Rep. Castro says INC rally a move to shield VP Sara Duterte
ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and Vice President Sara Duterte (FILE) Photos from the House of Representatives
MANILA, Philippines — The Iglesia ni Cristo’s (INC) “National Rally for Peace,” on Monday, Jan. 12, is “a clear attempt to shield Vice President Sara Duterte from accountability over corruption allegations,” according to a lawmaker.
“This rally is not about peace and unity. It’s a calculated move to protect Vice President Duterte from answering serious allegations about her misuse of confidential funds and her accountability for the deteriorating quality of education in our country,” ACT Teachers Party-list Rep. France Castro claimed in a statement on Sunday.
READ: Groups push for action on impeach raps vs Duterte as elections near
She also pointed out the timing of the rally, which came after a recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that 41 percent of Filipinos support Duterte’s impeachment.
“The Filipino people deserve answers about the unexplained use of confidential funds. As a former Education secretary, VP Duterte must also answer for the alarming decline in our students’ performance in international assessments for math, English, and science during her watch,” Castro stressed.
Article continues after this advertisement“Walang rally ang makapagbubura sa katotohanang dapat managot ang mga opisyal ng gobyerno sa kanilang mga ginawa. Ang milyong Pilipinong sumusuporta sa impeachment ay humihingi ng hustisya at pananagutan, hindi political theatrics. Walang tunay na kapayapaan kung walang hustisya,” she added.
Article continues after this advertisement(No rally can erase the fact that government officials must be held accountable for their actions. The million Filipinos who support impeachment want justice and accountability, not political theatrics. There is no real peace without justice.)
For his part, Bayan Chairperson and former Bayan Muna Rep. Teddy Casiño also said the rally seeks to protect Duterte and her father former president Rodrigo Duterte from being held accountable for his crimes against humanity.
“Let us be reminded that the impeachment complaints against VP Duterte and the investigations by Congress and the International Criminal Court on former president Duterte are proper ways to hold them accountable for their wrongdoings,” Casiño said in a separate statement.
“They are not meant to sow chaos or destabilize the nation. They are meant to protect the public from corruption, tyranny, and impunity, which are among the very reasons why there is no peace in this country,” he added.
Last December 4, Bayan led 70 representatives of progressive groups in filing the second impeachment complaint against Duterte.
Before this, the first impeachment complaint against the vice president was crafted by civil society organizations and endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña on December 2.
Meanwhile, the third complaint was filed by religious groups and a group of lawyers last December 19.
Duterte’s office is currently being investigated by the House committee on good government and public accountability due to the alleged misuse of confidential funds for the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
