Duterte inclined to support Isko, says ex-DAR secretary

PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte may endorse presidential aspirant and incumbent Manila City Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso in the 2022 elections. This was what former Agrarian Reform Secretary John Castriciones, who is seeking a seat in the Senate, told reporters on Friday, February 18, 2022. Castriciones, who was in Cebu City for the launching of its official headquarters in Barangay Cogon Ramos, said they have gained the confidence of Duterte after their organization, identified as the Mayor Rodrigo Roa Rodrigo Duterte National Executive Coordinating Committee (MRRDNECC) was the one responsible for having launched a very successful campaign for the incumbent president in 2016. Catriciones is MRRDNECC's founding president. He said the majority of MRRDNECC's membership, which he claims to be around at least two million, decided to support the bid for the presidency and vice presidency of Domagoso and presidential daughter and incumbent Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.

February

2022

Castriciones accepts Diokno challenge to debate with Senate bets

Former agrarian reform secretary and senatorial aspirant John Castriciones on Monday accepted the challenge of another aspiring senator, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno, to engage in a public debate with other fellow senatorial candidates in the May 2022 elections. Castriciones said the debate would provide the senatorial candidates with a stage to pitch their platforms and expose their issue positions. "Sir Chel Diokno, sang-ayon ako na ang pagdedebate ay maganda dahil ang makikinabang nito ay ang mga botante. Dapat ang pinag-uusapan ay ang mga isyu at plataporma. Tinatanggap ko ang hamon mo sa debate." Castriciones said in a Facebook post.

November

2021

‘Unqualified’ DAR secretary got ‘no track record’

he Commission on Appointments suspended yesterday the confirmation hearing on John Rualo Castriciones as Agrarian Reform secretary after concerns were raised on his qualifications. A party-list representative against Castriciones’ appointment cited the official’s “lack of qualifications, special training and track record” to head the Department of Agrarian Reform. “That secretary should, starting Day 1, hit the ground running,” said Rep. Tom Villarin (Akbayan). “Without the necessary background, such appointee would be bereft of that qualification that should befit a secretary of DAR.” Villarin claimed that Castriciones has not acted on the letters of farmer-beneficiaries inquiring on their certificates of landownership award (CLOA) that had no legal impediment since his first day in office. President Rodrigo Duterte appointed Castriciones on Dec. 14 last year to replace Rafael Mariano, whose appointment the CA rejected.

March

2018

During the height of the campaign of the administration against war on drugs, did you know that I was then an Undersecretary of the DILG. And my main pre-occupation is to supervise the construction of the mega-rehabs and the different rehabilitation centers throughout the Philippines. And that’s what I believe in ... rehabilitation. But of course, we cannot blame the policy of the administration because some of the managers and some of those policymakers deemed it wise that we should concentrate on the law implementation, on the police actions I mean. But in my case, I did my part in order to complement their efforts by supervising the construction of rehabilitation centers because I strongly believe that every person, everybody, should be given a second chance. We can rehabilitate people, that’s my belief, and everybody must be respected…there must be some dignity that can be given to any person whoever they are and to rehabilitate them, for me, is very important.

November

2021

The drug business is a multi-billion industry. A lot of the members or players of the drug syndicates are well-placed. They are in the barangays, they are local chief executives, they are judges, prosecutors, congressmen, and probably senators as well.

January

2017

Not in favor. Well, you know, same-sex marriage, we’re talking about marriage. Under our law, under persons and family code, marriage is a union between male and female, and definitely, there’s no law that would justify the marriage of persons belonging to the same-sex.

November

2021

I am against death penalty. Why? Because we believe in the sanctity of life and also, I believe in the saying that “a society is judged on how the strong treat the weak in their society”. And so, if we do not have…or if we adopt death penalty… of course there are exceptions because nothing is absolute, probably if it is a heinous crime, something that really deserves immediate concern. But as a general rule, for me, death penalty is not to be entertained.

November

2021

So, for the meantime that we do not have the power, what we must concentrate on is to strengthen our government, to strengthen our economy, to strengthen our people and motivate them to have genuine nationalism so that we would be able to amass the support and the resources that are needed to fight these territories.

November

2021

You know, modesty aside, I had a course of International Law in the University of Notre Dame in London, in United Kingdom. And one of the issues that…one of the subject matter that we extensively discussed is the Laws of the Sea. And we all know that we have two confronting issues here, two opposite issues being advanced by our country, first one which adhered to the Archipelagic Doctrine and the other one is in respect to the so-called nine-dash line, which is being adhered to by the People’s Republic of China. You know, it would be difficult to engage in international diplomacy if you are a weak country. It’s difficult.

