Dela Rosa: Nothing wrong with posing for photo with top Defense, police officials

MANILA, Philippines— Senator-elect Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa on Wednesday appealed to the public to stop putting malice in his posing for a photo with top defense and police officials at his proclamation on Wednesday.

“Sana ‘wag na natin gawa’n ng malisya ‘yun. (I hope we stop putting malice into that,) because our relationship [is] more personal in nature,” Dela Rosa said when asked why Defense Secretary Delfin Lorenzana, Police Gen. Oscar Albayalde and Maj. Gen. Guillermo Eleazar joined him in the group photo instead of his family.

Albayalde is Philippine National Police chief while Eleazar is head of the National Capital Region Police Office.

Dela Rosa furthered that he and Lorenzana went through a lot in Mindanao. He said Lorenzana was commander of the Army's Scout Rangers while he was regional head of the police Special Action Force. 

“Marami kaming dinaanang giyera kaya ganoon kami kaclose, (We went through a lot of combat together, that’s why we are close,”) Dela Rosa said.

Some of Dela Rosa’s mistah or batchmates at the Philippine Military Academy were also among his companions for the group photo.

Senator-elect Christopher "Bong" Go, former close-in aide of President Rodrigo Duterte and known for being a “selfie king,” also joined him Dela Rosa on stage.

‘My family is in Davao City’

The former PNP chief said his family was not able to join him because they are in Davao City.

“Wala kasi ang pamilya ko—Nung tinawag yung family and friends e wala ‘yung pamilya ko nasa Davao. Nandito lang yung isang anak ko na dalaga— si Liezel. Pangit naman kung kami lang nandoon,” Dela Rosa said.

(My family’s not here. When they called my family and friends, they are not here, they are in Davao. I only have one daughter here—Liezel. It doesn’t look good if we’re the only ones on stage.)

Dela Rosa cited the changing time of proclamation as the reason his family was not able to attend his first ever proclamation as senator in Manila.

“Hindi alam ni misis saka ‘yung anak ko kung kalian babyahe dito, alas diyes pala today. No time to fly na,” he added.

(My wife and children didn't know when to travel here, the proclamation is at 10 a.m. No time to fly.)

Comelec Commissioner James Jimenez also earlier said they have been notifying candidates who are leading the partial and official tally to prepare for the proclamation despite deferment.

The poll body last Monday announced that proclamation will be held on Tuesday. It, however, postponed the proclamation due to the delay in sending the certificate of canvass from the Philippine Embassy in Washington DC.