Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa stood up for former President Rodrigo Duterte after people got upset over something he said about killing senators. According to Bato, Duterte was just joking and didn’t really mean it.
Bato: “You Still Don’t Know Duterte?”
Dela Rosa, who is running for re-election in 2025, laughed off the issue and said people should not take Duterte’s words seriously. He reminded everyone that the former president often jokes around.
“Sigh! You still don’t know President Duterte? Even now, you still take his words seriously? It was clearly a joke,” Bato said during an interview in Quezon City.
He also added, “If he really wanted to kill 15 senators, why would he announce it? It’s obvious he was just joking!”
What Did Duterte Say?
Duterte made the controversial statement at a big rally for his party, PDP-Laban. While endorsing his chosen candidates for the 2025 elections, he made a shocking remark:
“Let’s kill the senators now so we can replace them. If we get rid of 15 senators, we can all enter… The only way to do it is to blow them up.”
Some people thought he was being serious, while others, like Bato, insisted he was just joking.
President Marcos Responds
Current President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. didn’t mention Duterte’s name, but he reacted to the statement during a campaign rally in Davao del Norte.
He warned people about normalizing violence in politics.
“We heard someone say the other day that they want to kill 15 senators. Maybe they’ve lost hope, so they think this is the only solution. But it’s sad that some people believe killing Filipinos will solve our problems. It’s confusing why they think like that,” Marcos said.
Senators React
Many senators were shocked by Duterte’s words. Senator Risa Hontiveros and others also gave their reactions, expressing their concerns over such statements.
The debate continues—was it just a joke, or was it something people should be worried about? What do you think?
