Bato called out for insulting stroke survivor Cendaña; lawmaker apologizes

Senator Ronald "Bato" Dela Rosa has been drawing flak on social media for his offensive physical remarks against Akbayan Party-list Representative Perci Cendaña, who is a stroke survivor.

The senator was being criticized for saying he would punch Cendaña, the first endorser of an impeachment complaint against Vice President Sara Duterte, to make his face look even.

Cendaña, on the other hand, explained that his face is asymmetrical because he is a stroke survivor.

“‘TABINGI ANG MUKHA’ ko dahil ang ‘BAKLANG NGIWI’ na ito ay stroke survivor. Yakap na mahigpit sa mga kapwa ko stroke survivor,” the solon said in a Facebook post.

(My face is uneven because I am a stroke survivor. Tight hugs to my fellow stroke survivors.)

He also hit back at Dela Rosa, urging him to be as brave in fighting the aggressive actions of China in the West Philippine Sea, and in facing the International Criminal Court (ICC), which has been investigating the Duterte administration's war on drugs.

Dela Rosa, who served as the Philippine National Police (PNP) chief when the controversial drug war was launched, had said that he will seek relief from the Supreme Court should the ICC pursue its investigation in the Philippines.

On Sunday, Dela Rosa apologized for his “offensive comments” to Cendaña, saying he will take responsibility for his actions.

“The past few days have weighed heavily on Filipinos, especially sa aming mga Mindanaoans at ibang Cebuano speaking people. Maraming nagalit, at dahil sa nag-empathize ako sa galit nila, nakapagbitiw ako ng mga salitang hindi maganda at nakapanakit ng damdamin ng iba,” the senator said.

(The past few days have weighed heavily on Filipinos, especially among us Mindanaoans and other Cebuano-speaking people. Many people got angry, and because I wanted to empathize with their anger, I was able to say words that were hurtful to the feelings of others.)

“I apologize for what I said and did, particularly in failing to see the bigger picture. My apologies to Congressman Perci Cendana for my offensive comments on his person. I wish him good health. I make no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt my words have caused,” he added.

Apology welcomed

On Sunday, Cendaña welcomed dela Rosa’s apology and expressed hope that he would extend the same to all stroke survivors affected by his remarks.

“Hindi tayo balat sibuyas, pero ibang usapan when a public servant of such high position uses his voice to threaten people with violence and discriminate against people with health concerns,” the congressman said.

(We are not overly sensitive, but it’s a different matter when a public servant of such a high position uses his voice to threaten people with violence and discriminate against people with health concerns.)

“Nawa’y magsilbi itong mahalagang aral, na ang tunay na lider ay hindi lamang may kapangyarihan kundi may malasakit, to keep our political discourse rationale and humane, at ang panawagan ng pananagutan ay hindi personal na atake kanino man kundi responsibilidad ng lahat ng mamamayan.”

(May this serve as an important lesson—that true leadership is not just about power but also compassion. Leaders must uphold rational and humane political discourse, and accountability should not be seen as a personal attack but as a shared responsibility of all citizens.)

To recall, Cendaña endorsed the first impeachment complaint filed by civil society organizations, religious leaders, sectoral representatives, and families of victims of extrajudicial killings against Duterte on December 2, 2024.

The complaint stemmed from Duterte’s alleged culpable violations of the Constitution, graft and corruption, bribery, betrayal of public trust, and other high crimes.

The House of Representatives impeached Duterte on Wednesday, with 215 representatives endorsing the fourth impeachment complaint against her. Another 25 House members signed the impeachment complaints against Duterte, House Secretary General Reginald Velasco confirmed Friday.

The complaint was transmitted to the Senate, but the upper House adjourned without tackling the impeachment case. This means the proceedings will only start in June, after the May 12 elections. —KG, GMA Integrated News