Leila de Lima, free at last

Definitely, the most important news this past week was the release on bail of former Sen. Leila de Lima. She has been incarcerated for almost seven years, mostly during the term of Rodrigo Duterte. It is not surprising that she has been released under the new President.

The charges against de Lima were involvement in the illegal drug trade in the Bilibid prison. Several of the original so-called witnesses have recanted their testimonies. She was however kept in jail and has gained international status and recognition as a political prisoner.

The stories of heroes and heroines kept in jail for political beliefs and opposition to those in power are common in Philippine history. The most famous, of course, was our national hero, Jose Rizal who was suspected by the Spanish colonizers of fomenting a rebellion against the Spanish authorities.

During the Japanese Occupation during the Second World War, many prominent Filipinos were held in captivity. Among the most well known was Pedro Abad Santos, the founder of the Socialist Party and the first head of the Hukbalahap, which became a primary resistance movement. Abad Santos died while he was in jail.

In the present era, upon the declaration of martial law by then President Marcos, several dissenters were put in jail. This list included leading opposition senators like Jose Diokno, then Senate President Jovito Salonga, and titans of the Philippine press like Chino Roces, founder and head of the original Manila Times, and Eugenio Lopez, Jr., head of ABS-CBN, even then the largest broadcasting network in the Philippines.

The most famous political prisoner was Benigno “Ninoy” Aquino whose martyrdom was the primary motivation for the EDSA People Power Revolution, which resulted in the peaceful return of democracy to the country.

I am sure that De Lima’s story will be an inspiration especially for today’s youth. Her refusal to compromise on her political beliefs has earned her international recognition and admiration. Her strong adherence to her personal crusade was exemplified by her refusal to accept bail and be released on humanitarian grounds because it would imply admission of guilt on her part. She was determined to prove her innocence at all costs.

The international community has hailed her release as another victory for the liberal international order (LIO). The LIO is known as the “rules-based international order, which is described as a set of global, rules-based, structured relationship based on political liberalism, economic liberalism, and liberal internationalism.” This is usually equated with human equality or freedom, rule of law, and human rights.

The LIO supposedly originated after the Second World War and was considered the dominant ideology until the 1990s. After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1991, the phrase “the end of history” became very common especially in intellectual circles. The idea was that “liberalism” was now the sole and dominant ideology especially after the fall of communism in Russia and the dismantling of the USSR.

Deng Xiaoping had replaced the authoritarian rule of Mao Zedong in China. He also started introducing certain aspects of liberalism in China, principally loosening the tight restriction on Chinese society. During the next two decades, the opposite happened in that liberalism became challenged by the rise of authoritarianism and populism around the world.

Several nations became prominent challengers to the liberal international order. These included China, Russia, Iran, and North Korea. Populism also gained strength in many countries, even in the Philippines. Populism is the political ideology where a strong personality attacks the elite in order to gain popularity among the masses. The rising inequality of wealth and the effects of globalization as a means of wages low further fueled this resentment towards the elite.

However, populist leaders like Trump in America, Bolsonaro in Brazil, and other similar populists soon proved unable to improve their local economies. Their anti-elite campaign turned into divisive rhetoric and ignited again a return to liberalism in several countries. The desire for human rights, justice, freedom of the press, and the rule of law were once again becoming values that people were willing to fight for.

There has been a notable search for new heroes and heroines in this struggle against populism and authoritarianism.

People like Leila de Lima, through their courage and self-sacrifice, serve as inspiration for people who are willing to continue the struggle for human rights, liberal democracy and human equality.

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