He accommodated everyone despite his tight schedule. When we re-entered the restaurant, dela Rosa was greeted by requests for more selfies: with a group of children who are part of a football team, with an elderly woman who wished him well, with the kitchen staff who peeked out from their stations. The general accommodated the security guards and passersby who came over to shake his hand, take his photo, or pose for a selfie with him.
#GEN. BATO DELA ROSA DRIVERS#
The shoot took a bit longer than expected because buses pulled over so its passengers could wave at him, truck drivers honked their horns, and motorcycle riders shouted out his name. The “Chief,” as his aides refer to him, did not have any qualms about crossing a busy intersection or standing in the sun. While we photographed him outside the restaurant, Bato, like a good soldier, obeyed the instructions given by the photographer. His familiarity with poverty may play a large part in what draws people to him. To get to school, he walked eight kilometers from home every day. As a young kid, he did his classmates' homework in exchange for food. The son of a tricycle driver, dela Rosa grew up poor. Before he became the country's chief of police, dela Rosa was chief of Davao City's police force, where he first implemented Oplan Tokhang, a campaign against illegal drugs.
To many Filipinos, Bato dela Rosa is known as the former chief of the Philippine National Police, possibly the most familiar since Senator Ping Lacson, with enough name recognition to take a shot at a Senate seat.
There was something authoritative in his mere presence. There was a palpable change in the place’s atmosphere from when we had arrived two hours earlier. When the general arrived at our interview venue in San Juan-on the campaign trail between Cavite in the morning and Zambales in the afternoon-everybody in the restaurant stood up. He says his knack for unfiltered commentary often gets him into trouble, and we tempt his candor once again, with this interview. Days later, another headline quoted the former chief of police saying people attend political sorties to be entertained and not to listen to issues. Senatorial candidate Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa made headlines last month when he said he has no more time for debates.
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