Dela Rosa: 300,000 supporters across PH gathered to celebrate Digong’s birthday

Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has refuted the Philippine National Police’s official number of people who attended the gatherings across the country for former President Rodrigo Duterte’s birthday celebration last March 29.

Contrary to the PNP’s 60,000 estimate, the Mindanaoan lawmaker said the number of attendees was at least 300,000.

“Hindi po ako naniniwala dahil dito lang sa Davao, makita mo naman ‘no, ‘yung mga aerial drone shots na ginawa doon sa Davao, tatlong main thoroughfares ng Davao ay punong-puno ng tao at ang estimate nga ng local authorities dito ay aabot sa 300,000 ang tao,” the former PNP chief-turned-senator said.

“Gano’n po kadami ang nakikita ng tao dito. Punong-puno ‘yung buong Davao City,” he stressed.

Dela Rosa, one of the Duterte allies who attended the gathering in Davao City, thanked the Filipinos across the globe who expressed their support to the former President amid his current detention in The Hague, Netherlands.

“Ako po’y nagpapasalamat sa ating mga kababayan, hindi lang dito sa PIlipinas kundi saan mang dako ng mundo na sumabay na nakipagdiwang sa birthday ng ating pinakamamahal na Pangulong Rodrigo Duterte. Maraming salamat po sa kanila,” the reelectionist senator said.

In his speech during the rally, Dela Rosa lamented the situation of the former President, noting that the Duterte only wanted the good for the country.

Being Duterte’s chief implementor of the ant-illegal drugs campaign, Dela Rosa stressed that the only intention of the president was to eliminate criminality.