MANILA — Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa marked the start of his second term in the Senate by reintroducing a series of controversial bills aimed at strengthening national security and intensifying the government’s anti-drug efforts — including the revival of the death penalty for large-scale drug traffickers and mandatory Reserve Officers’ Training Corps (ROTC) for students.
Dela Rosa, a former chief of the Philippine National Police (PNP), said his proposed death penalty bill targets high-level drug traffickers, calling the illegal drug trade “the fuel that ignites heinous crimes.”
“This is no longer just a campaign promise. It’s our way of honoring the victims of drug-related crimes and taking a firm stance against the threat that continues to destroy Filipino lives and communities,” he said.
As part of his anti-narcotics platform, Dela Rosa also refiled a measure institutionalizing Anti-Drug Abuse Councils (ADACs) in all local government units, underscoring the importance of a coordinated, whole-of-nation approach to curbing drug use and trafficking.
In the area of youth development and national defense, the senator renewed his push for mandatory ROTC for senior high school students — a proposal that previously reached the Senate debate stage.
He argued the program instills discipline, patriotism, and preparedness among the youth.
Dela Rosa likewise revived his bill to institutionalize the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC), envisioning it as a permanent body to guide peacebuilding efforts and implement a unified peace framework.
The senator also submitted amendments to the Party-List System Act, aiming to bar groups allegedly linked to terrorist or communist fronts from participating in the legislative process through the party-list system.
Additional measures in his legislative agenda include the Jail Integration Act, which proposes the full transfer of local jail management to the Bureau of Jail Management and Penology (BJMP), and a bill reclassifying personnel ranks in both the BJMP and Bureau of Fire Protection (BFP) to address pay and authority disparities.
“It is my hope that these measures will be prioritized. They reflect the urgent needs of our society and our national interest,” Dela Rosa said.
The senator’s renewed legislative push signals his intent to continue championing hardline policies on law enforcement, national security, and institutional reform.