MANILA, Philippines — Sen. Ronald dela Rosa is seeking a fresh term in the Senate with the same anti-crime and anti-drug rhetoric that has formed the core of his legislative priorities since his 2019 senatorial run.
Dela Rosa, flanked by Sen. Bong Go and actor Philip Salvador — his fellow PDP senatorial bets — filed his certificate of candidacy at the Commission on Elections on Thursday, October 3
The incumbent senator had two minutes to discuss his platform but spoke for only one, zeroing in on his plans to continue campaigning for the restoration of the death penalty and push for the return of the mandatory Reserve Officers' Training Corps (ROTC).
Dela Rosa said while he has been pushing for the return of capital punishment for "high-level drug users," there is no progress with the measure. "Medyo hirap ako d'yan (I'm having difficulties there)," he admitted.
The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief — the first under former President Rodrigo Duterte — believes next year's elections will serve as the consensus on whether people still believe he is a "decent person" amid the International Criminal Court's pending investigation into the Duterte administration's so-called war on drugs.
"We know what's behind all these investigations. They are all part of a crime demolition job against us, the Duterte and the allies of Duterte. The people will decide if that's true," he said in mixed Filipino and English.
If the public believes he is guilty, "then by all means, don't vote for me," the senator said.
"If you still believe that Bato is decent and willing to give up his life... to fight for the future of the Philippines, then vote for me. will risk my career and personal life for that," he added.
Prior to being elected as senator in 2019, Dela Rosa served as Duterte's PNP chief from 2016 to 2018, where he carried out the controversial Oplan Tokhang campaign. Under this operation, police used a knock (tok) and plead (hangyo) approach to bring down small-time drug suspects. The death toll after just a year of the anti-drug campaign was estimated to be over 5,000, based on rights groups' count.
Dela Rosa went on to become chief of the Bureau of Corrections before running for the Senate in 2019. At the time, his main campaign message was the restoration of the death penalty. He ended up winning fifth place overall, garnering 19 million votes.
During his term as senator, Dela Rosa focused on bills that focused on curbing the abuse and trafficking of illegal drugs and upgrading law enforcement agencies.
His Senate profile lists his "[active participation] to ensure the enactment" of Republic Act No. 11479 or the Anti-Terrorism Act of 2020 as one of his legislative accomplishments in his first two years in the upper chamber, among other measures.