Emotional Bato dela Rosa says he wants to fight Maute side by side with his men

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa became emotional Monday as he recounted the hardships being experienced by his men fighting against the Maute group in Marawi City.

Dela Rosa said he would have wanted to join his men in Marawi and fight side by side with them.

PNP chief Dela Rosa says he wants to fight Maute side by side with his men @gmanewsbreaking pic.twitter.com/MQNNyix2rd

— amitalegaspi (@amitalegaspi) May 29, 2017

He recounted that when he visited wounded personnel in Lanao over the weekend, one Special Action Force trooper requested him to allow his transfer to an area near his family.

"Pakiusap ng pulis ma-assign malapit sa pamilya niya. Fourteen years na sa SAF fighting in Mindanao. Wounded na 'yung pulis. Malaki ang tama sa leeg at likod at hirap makahinga. Walang ibang sinasabi kundi malipat malapit sa pamilya. Sabi niya, 'I've been away from my family for 14 years fighting here in Mindanao,'" he said during PNP flag ceremony.

Dela Rosa had a long pause at this point fighting back tears.

"Gusto kong sabihin, 'Sige umuwi ka na. Ako papalit sa 'yo dito.' Sana kung walang kumplikasyon, kung hindi ako four-star rank, gustong-gusto ko makipaglaban doon," he said.

"May komplikasyon lang kasi. Kung andun ka tapos chief PNP ka. The situation—maraming implication. How I wish andun ako fighting side by side with them," he said.

Dela Rosa added that if he would have his way, he would send the scalawag police to Marawi to fight against Maute and bring the Marawi police to Manila.

"How I wish 'yung pulis sa Manila, lalo 'yung scalawag, dalhin sa Marawi. At 'yung nasa Marawi dalhin sa Manila. 'Yung andun bigyan ng reward," he said. —KG, GMA News