House solons decry Sen. Bato’s reliance on dubious source

House leaders have expressed disappointment in Senator Ronald dela Rosa for trusting a dubious source that allegedly implicates, through leaked documents from the PDEA, President Ferdinand R. Marcos Jr. in illegal drug activities.

Deputy Majority Leaders Faustino Dy (Isabela, 6th District) and Jude Acidre (Tingog Party-list) further lamented Dela Rosa’s insistence that the purported leaked PDEA documents were authentic simply because they bore markings, including punch holes.

“For me it is very easy to distinguish who is telling the truth and who is telling a lie,” Dy said at a news conference.

For his part, Acidre said: “Perhaps the Filipino people know who to believe. I just don’t know why our fellow senator, that’s what he wants to believe.”

Dela Rosa, chairman of the Senate Committee on Public Order and Dangerous Drugs, placed his trust in former PDEA intelligence officer Jonathan Morales, who claimed to have prepared and signed the documents purportedly revealing the agency’s anti-illegal drug operations targeting then-senator Bongbong Marcos and actress Maricel Soriano in 2012.

This assertion comes despite PDEA Director General Moro Virgilio Lazo testifying before Dela Rosa’s committee that the documents, including a purported pre-operation report and authority to operate, do not exist.

Lazo went as far as categorically stating that Morales’ allegations were “fabricated” and “have no basis.” He added that the Senate panel should not rely on testimony from an individual who had previously committed perjury by concealing his dismissal from the Philippine National Police (PNP) during his application to PDEA.

As Dy pointed out, “As far as I’m concerned, it’s also surprising if you look at the two sides, one is the former PDEA agent saying that this document is true, and this is the same PDEA, the same agency that is saying that there is no truth. That document is fake, that document does not exist.”

Dy questioned dela Rosa’s refusal to accept the stance of PDEA, underscoring the potential implications for the agency’s integrity. He also warned against blindly accepting information found online, emphasizing how easy it is to fabricate documents in today’s digital age.

Acidre underscored the importance of objective evidence over individual claims, particularly in light of the PDEA’s confirmation of electronic records.

“It’s one man’s word against the system,” Acidre said, citing PDEA’s confirmation of electronic records, including plans, operations, and serialized numbers within their IMS system, as objective evidence contradicting Morales’ testimony.

Acidre expressed confusion over why Dela Rosa, a former PNP chief, chose to believe the testimony of a dismissed police officer.

Acidre also expressed dismay over the current state of politics, stressing the need to differentiate between those truly committed to the nation’s advancement and those driven by personal gain.

He called on fellow Filipinos to be vigilant and discerning, urging them to identify those who genuinely work for the nation’s welfare amid the noise of political discourse.

Meanwhile, Sen. Ronald Dela Rosa on Friday considered the “PDEA leaks,” which link President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. to illegal drug use, a serious concern, and warned how it might compromise the country’s national security.

He emphasized that these documents were “very sensitive”.

“Classified documents should not be leaked because it will jeopardize our national security, and it will even put at stake our national interest with the unauthorized disclosure of classified documents,” said the former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief.

“So, we are looking for a solution to avert the leakage,” said Dela Rosa as he dismissed speculations that the Committee on Public Order and Illegal Drugs, which he chairs, was conducting an investigation on the leaks in order to persecute people.

In refuting criticisms lodged against his committee, Dela Rosa insisted that his objective is to “get the truth” on how the confidential PDEA documents were revealed to the public and find ways to address it through laws.

“I am trying to hold this hearing as objective as possible, as fair as I can hold it. I listened to both sides, everything, but I’m sorry if I failed to satisfy other people.”

The former PNP chief also said, “The objective of my hearing is not to make them happy. My objective here is to get the truth—whether they will be happy or not, I don’t care. If some people might be persecuted in the course of our investigation, so be it. I will not stop the truth.”

He said his end game is to formulate legislation that will fill the gap why there was a leakage.

The Mindanaoan senator assured the Filipino people that he will not be intimated, coerced or influenced in the conduct of the investigation. He will also be fair during his committee hearings, he added.

The next hearing will be on May 7.

He reiterated that the goal of the investigation into the unauthorized disclosure of confidential PDEA documents in aid of legislation, and not persecution.

For his part, Sen. Francis Tolentino in a Zoom interview said Dela Rosa should invite the National Intelligence Coordinating Agency (NICA) following their statement that “foreigners” were behind the PDEA leaks.

“Their statement is subject to proof. It’s up to the comm to unravel,” as he admitted he has no idea about the supposed destablization plot using the leaks.

“What we want is stability in the government. We have many problems like the El Nino. Let the committee proceed with the investigation,” Tolentino said.

When asked if he believes in the leaks, Tolentino responded, “I am always for evidence- based. As a lawyer, I look at the evidence.”

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