Castro bares death threats, harassment against her over call to impeach VP Duterte

House Deputy Minority Leader and ACT Teachers Representative France Castro on Tuesday strongly condemned death threats and harassment she has been receiving through text messages and phone calls amid her support of the impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte.

Castro issued a statement a day after she and fellow Makabayan lawmakers Arlene Brosas of Gabriela and Raoul Manuel of Kabataan sent a letter to other parties who also filed impeachment complaints against Duterte to call for a meeting to find a pathway to move the impeachment proceedings along.

The same letter stated Castro’s mobile number as contact person for feedback.

"These cowardly acts of intimidation will not deter us from pursuing accountability. In the past, I chose to ignore similar threats, but now is the time to hold these perpetrators accountable for their actions against those who stand for truth and accountability," she said.

Among the messages received by Castro include an expletive-laden text that threatened beheading if she came to Davao City, as well as harassment calls from two other numbers.

"Hindi ako magpapasindak sa mga pagbabanta at harassment na ito. Lalo lang nilang pinapatunayan na tama ang ating ginagawa sa pagpapanagot sa lumustay sa pera ng bayan," she said.

(I will not be intimidated by these threats and harassment. They only prove that what we are doing is right by holding accountable those who have squandered public funds.)

"We cannot allow a culture of impunity where public servants are threatened for performing their constitutional duties," Castro added.

Former ACT Teachers party-list congressman Antonio Tinio backed Castro, saying the escalating threats only show how desperate these people are.

“Are their masters feeling the heat of our legitimate call for accountability?" he said.

Tinio then called on the Philippine National Police and the National Bureau of Investigation to investigate these threats and bring the perpetrators to justice.

Likewise, he called on his former colleagues in Congress to condemn these attacks on a duly elected representative of the Filipino people.

Under the Constitution, an impeachment trial in the Senate will proceed once an impeachment complaint is endorsed by at least one-third of the members of the House of Representatives. 

There are over 300 House members. 

Of this number, only six lawmakers have separately endorsed an impeachment complaint against the Vice President, meaning way below the one-third requirement for the Senate impeachment trial to proceed. 

The three impeachment raps against the Vice President mainly accuses her of betrayal of public trust over misuse of around P612 million confidential funds. — BM, GMA Integrated News