Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña on Sunday accepted the apology of Senator Ronald ‘Bato’ dela Rosa for tirades on his physical appearance as a person with disability.
“I welcome Senator Bato’s apology. I hope he can also do the same to all stroke survivors who were hurt by his remarks,” he said in a statement.
“We are not being onion-skinned but it is a different thing when a public servant of such a high position uses his voice to threaten people with violence and discriminate against people with health concerns,” the lawmaker added.
Dela Rosa earlier said he was sorry for his insensitive and inappropriate remarks against Cendaña. The senator mocked and threatened the party-list solon after the latter criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s seeming nonchalance over her looming impeachment trial.
“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,” Dela Rosa told Cendaña via social media, which resulted in a public backlash against the senator.
“May this serve as an important lesson that a true leader is not only powerful but has the concern to keep our political discourse rational and humane. And the call for accountability is nothing personal but [the] responsibility of every [person],” Cendaña reminded Dela Rosa.
Cendaña said the real fight is the evidence of abuses and corruption of Vice President Duterte.