Bato dela Rosa: I can live without US visa

Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa is happy over the news that he will be granted a US visa anew, but he maintains he can live without it.

“Masaya, masaya [ako] dahil iyon nga, nalungkot tayo nung nawala, masaya na naman tayo ngayon kung ibabalik. Ibalik nila o hindi, alam naman natin na privilege lang ‘yan. We can live without that,” Dela Rosa said at a virtual forum.

Dela Rosa earlier said he received the information when a representative of the US Embassy in Manila called him up, but added that he has yet to figure out the next steps in applying for a US visa.

“Nakatangap ako ng tawag, nagpakilala, taga US Embassy, di ko maalala kung anong date, ang sabi, ibalik, ayusin raw visa ko. ‘Di ko alam process na gagawin, re-apply siguro, kasi kinancel kasi dati kong visa, baka re-apply siguro,” Dela Rosa said.

“Tapusin ko muna itong COVID-19 pandemic bago ako pumunta sa US Embassy,” he added.

Back in January, President Rodrigo Duterte threatened that he will abrogate the Visiting Forces Agreement—a pact which allows US troops to train and advise the Philippine military in its fight against terrorists but bans US forces in combat operations—if the US does not rectify its cancellation of the US visa of his trusted ally, Dela Rosa.

The President eventually abrogated the VFA, but the implementation of such abrogation has been suspended.

Dela Rosa, however, stressed that he did not seek the President’s help over his US visa problem and that he did not plead for the US government to reconsider the cancellation.

“Hind ko kinausap si President  na i-work out na maibalik. Di ko diniscuss sa kanya,” Dela Rosa said.

“Saka conduct unbecoming naman on my part as a senator kung magmamakaawa ka sa kanila. Kung ayaw nila, huwag. Kung gusto nila ibalik, okay. Alam ko naman na privilege lang iyon,” Dela Rosa added.

Dela Rosa, however, admitted that he thanked the President upon learning that his US visa can be granted again.

“After nung sinabihan ako na ibabalik ang visa, nag text ako sa kanya, nagpasalamat ko sa kanya dahil ibabalik na ang aking visa,” Dela Rosa said. — RSJ, GMA News