LIVE UPDATES: INC National Rally for Peace

ACT Teacher Partylist Rep. France Castro INQUIRER PHOTO/LYN RILLONp333 casino

MANILA, Philippines — ACT Teachers party-list Rep. France Castro has clarified her stance on the Iglesia ni Cristo (INC) rally, noting that she respects everyone’s right to peaceful assembly and to express their political views and sentiments.

Castro in an ambush interview on Monday said that she understands that everyone has the right to speak out regarding what is happening within the government and ultimately, within the country.

The INC rally, held earlier in different areas across the country, attracted millions of participants — at one point, over 1.5 million at Manila’s Quirino Grandstand.

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“Well, to INC, especially our brothers and sisters from the INC.  So, I respect your right to free expression that you exercised on this day,” Castro told reporters in Filipino during an interview at the Batasang Pambansa complex.

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“It is the right of every individual to express whatever their sentiments are, especially regarding what is happening in our government, or what they want to happen in our country,” she added in Filipino.

Castro on Sunday claimed that INC “National Rally for Peace” was a “clear attempt to shield Vice President Sara Duterte from accountability over corruption allegations”, instead of being about peace and unity as the sect’s members claimed.

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Castro also noted that the rally came after a recent Social Weather Stations survey showed that 41 percent of Filipinos support Duterte’s impeachment.

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“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,” Castro said.

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READ: Rep. Castro says INC rally a move to shield VP Sara Duterte 

Castro’s statements drew the ire of several INC members on social media, with some bringing up the lawmaker’s child abuse conviction in connection to the so-called Talaingod 13 case.  A court in Tagum, Davao del Norte found Castro and 13 others guilty of violating Republic Act 7610 or the Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act, for holding minors during a solidarity mission in Talaingod last November 2018.

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READ: Satur Ocampo, France Castro guilty of child abuse – Tagum City court 

But Castro remained firm that she hopes the rally is not meant to shield Duterte, as there were initial statements from INC’s leadership where the movement would be in support of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s call against Duterte’s impeachment.

“I just hope this isn’t like what I said, that this rally might be used to smoke screen the impeachment of Sara Duterte. I hope this rally doesn’t serve to shield the impeachment, where the people are asking for justice, and with justice comes accountability for any official, even Sara Duterte, accountability for the misuse of public funds,” she said in Filipino.

“Because at first there seems to be a call to support President Marcos’ call against the impeachment,” she added.

As of now, three impeachment complaints have been filed against Duterte before the House — first filed by civil society organizations and endorsed by Akbayan party-list Rep. Percival Cendaña; another from progressive groups endorsed by Castro and the Makabayan bloc; and last from lawyers and religious leaders, endorsed by Camarines Sur 3rd District Rep. Gabriel Bordado Jr. and Aambis-Owa party-list Rep. Lex Anthony Colada.

Most of the articles inside the three complaints touched on the investigations made by the House of Representatives’ committee on good government and public accountability on allegations Duterte’s offices — the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and previously, the Department of Education (DepEd) — misused its confidential fund (CF) allocations.

READ: VP Duterte, OVP execs may face plunder raps for secret fund ‘misuse’ 

Over the course of the panel’s hearings, it was revealed that some of the acknowledgement receipts (ARs) for the CFs were signed by a Mary Grace Piattos — which Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said bears a first name similar to a coffee shop, and a surname that is a famous potato chip brand.

READ: House probe: OVP, DepEd CFs received by same man, different signatures 

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Later onp333 casino, Lanao del Sur 1st District Rep. Zia Alonto Adiong showed two ARs — one for OVP and another for the DepEd — which were both received by a certain Kokoy Villamin.  However, the signatures and handwriting of Villamin differed.

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