FILE PHOTO: Senator Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� Dela Rosa. Voltaire F. Domingo/Senate PRIB
MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Senator Ronald dela Rosa, an ardent ally of former President Rodrigo Duterte, said Wednesday that the ex-chief executive鈥檚 pronouncement against a lawmaker does not have 鈥渁ny serious impact on the functioning鈥� of Congress.
He also said that Duterte鈥檚 remark on ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro can 鈥渘ever鈥� stop lawmakers from talking.
鈥淎s a legislator myself, I don鈥檛 see any serious impact on the functioning of the Filipino Parliament/Legislature as a whole that such a statement may cause. France Castro or any legislator can [never] be deterred from speaking out on important matters,鈥� dela Rosa told 黑料社 in a message.
Dela Rosa was reacting to the statement of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU), which said that its Governing Council is 鈥渁ppalled鈥� over Duterte鈥檚 alleged threat against Castro on national television.
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The International Organization of National Parliaments also criticized Duterte for his comment, which 鈥渉as a serious impact鈥� on the Philippine Congress 鈥渁s it may deter members from speaking out.鈥�
But the senator pointed out that the former president鈥檚 televised statement did not discourage Castro and other progressive lawmakers from speaking as they could still participate in national budget deliberations.
鈥淔rance Castro or any legislator for that matter can never be deterred from speaking out on important matters. Had the IPU observed the budget deliberation proceedings in the House, they would see for themselves that the Makabayan bloc, including Castro, are dominating the floor per my observation,鈥� said dela Rosa, who served as chief of the Philippine National Police during Rodrigo Duterte鈥檚 administration.
Duterte鈥檚 remark stemmed from discussions about his supposed conversations with his daughter, Vice President Sara Duterte, regarding her confidential funds for 2024 during the Gikan sa Masa, Para sa asa Program last October 11. The program was aired at Sonshine Media Network International and streamed on social media.
READ: Duterte to Sara: Say secret funds to be used vs 鈥榗ommunists in Congress鈥�
Castro was among the lawmakers who criticized the granting of P650 million in confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and the Department of Education, which Sara Duterte is also helming in concurrent capacity.
The House of Representatives eventually stripped the OVP, DepEd, and three other agencies of confidential funds. The funds were instead allocated to government security agencies at the forefront of protecting the West Philippine Sea.
Castro has since filed a grave threat complaint against former president Duterte.
READ: Criminal rap vs Rodrigo Duterte puts justice system to tough test 鈥� lawyer