Antipolo Rep. Romeo Acop on Sunday condemned Sen. Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa’s allegations against members of the House of Representatives, calling the senator the “real opportunist.”
Dela Rosa had said that House members were “unprincipled” and “opportunistic” as they criticized former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs when they used to be supportive of it.
“If anyone is the real opportunist, it’s Sen. dela Rosa, who shamelessly used his ties with the former President to rise from PNP (Philippine National Police) chief to senator, leading a bloody drug war that targeted the powerless while shielding the powerful,” Acop said in a Sunday statement.
Acop also called Dela Rosa the former President’s “loyal lapdog” since the senator focused on “his own career” rather than “justice.”
“Don’t act like a K9 of the previous administration. Prioritize the country’s interests and the general welfare of the people,” Acop told dela Rosa.
“I ran and won as a congressman on my own merit, not by clinging to anyone’s coattails. My job is to uncover the truth and ensure accountability, no matter who is implicated,” he added.
Acop heads the quadruple joint committee that is investigating the possible link of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) to the illegal drug trade, extrajudicial killings involving drugs, and other crimes.
During its first joint committee hearing, former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban testified that Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, Vice President Sara Duterte’s husband Manases Carpio, and the former President’s then-economic adviser Michael Yang allegedly smuggled in P11 million worth of shabu in 2018.
Acop criticized dela Rosa for failing to expose such information in the Senate’s drug hearing.
“Sen. dela Rosa’s so-called investigations were a farce. Despite his position, he conveniently ignored the involvement of individuals close to the former President. Who was he protecting?” Acop said.
“Sen. Dela Rosa’s loyalty lies not with the truth, but with protecting his own interests and those of his political benefactors,” he added.
The Antipolo lawmaker also dared dela Rosa to name the House members he accused of being “unprincipled” and “opportunistic.”
“We are simply doing our duty. There’s no need to fear the quad-committee unless there’s something to hide. It’s becoming too obvious that Sen. Dela Rosa is scared,” Acop said.
“We are here to serve the Filipino people, not to act as pawns in anyone’s political game. Unlike Sen. Dela Rosa, our focus is on the truth, and we will not be deterred by threats or accusations,” he added.
GMA News Online had sought comment from dela Rosa and his representatives, but they had yet to respond as of posting time. — DVM, GMA Integrated News
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