Bato to heed ‘idol’ Ping’s advice

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald dela Rosa said Monday he will be following the advice of his ‘idol’ Senator Panfilo Lacson who told him to get rid of extracurricular activities.

“Susundin ko ‘yung kanyang advice. He is my idol kaya susundin ko,” Dela Rosa told reporters when asked to comment on the senator’s statement.

Lacson said in an interview with radio dzBB on Sunday that Dela Rosa should "recompose himself" and deliberate on his recent actions.

The senator said the PNP chief should show the public that he is serious with his work by cutting down if not completely getting rid of, "unrelated activities.”

Dela Rosa had been criticized for his attendance in concerts and boxing bouts.

"Ang issue rito, may problema sa Crame, dapat 'yun ang prayoridad mo... Parang merong maling sense of priority sa ganiyang bagay. Halimbawa nasusunog 'yung bahay mo, manonood ka pa ba ng concert? Siyempre hindi," Lacson.

"Ang point is merong krisis, kailangang tumayo ka sa kinalalagyan mo. Kahit napakaganda ng concert, dapat ito muna, kasi may problema ang bahay mo. Baguhin niya lang 'yung... wala munang extracurricular activities... 'wag na muna siyang mag-Santa Claus," he added.

The senator, former PNP chief, said he wanted to give Dela Rosa a second chance amid calls for him to resign since he knows the current highest ranking PNP official to be a diligent and an unassuming officer.

President Rodrigo Duterte had said on Sunday that Dela Rosa still has his complete trust and will stay as PNP chief.

Duterte made the statement before attending the birthday party for Dela Rosa at Camp Crame, Quezon City.

Several officials have called on Dela Rosa to resign from his post after admitting that kidnapped South Korean businessman Jee Ick Joo was killed inside Camp Crame.

Among those who called for Dela Rosa's resignation was House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, who joined the birthday party for the PNP chief.

Dela Rosa was one of Lacson's men at the defunct Presidential Anti-Organized Crime Task Force.

On Friday, Lacson also called in Dela Rosa to go after rogue cops as soon as possible.

"The PNP leadership should lose no time in addressing the issue by henceforth going hammer and tongs against all rogue cops who only care about their personal gains to the detriment of the entire police organization,” he said in a press statement. —ALG, GMA News