Acop condemns Dela Rosa as opportunist, loyalist

Antipolo City 2nd District Representative Romeo Acop on Sunday condemned Senator Ronald 'Bato' Dela Rosa's allegations against members of the House of Representatives, calling the senator a 'real opportunist' and a 'loyal lapdog' of former President Rodrigo Duterte.

Acop accused Dela Rosa of using his ties with Duterte to rise in political ranks, leading a controversial drug war that targeted vulnerable individuals while protecting influential figures.

The representative urged Dela Rosa to prioritize national interests and public welfare rather than aligning with past administrations and criticized him for failing to expose information during Senate hearings.

Acop heads the quadruple joint committee investigating links between Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators, illegal drugs, and extrajudicial killings during Duterte's tenure and challenged Dela Rosa to name specific House members he accused of being 'unprincipled' and 'opportunistic'.

During a hearing, former Customs intelligence officer Jimmy Guban testified that Davao Rep. Paolo Duterte, Sara Duterte's husband Manases Carpio, and the former President's economic adviser Michael Yang allegedly smuggled in P11 million worth of shabu in 2018.

Acop criticized Dela Rosa for conveniently ignoring such information during Senate hearings and questioned whether he was protecting individuals close to Duterte.