📷Teacher France Castro | Koalisyong Makabayan FB
House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Party-list Representative France Castro denounced the ethics complaint filed against her, calling it another baseless harassment suit akin to the trumped-up charges filed against the Talaingod 13. Castro, along with former Bayan Muna Representative Satur Ocampo and other advocates, is part of the group still facing a trumped-up charge stemming from a humanitarian mission to assist Lumad communities in Mindanao in 2018 which is still on appeal.
“We know the people behind these harassment suits. They are the same individuals being exposed as gross human rights violators and plunderers of the people’s money. Ginagawa nila ito para maghiganti at pagtakpan ang kanilang ginawang kasamaan laban sa mamamayan. Masyado kasing nalantad ang ginawang pagpatay sa ilalim ng pekeng drug war ni Duterte sa Quad com, at ang paglustay ng confidential funds ni VP Duterte at ngayon ay may impeachment na siyang kinakaharap at may International Criminal Court (ICC) naman ang matandang Duterte. Kaya ngayon ay kinakalampag nila ang mga kapwa red tagger nila sa NTF-ELCAC para harasin ang mga tulad namin na naglantad sa kanilang kalokohan,” Castro declared.
The Talaingod 13 have been falsely accused of criminal activities while conducting a solidarity mission to rescue Lumad students and teachers amid intensified militarization and forced school closures in their communities. Castro reiterated that the case is politically motivated, part of a broader campaign to silence critics of state-sponsored violence and rights violations.
“For the record, the case against me, Ka Satur Ocampo, and our Lumad co-accused is still under appeal. There is no final verdict yet,” Castro emphasized. “These fabricated charges are meant to intimidate and harass those who stand in solidarity with oppressed communities. But we are undeterred. We will continue to fight for justice and accountability.”
Former ACT Teachers party-list representative and now its first nominee Antonio Tinio pointed out that the Duterte administration’s use of the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) and the continuation of repressive policies under the Marcos Jr. government have worsened the plight of indigenous communities. The closure of Lumad schools, the displacement of families, and the harassment of indigenous leaders are glaring violations of human rights.
“Ang dapat kasuhan at ibilanggo ay ang mga lumalapastangan sa karapatan ng mga Lumad, hindi ang mga nagtuturo, nagtatanggol, at naglilingkod sa kanila. Patuloy naming ipaglalaban ang karapatan ng mga katutubo at ang hustisya para sa Talaingod 13,” Tinio said.
Bayan Muna President Satur Ocampo echoed Castro’s sentiments, stating, “These harassment suits are desperate attempts to divert attention from the atrocities committed by the government against indigenous peoples. The Talaingod 13 are educators and advocates, not criminals. They have been targeted because they challenge the state’s complicity in land grabbing and environmental destruction.”
The Talaingod 13 case is emblematic of the state’s broader campaign to suppress dissent and dismantle grassroots resistance. Castro and Ocampo, along with their co-accused, remain steadfast in their call for the dismissal of the fabricated charges against them and the protection of indigenous rights.
“Patuloy kaming maninindigan para sa hustisya, hindi lamang para sa amin kundi para sa lahat ng mga Lumad na biktima ng pang-aabuso. Hindi kami titigil sa paglaban hanggang makamit ang katarungan,” Castro ended.
ACT Teachers Party-list and Bayan Muna vow to continue the fight for justice for the Talaingod 13 and to hold the Duterte and Marcos administrations accountable for their crimes against indigenous communities.###
