Group files ethics complaint vs. Rep. Castro

An indigenous peoples (IPs) group filed an ethics complaint against House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers party-list Representative France Castro on Tuesday, saying the lawmaker should be removed from her House seat due to her lower court conviction on endangering minors.

The complaint was filed by members of the Ata-Manobo Tribal Council of Elders of Talaingod-Indigenous Political Structure led by Datu Allan Causing, Andigao Agay, and Gusting Daiyak Dausay.

The group’s legal counsel is Israelito Torreon, who also serves as the legal counsel of Kingdom of Jesus Christ leader Apollo Quiboloy, who is facing qualified human trafficking complaints.

“This is an ethics complaint against Representative France Castro of ACT Teachers party-list for commission of what they deem as crime and she was in fact convicted by the Regional Trial Court. And this is part of the process upon which the IPs are seeking justice,” Torreon told reporters.

“They are anchoring their complaint on the provisions of Republic Act 6713 or Code of Conduct and Ethical Standards for Public Officials, specifically the supposed commitment to public service, the high commitment to public service of these public officials, such as Congress members like Congresswoman France Castro," he added.

Republic Act 6713 provides that public officials and employees “should always uphold the public interest over and above personal interest” and that “all government resources and powers of their respective offices must be employed and used efficiently, effectively, honestly and economically, particularly to avoid wastage in public funds and revenues.”

The case Torreon was referring to involved the child endangerment conviction decided by a lower court in July that carried four to six years of jail time against Castro and former Bayan Muna Rep. Satur Ocampo.

The case stemmed from the trafficking charge filed against Castro and 17 others for allegedly holding minors during their solidarity mission in Talaingod, Davao Del Norte in November 2018.

The solidarity mission conducted by the camp of Castro, Ocampo, among others, sought to look into the cases of human rights violations by a paramilitary group against the students and teachers of a learning center.

Castro and Ocampo have since appealed the conviction, saying they only responded to the request for help of teachers and students of Lumad schools who were allegedly being harassed by the paramilitary group.

In response, Castro said the ethics complaint was a “baseless harassment suit,” if not a groundless vengeance.

"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,” Castro said.

(These people are after vengeance and covering up their bad deeds they did to our people.)

“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. 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,” Castro added.—LDF, GMA Integrated News