From formidable rocks to cowardly rogues?
Amid the battle of narratives between those who support former President Rodrigo Duterte and those whose family members were among the thousands of victims of his deadly war on drugs, we see the transformation of two personalities closely associated with the former president.
These two used to be known for talking tough and even bullying some government officials, especially those who called out Duterte’s alleged orders for extrajudicial killings of people suspected of being drug peddlers and even those who were just recovering from drug addiction. But the killings also included “collateral damage”—members, including children, of families of individuals suspected to be involved in the drug trade, either as sellers or users.
One is Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a known coconspirator in Duterte’s war on drugs, codenamed “Oplan Tokhang.” His nickname, Bato, is equivalent to stone or rock in both Cebuano-Visayan and Tagalog languages. Dela Rosa has always prided himself on his prowess; both his physical appearance and attitude have made him a formidable, hardy, and vociferous Duterte sycophant.
Former Sen. Antonio “Sonny” Trillanes IV cited Dela Rosa as one of those closely involved in the planning and implementation of Oplan Tokhang. Dela Rosa used to be the police chief of Davao City, but he was uprooted from there when Duterte took office as president. From a mere city police chief, Dela Rosa became quite powerful, as Duterte appointed him to command the entire Philippine National Police.
As soon as Dela Rosa heard of Trillanes’ accusation, he did not waste time threatening the former senator. “Make my day, Sen. Trillanes, come and get me. You can even put the handcuffs on me personally.” He said it with such histrionics that some gullible people thought it was a courageous response to an accusation. He presented an image of a tough and strong person, just like what his nickname stands for.
But where is he now? As soon as he heard rumors that he was on top of the list of “coconspirators” of the deadly Oplan Tokhang, and that he would soon be arrested by the International Criminal Court (ICC), just like his patron, Duterte, he disappeared, like a deflated balloon.
Through his lawyer, Dela Rosa filed a motion for the Supreme Court to issue a temporary restraining order to prevent the ICC from issuing a warrant of arrest against him.
But Dela Rosa’s motion was immediately thrashed because no official warrant of arrest has been sent by the ICC. The rumors were based on a pronouncement by Ombudsman Jesus Crispin Remulla that he had received a digital copy of Dela Rosa’s alleged arrest warrant.
(But seeing several redacted documents from the ICC, it appears that Dela Rosa is next in line to be arrested. As lawyer Kristina Conti has repeatedly announced in national television interviews, Dela Rosa’s arrest is not a question of whether it will happen, but when.)
Dela Rosa has been absent from Senate activities for almost two weeks now. He did not show up during the important session during which the Senate, through the committee he chairs (defense), tackled the budget of security-related government institutions.
As a former police director general, Dela Rosa should know that one is not considered a criminal unless they are proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt in court. If there is no existing warrant to arrest him, he should not be hiding. What is he scared of? And did he not wish to be reunited with his Tatay Digong in The Hague so he can take care of him? Some netizens told him, “Be careful what you wish for, Sen. Bato. You are about to have this wish fulfilled for you.”
Since he has gone into hiding even without a formal investigative proceeding for his alleged key role in Oplan Tokhang, many people have confirmed that Dela Rosa is not actually the tough and brave person he wants to project.
He is running scared, making him a fugitive, escaping the law, transforming himself from a tough-talking braggart into a rogue, just like the countless police officers he ordered to execute the deadly orders of the top tokhang brass—Duterte.
The other personality closely associated with Duterte is lawyer Harry Roque, erstwhile professor of international humanitarian law at the University of the Philippines, who also used to claim to be a human rights lawyer.
He faces serious charges of qualified human trafficking and other illegal operations of the Philippine offshore gaming operators associated with convicted Alice Guo Hua Ping or Alice Guo. His Philippine passport has also been canceled.
But he has been in the Netherlands to show support for his former boss, Duterte. He might not go back to the Philippines on his own to avoid facing these serious charges. He risks being deported, but in avoiding this, he will continue to flee, hide, and become another rogue character like Dela Rosa.
By the way, in Spanish and Portuguese, the word “roque” is equivalent to “rock or hard place.”
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