Rights group slams attempts to malign, vilify staunch Duterte critics
KARAPATAN Public Information
PRESS STATEMENT
June 7, 2026
Reference: Cristina Palabay, KARAPATAN secretary general, 09173162831
KARAPATAN Public Information Desk, 09189790580
Rights group slams attempts to malign, vilify staunch Duterte critics
KARAPATAN condemns the latest attempt by pro-Duterte elements to malign and vilify the Makabayan bloc and others demanding accountability from the Duterte camp for the killings and corruption perpetrated under their watch.
Eighteen alleged former elements of the Philippine Marines gave perjured testimonies that they had seen KARAPATAN National Council member and former Kabataan Partylist Rep. Raoul Manuel, former Reps. France Castro and Arlene Brosas, and Rep. Leila de Lima frequent former Rep. Zaldy Co’s townhouse and emerge with paper bags which, the marines insinuated, contained their cash share from anomalous flood control projects. Also accused of receiving money from Co was Fr. Flaviano Villanueva, who has been active in defending the rights of victims of Duterte’s drug war.
The alleged ex-marines claimed that they saw these personalities with Co at the time of the Quad Committee hearings in Congress that investigated the extrajudicial killings of drug suspects under the Duterte regime. The malicious insinuation is that they also received bribes to pursue the investigations of the drug killings under the former strongman.
The accusations are especially ridiculous in the case of the former Makabayan bloc representatives who stressed that it is impossible for them to have received any kickbacks from the graft-ridden flood control projects since they did not have any projects, allocables or infrastructure insertions in their names.
The timing of the accusations is also highly suspect, as they are being reiterated through a Senate hearing chaired by a deposed head of the Blue Ribbon Committee and made in the middle of preparations for Vice Pres. Sara Duterte’s impeachment trial and Rodrigo Duterte’s impending trial at the International Criminal Court for crimes against humanity in relation to his bloody war on drugs.
The false and malicious accusations are obviously being hurled against the Makabayan bloc and other fierce Duterte critics in a desperate effort to discredit them and other groups and individuals who have consistently demanded accountability from the Dutertes. It is intended to divert the public’s attention from the fact that Rodrigo Duterte orchestrated a drug war that led to the extrajudicial killing of tens of thousands of individuals and that Sara Duterte misused P612.5 million in confidential and intelligence funds, has hundreds of millions of pesos of unexplained wealth and bribed education officials to induce them to violate or circumvent laws on procurement.
KARAPATAN is one with Manuel, other former Makabayan bloc representatives and others demanding accountability from the Dutertes in proclaiming that in spite of these malicious attempts to derail their campaign for accountability, they remain undeterred in their pursuit of justice for the Filipino people aggrieved by the Dutertes.
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KARAPATAN is an alliance of human rights organizations and programs, human rights desks and committees of people’s organizations, and individual advocates committed to the defense and promotion of people’s rights and civil liberties. It monitors and documents cases of human rights violations, assists and defends victims and conducts education, training and campaign. It was established in 1995.