House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Representative France Castro, along with former ACT Teachers Representative Antonio Tinio, strongly criticized Vice President Sara Duterte’s recent statements defending her father’s performance at the congressional quadrant committee hearing on extrajudicial killings.
“VP Sara Duterte’s attempt to paint her father as a victim is a desperate move to deflect attention from the serious allegations of human rights violations during his administration. The former president may be ‘the best dramatic actor’ as his daughter claims, but the thousands of victims of extrajudicial killings deserve justice, not theatrics ,” Castro stated.
Former Rep. Antonio Tinio for his part said “baka ‘comedic,’ hindi ‘dramatic.’ Ginawang katatawanan ni Duterte ang sarili niya sa performance niya sa Quad Com. Panay bigay-bawi ang mga testimonya at pangako. One moment he proclaimed that he wants the ICC to come and take him, the next he and his lawyers argued that it has no jurisdiction. He made himself out to be a poor pensioner who could barely afford the plane ticket to attend the hearing, yet in the same breath declared that he would donate 1 million pesos out of his own pocket for a legal defense fund for cops. He bragged that he would sign a bank waiver, only to take it back later, saying that he had to get his wife’s permission first.
“Duterte is still under the misapprehension that he can say anything he wants and get away with it, that he’s ‘only joking.’ With his admissions under oath that he ordered police to kill without due process, he will soon find out that he cannot get away with murder,” he added
“As it is, there is a need for thorough verification of the Dutertes’ statements. Their track record of misleading the public speaks for itself. We cannot simply take their word at face value when official records show over 6,200 deaths during the drug war, with human rights groups estimating up to 30,000 casualties,” Tinio said.
“Ang mga pahayag ng mga Duterte ay dapat suriin nang mabuti. Hindi pwedeng basta tanggapin ang mga salita nila dahil malinaw na sila ay handang magsabi ng kahit ano para maprotektahan ang kanilang interes,” Castro added.
“The Filipino people deserve the truth, not another performance. We call on our fellow legislators and the justice system to thoroughly investigate these matters and hold accountable those responsible for the thousands of lives lost during the bloody drug war,” Castro concluded. #
