PINAG-aaralan na ngayon ng Legal Cooperation Cluster (LCC) ng National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-ELCAC) ang posibilidad ng paghahain ng reklamo sa Ethics Committee ng Kamara kasunod ng guilty verdict kay ACT Teachers Rep. France Castro.
Matatandaan na nitong Hulyo 15, inilabas ng Tagum Regional Trial Court (RTC) Branch 2 ang hatol kay Castro, kasama sina dating Bayan Muna Party-list Rep. Satur Ocampo at 11 dahil sa paglabag sa Section 10A ng Republic Act No. 7610 (Special Protection of Children Against Abuse, Exploitation, and Discrimination Act).
Ang kaso ay nag-ugat sa insidente sa Talaingod, Davao del Norte kung saan ibiniyahe ng grupo nina Castro at Ocampo ang nasa 14 na mga kabataang katutubo na estudyante ng Salugpungan School.
Ayon kay Atty. James Clifford, tagapagsalita ng LCC ng NTF-ELCAC, maaari itong maging batayan para himukin ang Kamara na gumawa ng aksiyon laban kay Castro.
“It’s one of the legal actions that we are looking into. ‘Yung filing of ethics complaint sa House of Representatives. Under the law, the House of Representatives, mayroon silang internal rules and procedure kasi dito, can discipline its own members,” ayon kay Atty. James Clifford Santos, Spokesperson, NTF-ELCAC, Legal Cooperation Cluster.
Ayon sa dating spokesperson on IP concerns ng ELCAC at ngayo’y national coordinator ng IPRA center na si Atty. Marlon Bosantog – ito naman talaga ang nararapat na gawin.
“Mag-file sa Ethics Committee ng Congress using the decision kasi ACT Teachers supposedly represent the welfare of the children but your sitting representative or congressman was convicted. Not only accused but convicted of violating the principles of ‘best interest of the child.’ Ibig sabihin they had willingly and maliciously put the lives of the children in danger,” ayon naman kay Atty. Marlon Bosantog, National Coordinator, IPRA Center.
Inihalimbawa rin ni Bosantog ang ginawang aksiyon ng Kamara laban kay expelled Cong. Arnie Teves dahil matagal na pagliban nito sa Kamara sa gitna ng mga kasong kinahaharap nito sa bansa.
“Kung si Teves was removed from the role of the House of Representatives because of absenteeism and failure to obey ‘yung nasa travel orders, ilaban mo ito sa convicted na sitting member na nag-abuso not only one or two or three but 14 children, not only children but Lumad children,” giit ni Bosantog.
May babala naman si Dr. Lorraine Badoy kaugnay kay Castro at mga makakaliwang kongresista kasabay ng panawagan sa Speaker of the House na protektahan ang Mababang Kapulungan.
“They’re going to use Congress. They’re going to use the Speaker of the House. Sila ‘yung isasalang. They’re going to besmirch the reputation and use the Speaker and the House of Representatives for their own benefit. If the Speaker is listening now, this is really your call. You have to protect the House in which you head,” ayon kay Dr. Lorraine Badoy, Former Spokesperson, NTF-ELCAC.
Ayon naman kay Bosantog – ang magiging hakbang ng Speaker of the House ang magbubunyag ng tunay na kulay nito.
“Kung si Speaker sided with the abusers of the children, convicted child abusers, maybe that is the same feather that he is wearing,” ani Bosantog.
Samantala, nanawagan naman si Badoy sa mamamayang Pilipino na iangat ang antas ng kanilang kamalayan at magkaisa laban sa mga komunistang teroristang grupo.
“You have to empower yourself as a citizen. You have to empower yourself because, like it or not, who placed them there in Congress? It’s the Filipino people. Tayo lang din ang pwedeng magbawi niyan,” ani Badoy.
Matatandaan na ilang dating kadre at miyembro ng teroristang grupong CPP-NPA-NDF ang nagpatotoo kung sino talaga sina Castro kasama sina Gabriela Women’s Party Rep. Arlene Brosas at Kabataan Party-list Rep. Raoul Manuel bilang mga urban operative ng nasabing teroristang grupo.
