MANILA, Philippines 鈥� Two lawmakers from the House of Representative鈥檚 Makabayan bloc have called out Senator Ronald 鈥淏ato鈥� dela Rosa for allegedly using the chamber鈥檚 resources to divert the public from the scrutiny of the drug war, saying that the discussions seemed to be full of 鈥渃hismis鈥� or gossip.
In a press briefing on Friday, ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro said that the arguments raised by the Senator and the discussions in the Senate committee on public order and dangerous drugs, which dela Rosa chairs, were just a rehash of questionable claims.
Dela Rosa last Wednesday said he will expose Makabayan bloc member and Kabataan party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel, saying that he will do everything in his power to pin him down due to the latter鈥檚 alleged involvement with the Communist Party of the Philippines 鈥� New People鈥檚 Army (CPP-NPA).
READ: Dela Rosa vows to expose Kabataan solon鈥檚 links with CPP-NPA
鈥淚t seems only gossip talks dominated the hearing conducted by Senator Bato dela Rosa at his committee last November 29 鈥� so they presented several former rebels and they focused their efforts to tarnish, vilify, and red-tag Rep. Raoul Manuel,鈥� Castro said.
鈥淭hese are a rehash of the rumors which do not hold water, especially in courts.聽 That鈥檚 why we really condemn these actions from Bato, he should instead focus on the cases that would be filed against him and former President (Rodrigo Duterte) at the International Criminal Court, because of the thousands killed in the bloody war on drugs,鈥� she added.
Meanwhile, Gabriela party-list Rep. Arlene Brosas said that dela Rosa should not use the resources of the Senate just to shift public attention from the recent scrutiny of the drug war.
At the House, the committee on justice and the committee on human rights have adopted three resolutions calling on the government to cooperate with the International Criminal Court (ICC) prosecutor probing Duterte鈥檚 drug war.
READ: Romualdez: Resolutions calling for ICC cooperation 鈥榮ense of the House鈥�
Duterte and dela Rosa, who was the former president鈥檚 first Philippine National Police (PNP) chief, were among the respondents mentioned in the complaints filed by drug war victims鈥� relatives.
鈥淚t is not acceptable that Bato uses the resources of the Senate just to have a committee hearing meant to divert the public鈥檚 attention from the war on drugs issue that he is involved in.聽 Remember, he timed this while the House is hearing the resolution about cooperating with the ICC.聽 So it is really connected,鈥� Brosas said.
鈥淒espite the length of the hearing, not a single truth was mentioned, only lies against activists were propagated, including trumped-up cases filed by NTF-Elcac [National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict] against groups and individuals.聽 But you know the trend: all of these are junked quickly due to lack of evidence,鈥� she added.
Brosas said these hearings would not deter them from asking the government to cooperate with the ICC probe.
鈥淲e would also like to remind Bato that his attempts to derail our efforts to push for the ICC鈥檚 investigation 鈥� because he is involved in these, into ex-President Duterte鈥檚 war on drugs 鈥� it won鈥檛 deter us,鈥� she noted.
According to dela Rosa, Manuel was so happy when 鈥渢hey were made to believe that the ICC would be allowed to enter the Philippines.鈥�
鈥淗e was really happy that the ICC would investigate me.聽 Let鈥檚 see now, I will investigate you. I will do all my parliamentary powers to pin you down. You are actually a member of the CPP, which is the party of the NPA that is trying to destroy this government,鈥� said dela Rosa, partly in Filipino.
Aside from these, dela Rosa also fumed about the CPP-NPA鈥檚 continuous brainwashing of students to be rebel fighters, citing a Department of Education (DepEd) official鈥檚 claims that schools 鈥渕ay become targets of propaganda鈥� as young people become vulnerable to recruitment.
Dela Rosa was referring to Education Undersecretary Revsee Escobedo鈥檚 information showing 鈥渧iolent incidents, including armed conflicts,鈥� which affected more than 10,000 schools in parts of the country where the insurgency was thriving.
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