By Zeus Legaspi & James Flores
Leaders of De La Salle Schools from all over the country called out President Rodrigo Duterte and “an Ombudsman” for statements that “manifest their betrayal of their sworn duty to preserve and defend the Constitution.”
In a signed statement, the leaders expressed their disappointment in the President for hurling insults to and intimidating members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee who are investigating possible corruption in the government’s pandemic response.
“We are aghast at the insults and intimidation that the President has hurled against members of a co-equal branch who are investigating an allegedly corruption-riddled transaction”, the statement said.
“The statements of the Ombudsman and the President manifest their betrayal of their sworn duty to preserve and defend the Constitution”, the leaders added.
The Lasallian leaders could be referring to Ombudsman Samuel Martires who recently pushed for penalties on anyone who would comment on public officials’ statements of assets, liabilities and net worth (SALN).
“We believe that our right to information should be respected, protected, and generally remain unbridled. An informed public leads to an engaged citizenry”, the statement said, hinting for government officials to release their SALN to the public.
The leaders then called out to the youth to stand as one in upholding the truth and “to keep the passion in seeking it for social justice, human dignity, and the respect for democratic rights.”
The Philippine president is currently at odds with members of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee for investigating his administration’s allegedly corruption-riddled multi billion-peso deals with Pharmally Pharmaceutical Corp.
Read the full statement here: https://www.dlsud.edu.ph/news/2021/stand.htm
