Duterte, Bato, Alvarez share a laugh over dinner

Two days after House Speaker Pantaleon D. Alvarez urged Philippine National Police (PNP) Chief Ronald "Bato" M. dela Rosa to resign, the two were spotted sharing a light moment with President Rodrigo R. Duterte on Sunday night.

The photo, uploaded to the Facebook account of state-run PTV4, shows Duterte and Alvarez sharing a laugh across from dela Rosa sitting between them during Dela Rosa's birthday celebration at PNP headquarters in Camp Crame.

PNP chief Bato dela Rosa and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez during dela Rosa's birthday dinner at Camp Crame on January 22, 2017. Photo: Bong Go.

In another photo, provided by Special Assistant to the President (SAP) Secretary Christopher "Bong" Go, Alvarez and dela Rosa smilingly pose for the camera.

To recall, Alvarez on Friday called on dela Rosa to resign following the killing of South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo "to save President Rodrigo Duterte from further embarrassment and restore respect to the Office of the PNP Chief."

Responding to this, dela Rosa said: "Ask President Rodrigo Duterte to remove me."

Duterte on Sunday told GMA News that dela Rosa will stay on as PNP Chief, saying, "He stays there. Bato has my complete trust." — Jon Viktor D. Cabuenas/BM, GMA News