Bato: Speculation that cops conspired with Jolo suicide bombers ‘demoralizing’

Published August 26, 2020 06:38 PM By DONA MAGSINO,GMA News

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa on Wednesday said the speculation that local cops have connived with suicide bombers in Jolo sans evidence was demoralizing.

"Hindi ako nagdedepensa sa pulis, if we insist on the theory na talagang may sabwatan ng pulis doon at saka 'yung Abu Sayyaf—hindi natin na-establish 'yan doon sa hearing ha—it will rub more salt to the injury," Dela Rosa said in reaction to the privilege speech of Senator Risa Hontiveros.

Raising a possible infiltration of terrorists, Hontiveros wants all the Jolo police force relieved

after the shooting incident in June that killed four military men, and the twin blasts that were believed to be perpetrated by two suicide bombers who were being hunted by the slain military personnel.

A former chief of the Philippine National Police, Dela Rosa underscored that most of the local police in Jolo pursued the career in hopes of seeing a peaceful Mindanao.

"Tapos ngayon we would insist working on the theory na sila ay sangkot doon? Doon sa ground it will demoralize the local police, unless sana magkakaroon tayo ng maganda at siguradong ebidensya na i-accuse natin sila na ganoon," he said.

"Being a policeman, pag ako marinig ko iyan sa baba, ma-demoralize ang kapulisan niyan," he added.

Hontiveros, whose late husband belonged to the Philippine Military Academy class of 1986 with Dela Rosa, said there is something more demoralizing than her colleague's concern.

"Bilang byuda ng PNP, mas nakaka-demoralize sa karamihan ng mga PNP na tapat na gumagawa ng kanilang tungkulin kung maiiwan 'yung ganiyang bahid na hindi klarong natatanggal," she said.

"Kung mayroong mga may sala, importante na matukoy at madisiplina sila ayon sa batas," she added.

Hontiveros also underscored that Armed Forces' Western Mindanao Command chief Major General Corleto Vinluan Jr.'s himself did not discount that blood ties could have caused nine police officers to conspire with the two suicide bombers being tracked by the military. — BM, GMA News

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