Former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief and senatorial candidate Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa on Monday, December 10, visited Filipino-Americans in Las Vegas, Nevada to promote his personal advocacy to campaign against the proliferation of illegal drugs as well as talk about his senatorial bid.
“I am roaming around, propagating my personal advocacy which is the campaign against illegal drugs. We are facing a very big problem. We need the help of everyone. The government cannot defeat this problem without the help of the Filipino people,” dela Rosa said in his speech.
The former police chief emphasized the importance of informing the Filipino community in the United States regarding the current issues the country faces. He said that the community helped the country, citing that Overseas Filipino Workers’ (OFWs’) remittances have greatly aided our economy.
“Dapat aware sila dahil they’re still Filipinos. Kung ‘di nila alam ang totoong nangyayari sa ating bansa, kawawa sila at kawawa ang pilipinas. Malaki ang naitulong nitong ating mga kababayan — Fil-Ams natin at saka OFWs. Malaking tulong ‘yan sa ating bansa. Take note that ang number one dollar-earner sa ating bansa ay remittance ng mga OFWs natin (They must be aware because they are still Filipinos. If they do not know what is happening in the country, it is bad for them and bad for the Philippines. They have been a great help, our countrymen — The FilAms and OFWs. They were a big help to the country. Take note that the number one dollar-earner in the country are the remittances from the OFWs),” he added.
The former Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) director-general also amplified his stand against illegal drugs when he was asked on how he would use his experiences in the cabinet posts should he win for senator.
“Doon ko na-realize kung gaano kalalim, gaano kalawak, gaano kabigat, gaano katindi ang problema ng droga sa Pilipinas. You can just imagine nakapag-surrender tayo ng 1.3 million drug users at drug pushers at may mga nahuli tayong more than 130,000 drug offenders. So ganoon talaga kalala ang problema ng droga sa ating bansa (I realized how rooted, broad, heavy and intense the drug problem is in the Philippines. You can just imagine that we made 1.3 million drug users and pushers voluntarily surrender. We also caught more than 130,000 drug offender. That is how we badly have the problem of drugs in our country),” he explained.
“At sa corrections naman doon ko narealize na kailangan pagtuunan ng pansin ang Bureau of Corrections dahil matagal na talaga ‘yang napabayaang ahensya kaya malaking problema. Pagpasok ng inmate doon imbes na ma-correct lalong lumala ang kanyang pagiging sindikato dahil napabayaan talaga (I realized that we need to focus on the Bureau of Corrections (BuCor) because it has been a disregarded agency for so long it became a big problem. When an inmate enters, instead of being correct he becomes more involved in the syndicate because they don’t focus on it much),” the former police chief added.
Dela Rosa also expressed his desire to restore the use of capital punishment as the most extreme sentence for drug traffickers in the country. He promised to author a bill that would reinstate the death penalty.
“On top of my agenda, if ever I win as a senator, is the restoration of the death penalty for drug traffickers, not drug users, not drug pushers, or small-time drug fiddlers. The ones who are funding our land with shabu,” the senatorial candidate vowed.
“In Bilibid, I have talked to these convicted drug lords coming from China. I asked ‘why did you insist on trafficking drugs to the Philippines. Why not to Malaysia, Singapore, Brunei’. (They said) ‘If we traffic drugs in these countries we will immediately be killed. Your laws are too easy’. That is why wait until I become a senator and I will author a bill,” he added.
As the 2019 midterm elections draw near, the aspiring senator stated that his anti-drug advocacy was solely to maintain the peace and order in the Philippines. He promised to do his best for the country.
“We are doing our best to make you proud of our country. We are doing our best to make everyone safe. We are doing our best for you to become proud of your own people,” dela Rosa said.
