Global lawmakers appalled at Duterte death threats

ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro and former President Rodrigo Duterte (INQUIRER FILE PHOTOS)

MANILA, Philippines — The Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) has pressed for the speedy treatment of ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro’s grave threats complaint against ex-President Rodrigo Duterte.

The IPU said it was “appalled” that Duterte directly threatened the life of a lawmaker on air, even as it expressed confidence that the House of Representatives is “doing its utmost” to ensure that Castro is protected.

“The Governing Council of the Inter-Parliamentary Union considers that, over and above the grave consequences for Castro herself, this matter also has a serious impact on the functioning of the Filipino parliament as a whole as it may deter its members from speaking out on important matters and put lives at significant risk,” it said in a resolution adopted last Oct. 27 in Luanda, Angola.

The IPU demanded that “in light of the serious concerns arising from the situation, the treatment of Castro’s complaint will proceed speedily” and that it be informed of developments.

In a statement on Wednesday, Castro welcomed the IPU resolution supporting her complaints filed in the IPU. These are complaints pushing for their right to the speedy disposition of the 2018 child abuse case filed against her and ex-Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo over the rescue of “lumad” children in Mindanao and the grave threats case she lodged against Duterte.

“We hope that this will help in expediting the dismissal of the trumped-up case in Talaingod. I also hope that justice will prevail and that the threat against my life and other Makabayan solons would stop because we are only fulfilling our mandates as parliamentarians,” said the House deputy minority leader.

Complaint

Last month, Castro filed a complaint for grave threats Duterte made on his “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” show on SMNI.

In the same program, the former President criticized the House as the “most rotten” institution after reallocating P1.23 billion in confidential funds to other government agencies defending the West Philippine Sea.

This move led to the loss of Vice President Sara Duterte’s P650 million confidential funds for her office and the Department of Education for 2024.

The IPU said it trusted that the 2018 child abuse case against Castro and several others “will swiftly move towards its completion” and said it wished to receive official information on the facts of the case.

The charges were filed against Castro and other former Makabayan solons for the evacuation of 14 lumad children in Mindanao.

“It fails to understand at the present time how she could stand accused of the crime of child abuse,” the IPU said.

The IPU resolution also pushed for the speedy resolution of ex-Kabataan Rep. Sarah Jane Elago’s Red-tagging case against military and government officials filed in the Ombudsman and a kidnapping case against her pending in the Department of Justice.