Senator Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa (Facebook)




Fairness dictates that the Senate Public Order and Dangerous Drugs committee hears both sides to the March 4 assassination of Negros Oriental Governor Roel Degamo, Senator Ronald ‘’Bato’’ dela Rosa said on Saturday, April 15. Incidentally, the committee has not withdrawn its invitation to Negros Oriental 3rd district Rep. Arnolfo Teves Jr. to appear before the Senate panel via Zoom. Pamplona Mayor Janice Degamo, widow of the slain governor, is disappointed and dismayed that Teves, a fugitive, would be allowed to attend the hearing virtually while she and others would be attending personally. Dela Rosa said Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Jesus Crispin Remulla assured him that he would attend the scheduled committee hearing on Monday,  April 17. Degamo wrote Dela Rosa, committee chairman, that she and ‘’previous victims of killings, land grabbing, harassment and more will be physically attending the hearing, sacrificing our time, effort, money and security just to ensure that our voices are heard and our concerns are addressed". In a DWIZ radio interview Saturday, Dela Rosa said he and committee members would discuss this and come up with a decision before they start the hearing on Monday morning. If need be, the committee would study the rules of the Senate, he added. "We will be judicious in our decision,’’ he stressed. Dela Rosa pointed out that during the height of the Covid-19 pandemic, committee hearings were hybrid, meaning senators and resource persons can attend physically or appear online. Now, senators are not allowed by the Senate leadership to attend hearings via Zoom, he said. He said committee members would also like to grill Teves even if it is online instead of the congressman continue to hide abroad. From the United States (US) where he had medical problems attended to, Teves was last reported to be staying in Cambodia. ‘’We want to hear both sides,’’ Dela Rosa said. Degamo said the Senate decision to allow Teves to appear virtually ‘’has greatly affected the victims who strongly disagree with such accommodation". ’’We believe that participants in the hearing should be  treated equally and given the same opportunity to attend personally, regardless of their position or status,’’ the letter stated. The letter further stated that teleconferencing undermines the value of the importance of their presence in the hearing and is unfair to those who will be attending personally and Teves is a fugitive. It then appealed to the committee members to reconsider their decision granting Teves the option to attend via Zoom. Del Rosa said other resource persons or victims of unsolved cases in Negros Oriental would be given security when they come to the Senate on Monday. He estimated that the number of these victims would be ‘’marami’’ (many in number). ‘’Wala akong idea pero kung magbacktracking tayo ilang cases yung unsolved killings sa Negros ay medyo marami rami rin yun (backtracking, there are many unsolved cases in Negros),’’ he said. ‘’So we expect na maraming magdating dahil tumapang na raw sila at magbigay na personal account on this cases (We expect many will come because they have become braver and will give their personal accounts on these cases),’’ he added. The former Philippine National Police (PNP) chief believed that there testimonies to be given under oath could be used by the prosecution and could also help him craft the necessary legislation.