our men in the operations against illegal drugs,” Dela Rosa said. When he told Sen. Leila de Lima that she should have deployed the PNP’s Special Action Force during her time as Justice secretary because the SAF apparently are doing an effective job of confiscating cellphones and other contraband items inside the New Bilibid Prison, the neophyte senator could only offer a lame excuse that she also thought about it but was advised by lawyers that it would require some sort of legal paperwork. Naturally, this prompted comments about the lack of “political will” by the previous administration – or at least the former DOJ secretary – to do everything to stop the drug trade that was obviously still happening inside the NBP.
Aside from his amiable demeanor, one of the reasons why General Bato’s popularity seems to be reaching high heavens is the apparent sincerity and authenticity that people perceive. In fact, his request for a “bathroom break” after three hours of “grilling” elicited laughter and provided a light moment during the proceedings. Like his boss, he cuts to the chase and does not engage in longwinded explanations and answers. He seems to know how to “connect” with the public – appearing in noontime shows and wittily answering questions in a disarming manner. In fact, Dela Rosa even had a mascot made – a bald dancing policeman named PO1 Bato who also does the rounds of morning TV shows and visits schools to further spread awareness about the harmful effects of illegal drugs.
In any case, many said they found the proceedings “sleep inducing” – with some commenting that several senators really did not have anything substantial to say and just wanted to get some media “face time.” Among those who obviously came prepared was Senator Ping Lacson who has openly expressed his disapproval of the Senate probe conducted by De Lima, warning it will derail the momentum of the PNP’s campaign against illegal drugs.
Having been a police chief as well, Lacson certainly knows what he is talking about, correctly pointing out that one of the sources of frustration among policemen is to see all their hard work being undone due to a flawed system, with corrupt or unsympathetic prosecutors who allow suspects to walk. Imagine, you can’t go home because you’re finishing your report and worse, you see the suspect you have just arrested walking out of jail, Lacson said during an interview.
“As I have spent almost half my life in law enforcement, I’m not sure how many times I could have been maimed or killed by enemy fire during police operations that I had participated in or the number of times I could have landed in jail while performing my duties,” the former PNP chief said – articulating the kind of risks that men in uniform face as they do their job to serve and protect the people.