THE Makabayan bloc yesterday filed a resolution urging the House of Representatives to condemn the alleged “fake news peddling, baseless red-tagging, and grave threats” against Rep. France Castro (PL, ACT) made by former president Rodrigo Duterte and Sonshine Media Network International (SMNI).
Castro, and party-list Reps. Arlene Brosas of Gabriela and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan filed House Resolution No. 1428 almost two weeks after Castro sued Duterte for grave threat at the Quezon City Prosecutor’s Office.
Duterte made the statements in the October 11 episode of “Gikan sa Masa, Para sa Masa” of SMNI, where he defended his daughter Vice President Sara Duterte’s request for confidential funds under the proposed P5.768 trillion national budget for 2024.
The elder Duterte said in the interview that he told the Vice President that she should have been candid enough to tell members of the militant Makabayan bloc in Congress that they are really the target of the confidential funds that she was requesting and that he wants to kill Castro and all groups he branded as communists.
Just last Monday, the House, acting as a Committee of the Whole, adopted Resolution No. 1414 “upholding the integrity of the House of Representatives and expressing appreciation, solidarity and support to the leadership of Speaker Ferdinand Martin Romualdez.”
The resolution was authored by Reps. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. of Pampanga, Roberto Puno of Antipolo, Camille Villar of Las Piñas, Ralph Recto of Batangas, Luis Raymund Villafuerte of Camarines Sur, Robert Ace Barbers of Surigao del Norte, Majority Leader Manuel Jose Dalipe and Minority Leader Marcelino Libanan and other lawmakers.
Signatories excluded Deputy Speaker Gloria Arroyo, a staunch Duterte ally.
A statement released by her office Monday night said Arroyo, who is also a former president,” is currently out of the country.” “However, as she always said, she continues to support the leadership of Speaker Romualdez,” the statement said. as rumors of her impending removal as deputy speaker circulated at the House.
The lawmakers said in the resolution that they are taking “exception to statements made that undermine the independence, integrity and reputation of the institution, more so when these statements are couched with threats or intimidation of physical harm to a sitting member of Congress.”
During the session, Gonzales, who replaced Arroyo as Senior Deputy Speaker after she allegedly plotted to oust the Speaker early this year, announced that he was resigning as a member of Duterte’s PDP-Laban because of the ex-president’s statements against the House and death threat on Castro.
The Makabayan bloc’s resolution also urged the National Telecommunications Commission to investigate the incident in light of journalism standards and other existing laws, saying SMNI violated numerous provisions of the 2007 Broadcaster Code of the Philippines for its shows.
