Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa appeals to the six police officers allegedly involved in the killing of Jerhode ‘Jemboy’ Baltazar to tell the truth and not give the public more reason to doubt the integrity of the police force during the resumption of the Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs' hearing on August 30, 2023. Voltaire F. Domingo, Senate PRIB/File 

MANILA — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa dedicated his win in the senatorial race to former president Rodrigo Duterte during his proclamation speech on Saturday, May 17.

“Alam ko pong yung boto na ibinigay niyo po sa akin, yun po ay protest vote sa kinahinatnan ng ating dating pangulong Duterte. Kaya nasaan ka man ngayon, President Duterte Sir, I dedicate this victory to you,” he said.

The Commission on Elections proclaimed Dela Rosa senator-elect after he ranked third in the race, garnering 20,773,946 votes based on the National Board of Canvassers’ official tally. 

This would be Dela Rosa’s second and last senatorial term, having started his first term in 2019.

Bato on second Senate term: 'Ihinto na natin ang bangayan'

The re-electionist ran under the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban) party, backed by the former president Duterte, who is now under the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in The Hague, the Netherlands.

During his senatorial campaign, Dela Rosa promised to prioritize public order, through combating illegal drugs and criminality and reinstating death penalty for high-level drug traffickers.

Before being elected senator, Dela Rosa led Duterte’s war on drugs as the chief of the Philippine National Police from 2016 to 2018.

Human rights advocates claimed the program has killed approximately 30,000 individuals.  

Dela Rosa also lobbies for the highly debated Mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (MROTC) program as it would “instill more discipline and nationalism among the Filipino youth.”

He said he would establish a credible defense posture against foreign invaders, and strengthen the protection of the overseas Filipino workers (OFWs).

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