Sen. Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has challenged the Philippine National Police’s (PNP) estimate of 60,000 attendees at former President Rodrigo Duterte’s birthday celebrations, claiming the actual number was closer to 300,000.
Dela Rosa, a close ally of Duterte, stated that based on his own assessment, supporters from across the country gathered in massive numbers, far exceeding the figures reported by authorities.
According to the senator, aerial drone footage taken in Davao City clearly showed three major thoroughfares packed with attendees, contradicting the PNP’s official count.
Recently, Dela Rosa publicly thanked Duterte’s supporters for participating in the nationwide celebrations, highlighting the former president’s continued strong influence and following.
The discrepancy between Dela Rosa’s estimate and the PNP’s official report raises questions about crowd assessment methods and possible political implications behind the numbers.
