Dela Rosa loses cool over ‘neutralize’ term in Oplan Tokhang memo

MANILA, Philippines — Former top cop turned lawmaker Sen. Ronald dela Rosa erupted in frustration on Wednesday when he was asked whether the term “neutralize” in an Oplan Tokhang memorandum he signed in 2016 meant “to kill.”

The document in question was Command Memorandum Circular No. 16-2016 issued on July 1, 2016.

It was part of the Philippine Anti-Illegal Drugs Campaign Plan project dubbed “Project Double Barrel,” otherwise known as Oplan Tokhang.

Dela Rosa, in a televised interview, maintained that the term “neutralize” used in the memo pertains to “convincing” suspected drug users to “surrender in order for them not to commit further crimes.”

“Kung ang purpose nyan is to kill, bakit hindi na lang ilagay sa memorandum circular to kill everyone? Kill, kill, kill. Bakit neutralize pa ang ilalagay natin?” said the senator over ANC’s Headstart.

(If the purpose of that is to kill, why not just put in the memorandum circular to kill everyone? Kill, kill, kill. Why are we going to put the word neutralize?)

At this point, the senator lost his cool, explaining that he was not stupid to come up with a document that would incriminate himself.

“E kung gusto ko palang patayin, bakit pa ako gagawa ng memorandum circular na mag i-incriminate sa aking sarili? Ganoon ba ako ka-gago, do you think ganon ako katanga? Na gagawa ako ng memorandum circular na self-incriminating? E bakit?” said Dela Rosa.

(And if I really want to kill, why would I make a memorandum circular to incriminate myself? Am I that stupid, do you think I’m that stupid? That I would make a self-incriminating memorandum circular? And why?)

“Pwede ko naman i-text ‘yung mga tao na ‘Patayin niyo!’ o bulungan ko na ‘Patayin niyo!’ para walang ebidensya; bakit gagawa pa ako ng dokumento na magiging ebidensya laban sa akin? Ganoon ba katanga ang chief PNP?” he emphasized.

(I can text people ‘Kill them!’ or whisper ‘Kill them!’ so there is no evidence; why would I create a document that could be used as evidence against me? Is the PNP chief that stupid?)

As former President Rodrigo Duterte’s top cop, dela Rosa was also the chief implementer of the brutal campaign against illegal drugs, which landed him on the roster of Duterte administration officials accused of crimes against humanity by the families of drug war victims before the International Criminal Court.

READ: Bato dela Rosa urged to explain role in Duterte ‘drug war’ before ICC

The Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency listed 6,252 dead in anti-drug police operations from July 1, 2016, to May 31, 2022.

This, however, is less than the over 20,000 deaths indicated in a 2017 year-end report attributed to the Office of the President in the first 17 months of the Duterte administration.