Former Philippine National Police chief now Sen. Panfilo “Ping” M. Lacson yesterday urged PNP chief Director General Ronald “Bato” M. dela Rosa to maintain his humility amid calls for him to resign.
Lacson said that while he would not support calls for his resignation, Dela Rosa, whom he has known as “an unassuming and very humble man,” should refrain from banking on his growing popularity and fame and just focus on his role as head of the PNP and cleanse the ranks of rouge policemen.
The senator called on Dela Rosa to stop attending other activities that are outside of his mandate as the PNP chief and buckle down to real work.
“I was really surprised at the huge change in his character. If he goes back to what he used to be, I truly believe he can still recover, he can still bounce back,” Lacson said in an interview over radio DZBB.
“I want to give him a chance simply because, as I said, I know him quite well. More than House Speaker (Pantaleon) Alvarez, maybe they don’t know the basic personality of Chief Bato. The problem is that when a person suddenly gets a taste of fame and popularity, he sometimes gets overwhelmed and forgets the basic values,” he said.
“So please enough of concerts, enough of boxing bouts, and talk shows,” Lacson appealed.
Dela Rosa was urged to resign after he revealed that a South Korean businessman was kidnapped and taken and killed inside Camp Crame, Quezon City.
Several policemen are being now investigated for their alleged involvement in the Je Ick Joo kidnap-slay.
The calls mounted after reports surfaced that Dela Rosa was spotted in a Bryan Adams at the Smart Araneta Coliseum in Cubao, Quezon City last week. Dela Rosa had also been questioned when he was in the United States to watch Sen. Manny Pacquiao’s match against Jessie Vargas last October. (Hannah L. Torregoza)