Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, who is on track for reelection, attributed his strong performance in the Senate race to “protest votes” from Filipinos, but he believes the cost of this success was the “freedom” of former President Rodrigo Duterte.
Dela Rosa and fellow Duterte ally, Senator Bong Go, currently lead the Senate race, with Go in first place and Dela Rosa in third, based on partial and unofficial results.
“It conveys the sentiment of the Filipino people,” Dela Rosa said in an interview on ANC’s Headstart. He explained that their surge in rankings came “with a heavy cost” — Duterte’s submission to the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, Netherlands, where he is being investigated for his controversial war on drugs.
“Wrong move, wrong political move… Yung sama ng loob namin sa ginawa nila kay tatay Digong, ipakita namin yan sa balota,” Dela Rosa emphasized, reflecting on the public’s dismay over the administration’s decision to send Duterte to the ICC.
Despite the tense political landscape, Dela Rosa expressed hope for cooperation among newly elected senators, even those with opposing views. “Sa lahat sana ng mga nanalo, I hope and pray na kung pwede, ihinto na natin ang bangayan,” he appealed.
The senator also touched on the possibility of Vice President Sara Duterte facing impeachment in the next Senate, which would act as an impeachment court. However, Dela Rosa downplayed concerns about political control, saying, “Hindi nila (admin) kontrolado… Pagdating sa Senado iba ang galawan dyan eh. We’re like 24 independent republics.”
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. had earlier acknowledged the defeat of some of his endorsed Senate candidates and called on winners to work together for an “honest government.” Dela Rosa echoed this sentiment, saying he and other Duterte-allied senators are not there to oppose for the sake of opposing but will support policies they see as beneficial.
