Bato dares De Lima to reveal source before he names ‘kumpare from Malacañang’

Philippine National Police chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa on Friday dared Senator Leila de Lima to reveal her source before he names his “kumpare from Malacañang” who called him for the reinstatement of Supt. Marvin Marcos.

“Sabihin niya muna sa akin kung sino ang source niya, sabihin ko kung sino ang kumpare ko na nakausap ko, nakiusap sa akin,” Dela Rosa told reporters when asked on the matter during the turnover ceremony for the new batch of provisional battalion of Special Action Force troopers that will man the New Bilibid Prison.

He denied that the kumpare he was referring to was Special Assistant to the President Christopher “Bong” Go.

“Basta meron akong kumpare na tumawag,  hindi siya (Go),” he said.

De Lima won’t reveal source

In a text message to reporters, De Lima refused to disclose the identity of her source. 

“That information was given to me in confidence. I cannot breach the confidence accorded me by my source,” De Lima said.

She said the duty to disclose who appealed that Supt. Marcos be reinstated was the PNP chief's.

“I dare Gen. Bato to disclose to us who is that personality/official ‘higher’ than him, if it's not Bong Go, who gave the order to reinstate Marcos,” De Lima said.

“The duty to disclose belongs to him, and not to me, since he was the one who revealed the giving of the order,” she added.

‘Kumpare from Malacañang’

On Thursday, Dela Rosa said a kumpare from Malacañang who appealed for the reinstatement of Marcos whom he earlier relieved for allegedly receiving drug money from suspected drug lord Kerwin Espinosa.

De Lima claimed that it was Go. 

“I am not inventing because I have a source… several PNP officials alam ‘yan. It’s an open secret na in-order niya (Go) si General Bato by phone call na i-reinstate [si Marcos]… PNP officials [knew] and they didn’t like it,” De Lima said Thursday.

Go has denied that he was the ‘kumpare from Malacañang.’

"The allegations are pure hearsay and unsubstantiated. I cannot recall having met former CIDG Region 8 Head supt Marcos and I don[']t know him personally. I did not ask General Bato to reinstate him. I also do not interfere with the affairs and functions of the PNP," Go said in a statement. — Amita Legaspi and Kathrina Charmaine Alvarez/RSJ, GMA News