Filipino youth groups condemned Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte for her statement regarding the use of Confidential and Intelligence Funds (CIF) for the country's “security and peace.”
Progressive group Anakbayan, in a statement issued Oct. 6, slammed Duterte for "pretending."
"Nasaan ang peace sa korapsyon at pasismo? (Where is the peace in corruption and fascism?)," Anakbayan National Spokesperson Kate Almenzo asked.
"Alam ng mamamayan na hindi kapayapaan, kundi kapahamakan lang ang dala ng confidential funds sa mamamayan at lahat ng tumututol sa mga bulok mong pakana! (The citizens know that not peace but only peril is brought by the confidential funds to the masses and the ones who oppose to your rotten tactics)," she added.
'Fallacious', an act of 'gaslighting'
Gender equality group Enough Is Enough Ph (EIE), in a separate statement also issued Oct. 6, said that the statement of VP Sara is a "manipulation of truth" saying that those who do not agree with her command on the CIF are "enemies of the people."
The group said her dissent is "a classic case of gaslighting and fallacious at best".
"Her statement is clearly fallacious and similar to her father’s tirades during his term as president", it said.
'No output to show' from the P650-million CIF
EIE added that despite the proposed millions of funds for the Office of the Vice President (OVP) and DepEd, there is still no safe space on campuses.
"Her negligence in addressing the rising number of victims of campus predators and enablers in her Department is condemnable," said the group.
"How much funds were used to make campuses safe spaces?" it asked.
EIE said that it has monitored a total of 59 cases of sexual abuse and harassment in schools across the country since the implementation of the Safe Spaces Act.
CIF "to safeguard own interest"
For Anakbayan, the confidential and intelligence funds are being used by the Marcos administration "to suppress dissent" citing the cases of the "abducted" environmental activists and human rights defenders Jhed Tamano and Jonila Castro as well as the alleged killing of union leader Jude Fernandez.
"Para sa'min sa Anakbayan, simple lang ang ugat ng mga pasistang atake tulad ng ganito: pagprotekta ng rehimeng Marcos-Duterte sa interes nila at mga malalaking negosyanteng pinagsisilbihan nila (For us in Anakbayan, the root of the fascist attacks like these is simple: protection of their interests and of the powerful businessmen whom they serve)," the group said.
Duterte in her speech during the 122nd Police Service Anniversary of Police Regional Office 13 in Butuan City on Oct. 4 said CIF is to combat "terrorism" and "organized crimes."
"The allocation of confidential funds should not be constrained by time. It matters not whether it takes one day or one year of spending; what truly matters is the safety and security of our people," said Duterte.
During the same event in Butuan City, Duterte also said: "Kung sino man kumokontra sa confidential funds ay kumokontra sa kapayapaan. Kung sino ang kumokontra sa kapayaan ay kalaban ng bayan (Whoever opposes confidential funds opposes peace. Whoever opposes peace is enemy of the people).” (Lizst Torres Abello)