November

2021

Well, basically right now, we are able to at least control the spread of COVID-19. I think if I am not mistaken, there are only around 2,000 plus, which are now infected with the virus. So it means, that we are quite successful with this. But honestly, during the early on-set of the COVID-19, it seems as we are confronting the issue, there’s so much anarchy and misunderstanding. But of course, we were eventually be able to learn on how to respond positively and efficiently to the COVID-19.

November

2021

There’s a saying that whenever events take place in a society, it will always be the person holding the pen that writes history…those people who are influential…those people who are well-off, rich, and educated. There’s a position right now that there is an on-going historical revisionism because of the coming back of some people who were actually removed from the positions before. My position there is that it can only happen if the people will be submissive…and if the people would remain docile and would not lift a finger to oppose historical revisionism. We have a lot of people who are intelligent in our country, a lot of intellectuals…some of whom are coming from the University of the Philippines and even in our other universities for that matter. So they are the ones who will be able to wage an opposition to this historical revisionism, so let’s not just put it in the hands of the government. It must be an effort that must be undertaken by the people who are intellectuals. Those who are in the academe…those who have the power and the authority to sway influence amongst our people and who writes history because of their knowledge and skills, and their position and influence.

November

2021

Remember, environment must be the concern of all people, not only individuals, because we have seen, we have witnessed the natural calamities that is mistreating our environment. I think it is high time that we must be educated and must know that it is the prime duty of every citizen that the environment must be well-taken. The leadership must act, or the initiative must come from the government because by doing so, we will able to influence our people. And besides, it is the government who has vast resource of power in order to see to it that the environment is well-protected.

November

2021

I definitely agree with charter change. It is high time for us to have our constitution be amended or totally overhauled. You know why? Because for the longest time that we have been embracing a Constitution that is no longer relevant to our people’s need. I think we have to bear in mind that the only thing that is constant or permanent is change. So we have to somehow entertain the concept of change, most especially for me I have been advocating for the longest time parliamentary-federalism.

November

2021

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8AeZVI9z_aQ

Most of the countries that are well-developed and progressive has this parliamentary-federalism. The good thing about the parliamentary, most especially in England, is that when we have a ruler who cannot govern the country effectively, even if he just stayed there for one-to-two months, if the people would not like him, we can boot him out…kick him out so to speak, so that we can choose, we can establish a new government that would adhere to the needs of the people.

November

2021

I am against it because it would be unjust to our laborers. You know, the backbone of the society are the laborers. We must be able to help them so that at least they would have the dignity of really being considered as laborers, and people who are really helping shape-up the economy of our country. So my position is I don’t go for contractualization.

November

2021

Well, it is a process that is on-going. These people {the investigators} have the right, but President Duterte has also the right to defend himself. And I think it will be difficult for us or it would be unfair for us to make a judgment now that the process is on-going. All that I can say is that both sides have a line of defense, or a line of thinking that would have to promote their respective interests, and it’s the right of both parties to really pursue their point of interests. But for President Duterte, my position for him, is that, he did not do it personally and sometimes the problem is there are those people who implement the law, and they overdo it. And because of that, there are abuses. And the President is very open when it comes to prosecution of those people really responsible for having caused the injustices, killing people mercilessly so to speak.

November

2021

If the government, later on, because it would be the effort of many legislators, it will be voted upon in a plenary, whether they would allow divorce or not. But if at all, there would be a law proposed for a divorce, my position is I will not go for it.

November

2021

Alam niyo po itong usapin tungkol sa renewable energy meron na po tayong batas, at ang kailangan po natin ay tamang implementasyon. Pero mas maganda po siguro kung amyendahan po natin ito para mai-enhance po natin ang paggamit ng renewable energy. Paano po? Sa pamamagitan po ng pagbibigay ng mga insentiba at tsaka ‘yung mga tax-cuts sa mga gusto pong sumabak dito sa paggamit ng renewable energy. At napakaganda rin po siguro na ipanawagan natin sa buong mundo, sa international community, itong carbon emission. Kasi ang carbon emission ng Pilipinas, mababa lamang kumpara doon sa mga first-world countries na kung saan ay napakalakas ng kanilang carbon emission, at pinapasa nila ang kanilang obligasyon sa ating bansa. Anyway, wala naman po tayong magagawa doon kung hindi umangal at sabihin sa kanila na dapat ay obserbahan din nila ang carbon emission. Pangalawa siguro, kailangan po natin talaga na i-promote ‘yung mga bagong teknolohiya katulad po ng tinatawag na paggamit ng electric cars. Marami po sa Pilipinas ang gumagamit po ng mga sasakyan na pinapaandar ng mga petrolyo, siguro it’s high time to we adjust and make use of it.

March

2022

On the issue of utilization of renewable energy ( SMNI Senatorial Debate Round 1, March 2, 2022 )