Philippine National Police chief Ronald "Bato" dela Rosa, has become a celebrity, just weeks after he was tasked to carry out President Rodrigo Duterte's tough order to stop crime and illegal drugs.
At the House of Representatives on Monday, Dela Rosa caused human traffic, after being swamped with selfie requests from attendees of Duterte's first State of the Nation Address (SONA).
Clad in a white police uniform, Bato allowed fans to take photos with him, sometimes even greeting people with a handshake, reported Jon Ibanez of radio dzMM.
Earlier on Monday, Dela Rosa's photo with leftist leader, Bagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) Secretary-General Renato Reyes also made waves online.
His rising celebrity status comes after Dela Rosa made several television appearances, not only in news programs but in variety shows as well. He was recently on ABS-CBN's "It's Showtime, where he played 'Trabahula.'
The top cop is also now a celebrity favorite, leaving television stars Coco Martin and Luis Manzano starstruck.
But with the newfound stardom, "Bato" carries with him a Herculean task of eradicating the illegal drug trade in the country.
Since May 10, over 500 people have been killed, around 300 of whom supposedly shot it out with cops during legitimate operations. Dozens others were victims of summary executions while around 154 were killed by unidentified assailants.
-- With reports from ABS-CBN Research and Investigative team
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