Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa on August 19 apologized to Antipolo City Rep. Romeo Acop, stressing Acop was not among the members of the House Quad committee whom he tagged as opportunistic.
“It was not you who I was hitting. You were never sipsip to the Duterte administration. I have never heard you sing praises for the Duterte administration’s drug war. There were others,” said Dela Rosa.
“I am very sorry,” stressed Dela Rosa who said he has high respect for the police general-turned congressman.
Acop is among the chairpersons of the House Quad committee conducting hearings on the possible connection of the Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to illegal drugs, extrajudicial killings due to the bloody war on drugs, and other crimes.
Dela Rosa was invited by the to the committee hearings but declined to attend. Dela Rosa said he does not want to set a precedent.
He further related that Acop is one of the two graduates from the Philippine Military Academy he admired. The other is former Sen. Panfilo Lacson.
“I’m sorry if you were (struck) with what I said. I did not intend to mean it was you. But you have with you some companions, let’s face it, who sang praises towards former President Rodrigo Duterte and his war on drugs,” said Dela Rosa in a media briefing.
According to the former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), he will personally talk to Acop, who was his senior officer and ask for an apology.
“It’s not my character to malign and to be rude to those belonging to my Upper Class in PMA,” pointed out Dela Rosa.
On Acop describing him as opportunistic and even a “lap dog,” Dela Rosa declined to react. He respects Acop’s opinion, saying he cannot do anything about it.
Talks about Dela Rosa and Duterte being arrested surfaced after retired Supreme Court Chief Justice Antonio Carpio hinted the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor’s probe on the Duterte administration’s bloody drug war has “reached a pivotal point” and arrest warrants would be released “sometime in September.”
Dela Rosa believes the Senate would adopt a firm stand that would “reflect the true identity of the Senate” as the country’s last bastion of democracy.
He said the Senate, under the leadership of Senate President Francis Escudero, will maintain its independent stance should “worse comes to worst.”
At the moment, he is still holding on to the President’s promise not to recognize the jurisdiction of the ICC in the Philippines.
“Why do I have to listen to his underlings who are trying to subvert his policy when the President himself has it made clear?” he said.
Asked for his legal recourse in case of an arrest warrant, Dela Rosa said he would file for clarificatory relief before the Supreme Court.
He emphasized the Supreme Court ruling will be binding to everyone.
However, he stood his ground that warrant of arrest to be issued by the ICC is not enforceable in the Philippines due to “lack of jurisdiction.”
