PNP chief Dela Rosa hopes to witness Ginebra win in PBA Finals

MANILA, Philippines – Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa, a self-confessed die-hard Barangay Ginebra fan, hopes his second live outing in the ongoing PBA Finals will have a positive ending.

Dela Rosa took time off to watch his favorite team play against the Meralco Bolts in Game 5 of the 2016 PBA Governors’ Cup Finals, with the best-of-7 series tied at two games apiece.

He hopes his presence won’t serve as “malas” or bad luck for the team he’s supported since the days of PBA legend Robert Jaworski.

“Malungkot ako dahil gusto ko manalo. Kaya Game 2 and Game 3 hindi ako nanood, baka ako dahilan. Kaya ito ngayon siguro tuloy-tuloy ito,” he said when asked about his reaction to jokes that he was bad luck for the Gin Kings in Game 1.

“Sana makabawi ngayon na nandito ako. Pag matalo ito ngayon baka takot na ako manood sa next game. Baka ako dahilan matalo Ginebra kaya sana manalo ngayon.”

(I got sad because I wanted them to win. That’s why I did not watch in Game 2 and Game 3 because I might be the reason they lose. I hope they goes all the way now. I hope Ginebra can win with me here watching. If they lose now I’ll be afraid to watch next game. They might lose because of me so I hope they win.)

The PNP chief, who was warmly welcomed by fans as he entered the Smart Araneta Coliseum Sunday, October 16, shared that like many Filipinos he grew up playing basketball as well.

Bato Dela Rosa gets some @barangayginebra merch from Alfrancis Chua #PBAFinals pic.twitter.com/MORaDwLPu6

— Jane Bracher (@janebracher) October 16, 2016

Though he did not play varsity, he enjoyed playing at his local community and took special pride in being a decent dribbler amid the uneven ground.

“‘Yung basketball court namin noon lupa lang. Magaling ako mag-dribble kasi kahit anong dribble ko, kahit lubak lubak yung lupa, mahuhuli ko pa rin yung bola (Our basketball court before was just rough ground. I could dribble really well because I could handle the ball despite the rocky ground),” Dela Rosa said, adding he started playing as early as 5 years old.

“Hilig lang talaga. ‘Yung sa barrio yung pustahan na tig-diyes sentabos (I just enjoyed playing. I played at our barrio, making bets at 10 centavos).”

Dela Rosa though played in what he described as an AFP-PNP league in Davao where then-Mayor Rodrigo Duterte offered a cash prize worth as much as half a million pesos.

He fondly declared he tallied a career-high 33 points in one “real game.”

Ginebra, as of posting, leads Meralco 73-59 at the end of the third quarter. – Rappler.com