MANILA, Philippines – Forget about it and move on.

This was the advice of Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to thousands of Sept. 21 protesters, who assembled in various parts of Metro Manila and proceeded to Luneta to oppose the country’s return to dictatorial rule amid the alleged tyrannical acts of President Rodrigo Duterte.

“Alam natin ‘yan. Bakit in the recent years may ganito ba kalawak na protesta? Nakalimutan na angmartial law. Bakit binubuhay pa? Aba, move on naman tayo,” Dela Rosa said on Thursday.

[We know it (martial law). Were there protests in recent years that were as massive as this? Martial law had already been forgotten. Why do we have to resurrect it? Let’s move on.]

The PNP chief said he, too, was a victim of the Marcos regime’s martial rule but he was able to move on and promised himself that he would not hurt people.

“Ako biktima ng martial law. Maliit pa ako, nahuli kami sa curfew hour. Galing kami ng Digos…pag-uwi namin, naglakad kami, sinundan kami ng six-by-six truck, battalion ng PC. Sumakay kami sa six-by-six. Di kami hinatid sa Barangay Bato…nilagyan kami ng machine gun sa mukha. Iyak ako nang iyak,” Dela Rosa said.

[I was a victim of martial law. I was still small when we were apprehended during curfew hour. We came from Digos, we we’re walking home when a six-by-six truck from a Philippine Constabulary battalion followed us. We were not brought to Barangay Bato, a machine gun was pointed to our faces. I cried hard.]

“Ang naging epekto sa akin, pag ako maging sundalo gagawin ko tama, ‘di ko sasaktan ang mamamayan [The effect on me was that I promised myself that when I become a soldier I would not hurt people],” he added.

Also, Dela Rosa said there was no truth to claims that Duterte was planning to impose martial law throughout the country, adding that the present administration is unlike the Marcos regime because there is no iron-fisted rule now as the three branches of the government are effectively working.

“Sus, wala sa isip ni Presidente ‘yong gano’n. Merong martial law sa Mindanao. Ang martial law ni Marcos, walang judiciary [That’s not in the mind of the President. There is martial law in Mindanao. Marcos’ martial law did not have a judiciary.]