Kapampangan commish on Dela Rosa’s quip: Try lang ni Bato halikan ako

A couple of election commissioners had a lighthearted Twitter exchange apparently at the expense of senatorial candidate Ronald dela Rosa and his quip on kissing kapampangan being the quickest way to learn their language.

Commissioner Rowena Guanzon on Friday had retweeted and reacted to a post which quoted Dela Rosa's remark at the launch of the Hugpong ng Pagbabago's senatorial campaign in Pampanga.

The post also apparently demanded respect from the former chief of the Philippine National Police.

I have kapampangan ancestry.Guanzon ako. https://t.co/ml0gKvPGLv

— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) February 15, 2019

"I have kapampangan ancestry. Guanzon ako," Guanzon declared.

Her colleague Commissioner Luie Guia, in a tweet, asked for permission to re-post Guanzon's comment but went on anyway even without it. 

"Nice one," Guia told Guanzon.

May I retweet this @commrguanzon, I already did. Nice one https://t.co/faGwpycDLy

— Luie G. (@LTFGuia) February 15, 2019

Guanzon laughed at Guia's retweet and put in the last word in the exchange.

"Try lang ni Bato halikan ako," Guanzon said.

Hahaha Comm Luie , try lang ni Bato halikan ako ! @COMELEC @dirfrancesarabe @jabjimenez

— Rowena V. Guanzon (@commrguanzon) February 15, 2019

Dela Rosa made the remark on Tuesday at the launch of the campaign of the candidates endorsed by the Davao-based regional party Hugpong ng Pagbabago in Clark, Pampanga.

The candidate had excused himself for his inability to greet the kapampangan crown in their language and then told the story of how he had courted a kapampangan woman when he was still a cadet at the Philippine military academy.

Dela Rosa said he had been told that the fastest way to learn the language was kiss a kapampangan on the lips.

The reason, he joked, that he could not speak the language was because the woman whom he had wooed turned down his courtship. 

"Binasted ako," Dela Rosa said drawing laughter from the crowd. —NB, GMA News