MANILA, Philippines – PDP-Laban candidates will support President Rodrigo Duterte “all the way” in the Senate should they get elected. 

Senatorial bet and former top cop Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa gave this assurance on Saturday, May 11 during the party’s miting de avance in Pasig City.  

He said this was the agreement among all 5 PDP-Laban candidates.

“We will support the President all the way, ‘yun po napag-usapan, ‘yan adhikain dahil gusto namin mapaganda ang bansa. Hindi kagaya ng iba na kahit maganda ‘yung programa ng Malacañang, oppose lang nang oppose,” Dela Rosa told the crowd.

(That’s what we have agreed upon, that’s our desire, because we want to put the country in a better place. We’re unlike some people who just oppose for the sake of opposing even if Malacañang’s programs are laudable.)

However, he clarified they wouldn’t allow themselves to be dictated upon by President Rodrigo Duterte. 

He slammed critics and denied claims that the election of administration bets to the Senate would damage the system of checks and balance. 

“We support Malacañang all the way, pero di kami magpapadikta (but we won’t be dictated upon),” Dela Rosa said.

“Nagkakamali po sila. ‘Yan po napakahalaga, we will honor that principle hangga’t kami’y nasa serbisyo,” he said. (Critics are mistaken. That’s very important, that we will honor that principle while in public service.)

Dela Rosa, former chief of the Philippine National Police and one of Duterte’s trusted men, implemented the administration’s bloody drug war that has killed thousands of Filipinos.  

The other candidates of PDP-Laban are Senator Aquilino Pimentel III, Duterte’s close aide Bong Go, Maguindanao 2nd District Representative Zajid Mangudadatu, and former presidential adviser Francis Tolentino.  

Of the 5, only Mangudadatu is not among the top 15 candidates who, according to a recent Pulse Asia survey, have a statistical chance of winning. – Rappler.com