MANILA, Philippines —Neophyte Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa said Thursday he and fellow Senator Imee Marcos became close because they were both “victims of prejudice.”

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“Naging close kami [Imee] during the campaign kasi I feel for her. Yung mga prejudice na natanggap niya parang pareho lang sa mga prejudice na natanggap ko,” Dela Rosa said of Marcos during the Kapihan sa Senado.

(We became close during the campaign because I feel for her. I went through the same prejudice she had experienced.)

Dela Rosa said one of the prejudices against Marcos was the fact that she is the daughter of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos.

“Siya, parang hindi siya tinatanggap dahil anak siya ni Marcos. Kung ano kasalanan nung ama, e dapat sa pananagutan ng anak, parang ganon,” Dela Rosa said.

The former police chief, on the other hand, said he was looked down because he came from the province, he lacked skills in speaking English, among others.

“Sa akin naman, porke isang probinsyano ka, porke hindi ka magaling mag-English, porke pulis ka lang, wala kang karapatan maging senador, bobo itong tao, hindi ‘to pwede maging senador,” Dela Rosa said.

“E sorry kayo ginawa akong number five ng taong bayan, pasensya. Kaya I feel for her. Pareho kaming victims of prejudice,” he added.

(But sorry, the people made me number five in the senatorial race. That’s why I feel for her. We’re both victims of prejudice.)

Dela Rosa and Marcos both ran under the banner of administration-backed Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP).

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Dela Rosa ranked fifth, while Marcos finished eighth at the 2019 midterm elections’ senatorial race.

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