So much has already been said of Senator Leila de Lima’s legal problems and arrest. Nearly every one thinks it’s ironic and karmic, and that she got what she deserved.
I will not add anymore to this sordid story of someone else’s reversal of fortune. At most, I will call it poetic justice. Senator De Lima was the former justice secretary responsible for putting three other senators under detention.
“There’s no such thing as a political prisoner. You’re a prisoner, period,” said Juan Ponce Enrile when asked about his opinion on De Lima’s claim that she is the first political prisoner under the Duterte administration. Enrile, who spent a year and two months under detention at the Philippine National Police hospital in Camp Crame, added that if you are accused and charged, you should be ready to defend yourself in a court of law. Enrile is out on bail for humanitarian reasons and pending the resolution on his petition for a bill of particulars on the plunder charges against him in relation to his pork barrel funds.
De Lima, instead of ranting and raving, should take a cue from Enrile who made full use of his detention by reading books and adding to his prescient views of world history and current local and global events. His memory for names, places and events is uncanny for a 93-year-old man.
Speaking at the sidelines of the 31st anniversary of the 1986 People Power Revolution on Edsa last week, the foremost player of that bloodless uprising against former President Ferdinand Marcos’ Martial Law regime said De Lima should just prepare to defend herself instead of portraying herself as a victim of political vendetta.
It is as it should be. The slew of charges against De Lima after all are not political but criminal—graft for allegedly receiving millions of pesos from drug lords to fund her senatorial campaign and abetting and allegedly allowing the drug trade to proliferate inside the New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa during her watch as justice secretary. Supervision of the national penitentiary is under the Department of Justice. Clearly, these are serious criminal allegations. They are far from being political.
When all is said and done about this episode in Philippine history, the government should now focus on other more gut-wrenching issues affecting the citizenry. There is the problem of unemployment—11.2-million Filipinos are jobless. And then, those who are able to work have to struggle with the daily commute because of the horrendous road traffic and lack of an efficient public railway system. These are just two of the basic public services that government must attend to. Addressing these two major problems should and would offset all the brickbats President Rodrigo Duterte is getting.
However, the government’s plan to phase out old jeepneys which often break down and aggravate the traffic problem in Metro Manila is being met with opposition. A nationwide strike today led by the operators and drivers’ group Piston could make life more difficult for commuters. Previous administrations failed to solve this perennial problem of traffic and lack of an efficient mass transport system. We hope the Duterte government in its six-year term can help ease if not solve this problem.
While under detention, De Lima said she would continue her work as senator. Why not ? Perhaps she could draft legislative measures on prison reforms. She has, after all, first-hand knowledge of what needs to be done to curb corruption, and special privileges for Very Important Prisoners. We will end our commentary on De Lima’s case on this note lest we are accused of kicking someone who’s already down.
Enrile on Martial Law, People Power
In light of the current unfolding events (without inferring any link to De Lima case) it is noteworthy to draw lessons from history. I am referring to former senator Juan Ponce Enrile, who himself was once Justice secretary during Marcos time. In a speech delivered before the Wednesday Forum at the Cosmopolitan Church in the Philippines, he recounted in detail the events that led to the proclamation of martial law in the country. An accomplished lawyer and constitutionalist, Enrile did not disown his role in the drafting of the legal documents that laid the basis for martial rule. The historic task of doing so fell on Enrile’s shoulders who enlisted the help of Efren Plana for the research and basis for declaring martial law.
All the elements for the declaration of Martial Law were present during those tumultuous times of student demonstrations and the increasing strength of the Communist Party of the Philippines and the New People’s Army. There were instances when rebellious students were at Malacañang’s doorstep. On another occasion, they nearly mobbed President Marcos and other government officials in Congress on Padre Burgos Street. This was on Jan. 26, 1970, when President Marcos was set to deliver a State of the Nation Address before a joint session of the House and the Senate.
Indeed the nation’s state from 1970 to 1972 was total chaos. Anarchy prevailed. The deteriorating situation could only be stemmed with draconian measures. At that time, under the 1935 Constitution, the declaration of Martial Law was allowed under certain circumstances. The Armed Forces of the Philippines was stretched at 60,000 men, spread mostly in Central Luzon against the communist insurgents. The rest were deployed in other parts of the country. And so it came to pass: Martial law was declared on Sept. 21, 1972, and the rest is history.
Will President Rodrigo Roa Duterte declare Martial Law without the necessary constitutional basis for doing so? Will he repeat history and pay the price for it? There are rumors of Duterte mulling emergency rule. There is also rumbling on the ground that a military coup to unseat him could happen. The opposition Liberal Party has denied it is behind such a plot. If Digong and his Davao confederates are firmly in control of the situation, why then do these rumors and speculations continue to gather steam? Could it be that the government itself is fanning the flame of uncertainty and unrest? We hope not because the country and the citizenry cannot and must not suffer another dictatorship.
For a copy of Senator Enrile’s speech, you can request the Wednesday Forum of the Cosmopolitan Church in the Philippines. It is an interesting read.