Sen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa said he had been angered at the news of 17-year-old Kian delos Santos’ death during former President Rodrigo Duterte’s War on Drugs.
“Noong namatay si Kian, ako’y galit na galit talaga. Sino bang maniwala na bata, nagtutulak ng droga, pinatay?” dela Rosa exclaimed. “Ako may anak rin ako, kung mangyari ‘yun sa anak ko, galit na galit ako,” he said during the Monday hearing of the Senate Subcommittee on the Philippine War on Illegal Drugs.
(When Kian died, I was very, very angry. Who would believe that a child, would sell drugs, would be killed for it? I have a child too, and if that were to happen to them, I would be very. Very angry.)
Dela Rosa said he had tried his best to hold his killers accountable. He recalled they had no explanation for having pulled the trigger on delos Santos, especially after revealing he had no real involvement in drug transactions.
The officers told dela Rosa that the drug merchant they nabbed in Caloocan said a “tomboy” had been their supplier, who would leave the drugs at the store Kian would look after. They acknowledged Kian knew nothing about the drugs.
“‘Bakit niyo binaril?’ Wala, hindi nila ako masagot (‘Why did you shoot him?’ Nothing, they couldn’t answer me),” he told the Senate.
Dela Rosa said the policemen have been imprisoned but questioned why delos Santos’ uncle had attended the hearing and not his father, adding that his officers reported delos Santos’ father’s jaw was “melted” from alleged drug use.
