Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said the controversial “drug war” during the administration of former president Rodrigo Duterte was necessary.
He made this statement on Thursday when asked if, as a former police chief during the drug war, he had any regrets about its implementation.
“Well, any loss of life, may regret tayo. Hindi dapat namatay ang tao. Kasama rin dyan ‘yung mga pulis na namatay during operations… there were about 80 to 120 police officials who died. Any loss of life, any injury, is regrettable. But then again, hindi natin pwedeng sabihin na hindi kami dapat nag-wage ng war on drugs,” Dela Rosa said.
“Dahil kung hindi kami nag-wage ng war on drugs, baka narco-state na ang Pilipinas ngayon. Dahil ang daming mga drug lord noon, hawak na nila ‘yung mga probinsya, mga siyudad nila. Sila na ang nagde-decide kung sino pwede maging mayor, maging gobernador, maging congressman. Ganon sila ka-powerful,” Dela Rosa added.
Dela Rosa emphasized that, without the drug war, crime in the country could have worsened.
“We have to do that. We had to do that,” Dela Rosa said pertaining to the drug war.
Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said on Thursday that the controversial “bloody drug war” that took place during the administration of former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was necessary.
He made this claim when he was asked if he, as a former police chief during the drug war, had any regrets while implementing it.
“Well, any loss of life, may regret tayo. Hindi dapat namatay ang tao. Kasama rin dyan ‘yung mga pulis na namatay during operations…there were about 80 to 120 police officials who died. Any loss of life, any injury, is regrettable. But then again, hindi natin pwedeng sabihin na hindi kami dapat nag-wage ng war on drugs,” Dela Rosa said.
“Dahil kung hindi kami nag-wage ng war on drugs, baka narco-state na ang Pilipinas ngayon. Dahil ang daming mga drug lord noon, hawak na nila ‘yung mga probinsya, mga siyudad nila. Sila na ang nagdedecide kung sino pwede maging mayor, maging gobernador, maging congressman. Ganon sila ka-powerful,” dela Rosa added.
Dela Rosa said that if not for the drug war then the crime incidents in the country could have worsened.
“We have to do that. We had to do that,” Dela Rosa said pertaining to the drug war.