Senator Ronald dela Rosa apologized on Sunday after making offensive remarks about Akbayan Party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña, a stroke survivor.
“I apologize for what I said and did, particularly in failing to see the bigger picture. I wish him good health. I make no excuses and I take full responsibility for the hurt my words have caused,” Dela Rosa said.
“The past few days have weighed heavily on Filipinos, especially on us Mindanaoans and other Cebuano-speaking people. Many were angered, and because I empathize with their anger, I ended up saying words that were inappropriate and hurtful to others,” the senator continued.
The controversy began when Dela Rosa mocked Cendaña’s facial appearance in a social media comment written in Bisaya.
“Your face looks as though it has been punched, that’s why it’s skewed. Come here so I can punch the other side of your face and make it balanced,” he wrote.
The comment appeared under a social media post featuring Cendaña’s criticism of Vice President Sara Duterte’s response to her impeachment by the House of Representatives on Feb. 5.
Cendaña, who co-filed one of the impeachment complaints against Duterte, said the matter was about public accountability, not personal issues.
Following public backlash, Dela Rosa admitted his remarks were inappropriate and expressed regret for his words.
His remarks drew strong criticism from health and medical advocates, who condemned them as insensitive and discriminatory.
A group of 31 doctors and advocates from Epilepsy Awareness Philippines released a joint statement denouncing the senator’s comment.
“Advocates have long fought for a society built on inclusivity, respect, and equal rights, yet Dela Rosa’s actions undermine this progress by reducing a health condition to a mere punchline,” the statement read.
Cendaña responded to Dela Rosa’s comment with a pointed remark about the senator’s priorities.
“A senator wants to punch me? How ‘brave’ of him. I hope he’s just as brave in standing up to China in the West Philippine Sea and in facing the ICC (International Criminal Court). Or will he just shed crocodile tears again and run away,” he said.
Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police, was a key figure in Duterte’s anti-drug campaign, which is under ICC scrutiny.
