The Philippine Executive has lashed out this Friday against the gatherings organized by Filipino citizens residing in Canada coinciding with the official visit of the president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., after the arrest of a senator from the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) organization, close to Vice President Sara Duterte and accused of embezzlement.
In a press conference, presidential spokesperson Claire Castro stressed that the Government recognizes the right to peaceful protest, although she reproached the organizers for "misrepresenting the country's image" abroad and "undermining it without any basis."
"The question we must ask ourselves is whether what they are shouting is true, whether it is based on facts, or whether it is simply slander intended to discredit the Philippines in the eyes of other nations," Castro said, alluding to the mobilizations promoted by both INC members in the Philippines and the diaspora in Canada, a country where Marcos is on an official visit.
The spokesperson added that the Executive views these actions as "something common among democratic societies," but insisted that they are being carried out without solid evidence and with the intention of damaging the reputation of the Philippines as a whole.
"Shouldn't we love our own country instead of tarnishing it with unfounded claims? Shouldn't we destroy our own nation," the representative reiterated, calling for the responsibility of the protesters.
The protests, also replicated this week in several cities in the country, have intensified after the Prosecutor's Office indicated that Senator Rodante Marcoleta could be prosecuted for the alleged diversion of about 75 million pesos (around one million euros) from a campaign.
The INC has traditionally acted as an influential voting bloc linked to the Duterte dynasty and its political circle, so it is taken for granted that Marcoleta will position himself against the impeachment of Duterte in the political trial before the Senate scheduled for next week.
However, the Government considers that the senator would have deliberately omitted to declare significant sums of money from donations intended to finance the electoral campaign.
Duterte herself has backed Tuesday's demonstrations ahead of the imminent arrest of her ally and stated in a statement that they reflect the "growing sentiment" of rejection towards the current president, Ferdinand Marcos Jr., with whose family she maintains a long-standing political feud that has been dragging on for years.