MANILA — Anakpawis Rep. Crispin Beltran slammed anew Justice secretary Raul Gonzalez for the latter’s rude and boorish behavior when Gonzalez dialogued with officials of the Inter-Parliamentary Union (IPU) this afternoon. Gonzalez himself said that he told the IPU officials Canadian Senator Sharon Carstairs, IPU secretary-general Anders Johnson and IPU HR committee secretary Ingeborg Schwarz to ‘go home’ and ‘stop meddling in the Philippines’ affairs.’
“Raul Gonzalez practically trips and falls over himself when dealing with officials of the US Embassy. He says that he doesn’t want foreigners meddling in the country’s internal affairs, yet in the same breath he would proclaim that the US embassy has the right to interfere in the countey’s justice system because of the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). The man is a hypocrite. He has caused so much international embarassment with all his ludicrous and shockingly rude declarations against visiting digniatries who have expressed internationalist concern over the worsening human rights situation in the country,” said Beltran.
The activist lawmaker said that it should be Gonzalez who should go home to Iloilo and retire because he is wasting his remaining productive years exposing himself as an uncouth boor.
“The IPU mission members are in the Philippines with the good and humanitarian intent to convince the Philippine government to cease and desist from attacking progressive lawmakers and the party-lists they represent. This in international solidarity and humanitarianism at work. Gonzalez’ sychopancy when it comes to his relations with US embassy officials, in contrast, is what constitutes betrayal of national sovereignty and the Filipino people’s dignity,” he said.
IPU officials are set to meet with Beltran tomorrow, Friday, April 20, 2007 in Beltran’s hospital detention room at the Philippine Heart Center. davaotoday.com
Extrajudicial Killings
