Bato admits halt in sale of assault rifles to affect anti-terror drive, but not anti-drug fight

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa admitted Wednesday that the halting of the planned sale of some 26,000 assault rifles to the Philippines will have an impact on the country’s campaign against terrorism but not on the fight against illegal drugs and criminality.

Despite such development, Dela Rosa assured the public that the PNP will fight terrorists up to the last drop of their blood. 

“Sa laban natin sa  terorismo makakaapekto. Mas [magiging] epektibo sana tayo kung mabibili natin ito,” he said in an interview with radio dzBB.

“Pero huwag kayong mag-alala, meron pa rin naman tayong mga luma. Lalaban kami up to the last drop of our blood and last round of ammunition,” he added.

He said the firearms are basically needed in the fight against terrorists.

“Walang epekto (sa campaign against drugs and criminality) dahil gagamitin natin ito sa anti-terrorism campaign. Ang malalaking threat group at PAGS (private armed groups) ang pwede nating gamitan ng malalaking armas,” he said.

Dela Rosa said police officers can use short firearms against drug suspects or they can engage them in a fistfight.

“Ang mga pulis pwede nating palabanin kahit na maliliit na baril. Kahit makipagsuntukan na lang kami,” he said.

He said the other downside of the US State Department’s stopping of the sale of the firearms is that it will take a longer time for the country to procure them.

“If this plan will not push through, matatagalan na naman tayong makakuha ng mga armas  ng pulis natin because the bidding process will start all over again,” he said. 

But he stressed that the Philippine government has yet to give any payment for the procurement. 

“Pero wala pa tayo naibigay na advance payment dahil bawal sa ating procurement laws. Nothing is lost on the part of the government. Time lost lang ang lugi natin dito kung sakali,” he said. 

Dela Rosa said they cannot force the US State Department if they do not want to continue the process, but quickly added that they can always find a new supplier.

“Hindi pwede nating ipagpumilit kung ayaw nila tayo bentahan. Hanap tayo ng ibang arms supplier like Germany, Russia, etc. Kung ang rason nung US senator ay human rights violations bahala siya sa buhay niya... It’s not the loss of the buyer but the loss of the supplier. Benta pa rin ‘yan para sa kanila,” he said. 

For his part, PNP spokesperson Sr. Supt. Dionardo Carlos confirmed in an interview on GMA News TV's Balitanghali that police may procure rifles from other countries but will wait on an official notice before they open any form of negotiations.

"We're waiting for (an) official notice. Kung magkakaroon ng problema sa kontrata... Maraming options ang Philippine National Police, pero kami po ay susunod po dun sa procurement, so hindi po kami lalabag sa batas," Carlos said.

"Sabi nga po natin, tama po si Presidente, meron pa hong ibang sources na pwedeng pagkunan mula po sa ibang bansa sa mga pangangailangang ito," he added.

The US State Department stopped the sale of the assault rifles after Senator Ben Cardin said he would oppose it because of the alleged human rights violations in the Philippines. 

President Rodrigo Duterte, however, remain unfazed with the move, saying the Philippines can always go to other suppliers like Russia.

“Karaming de bomba dito. Remember what the Russian diplomat said? Come to Russia. We have everything you need,” he said. — with Rie Takumi/RSJ/KG, GMA News