Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa defended his ‘sarap ng buhay’ remark on May 26, saying that he couldn’t understand why it was taken out of context.
In an interview with Radyo Pilipinas, Dela Rosa asked if there’s no right for them to be happy in the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic.
According to him, he’s just happy that their session was finished earlier.
“Kapag tayo ba ay nasa krisis ay wala na tayong karapatan pagaanin ‘yung buhay natin? Na puro pahirap nalang? Kaya lang ako nag comment ng ganoon ay dahil masaya ako dahil nga ‘yung aming session ay mabilis, at maagang natapos ang aming session kaya sinabi ko ‘ang sarap ng buhay’,” Dela Rosa said.
“Kasi ‘yung ibang session namin diyan aabot ng alas otso, alas nuebe o alas dose ng gabi eh, minsan aabutin kami ng madaling araw, pero kahapon mabilis na tinalakay ‘yung mga bills,” he added.
Dela Rosa denied that he’s comparing his life to the normal people affected by the pandemic.
“Ang layo masyado, ‘yung mga tao diyan na nag-rereact, mga bitter ‘yan gusto lang maghanap ng sama ng buhay, sarap nga ng buhay, natapos kami ng maaga, bakit kailangan nilang i taken out of context?” he stated.
He also clarified that he made the ‘sarap ng buhay’ remark after the session as personal greetings.
Dela Rosa also gave advice to the people who criticized him.
“Eto ang advice ko doon sa mga nega, sa mga taong bitter, ang buhay natin sa mundo ay napakaiksi, kahit na nasa pandemic tayo ay mag hanap tayo ng paraan para lumigaya, dahil hindi natin alam kung hanggang saan ang buhay natin,” he said.
“Hanap ka ng paraan, kung pwede nating pasayahin ang sarili natin ang ating buhay dahil sa mababaw na bagay lang, edi pasayahin natin, hindi yung magmukmuk lang tayo at masama ang loob,” he added.
The Senator insisted that he’s not insensitive, and only those people waiting for him to say something controversial are trying to push the issue.
“Yan ang gusto nilang mangyari, ang gawan ka lang ng issue, hindi naman ‘yun para sa kanila, para ‘yun sa aking mga kasama, hindi naman ‘yan kailangan ibalita, wala na ba silang ibang mabalita?” he said.
As a repercussion to what Dela Rosa said, Senate President Tito Sotto ordered the former to attend the Senate session physically starting June 1.