Wazzup Pilipinas!
In an effort to prevent rhetoric from becoming reality in respecting rights, here is a Statement of Concern from the Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA):
Though it is still two weeks before President-elect
Rodrigo Duterte is formally proclaimed as the country’s next Chief Executive
and Commander-in-Chief, his electoral victory has been apparent early on, just
a few days after the close of the May 9th polls.
His victory is unprecedented in many ways,
and there will be another time to assess his landslide victory for its
substance as well as its symbolic value. But for now, it may be time to investigate his recent rhetoric and how it
relates to how this hints of an emergent reality where human rights may be
under threat.
It could be argued that any words and
actions emanating from Mr. Duterte as presumptive President are not yet
technically “official” statements. However given the nature of his eventual
office, and the gravity of the themes being addressed, his words even now
are—and should be—received as signals of what is to become. Using an IT-based
metaphor, his past statements hint at a sort of “source code” for the
“operating system” of his incoming Administration. Supporters of the President-elect
assume just as much: “This is who Duterte
is, and what you see is what you get”.
Many citizens of goodwill do assume that an
initial public familiarization period with any new leader—especially one as
unorthodox as him—deserves some time. Surely, some leeway for a “honeymoon
period” is expected between the President-elect and the nation, even for
skeptics or non-supporters who have always been uncomfortable with his alleged
link to local death squads and summary executions in Davao.
But it is disturbing to hear some of Mr.
Duterte’s words before and after the election, particularly even for those
prepared to critically engage his incoming administration based on principle,
insofar as they refer to and impact on
human rights. Among them:
·
His provocative statements and
actions, as well as his disrespectful attitudes towards women, particularly
(and shockingly) even against victims of gender violence;[1]
·
His inciteful exhortations
endorsing extra-judicial killings of suspected drug dealers and other criminals,
and the setting up of rich bounties to entice citizens into this deadly
endeavor; [2]
·
His impatience with
(non-Davao-based) media workers and his apparent lack of appreciation as to
their role in democratic discourse, and most disturbingly his similar endorsement
of the use of deadly force against journalists who were perceived to be
“corrupt”, in a nation already considered one of the deadliest countries for
journalists;[3]
However he or his supporters try to
minimize or massage the disturbing messages of this Dutertismo discourse, these statements are on public record and can
be easily parsed as to their context and actual intent. Even if the nation is
still in a political “honeymoon period” with him, no partner in a marriage has
to tolerate an attack on one’s rights and dignity, “honeymoon period” or not.
A number of Mr. Duterte’s progressive
minded-supporters have requested for a broader mind in judging the
President-elect, and practically appeal to the people to just disregard the
rhetoric and just await the reality which they say will be much more benign.
Maybe so. But while the politics of language under Mr. Duterte is still being
decoded, we are informed by long experience in how rhetoric does shape eventual reality, oftentimes in ways that
are not benign.
On the rhetoric alone, there can be no
denying that these proposed measures violate
accepted standards of due process, effectively diminish the rule of law, and
become a State-sponsored license to
solve complex societal problems at the end of the barrel of a gun. The
questionable pseudo-vigilantism being encouraged is precisely what birthed the
infamous Davao Death Squads, a “solution” which effectively incites more violence and murder, and
exacerbates the culture of impunity that has allowed extra-judicial killings to
continue in our benighted country. For sure, these statements and any
violence they incite are against
universally recognized international human rights standards.
Some belittle Mr. Duterte’s words as mere
expressions of braggadocio, or just humorous hyperbole, or the use of street
lingo of the masses that shock only the elite. But how really does it play out
in real life? Even now, media reports indicate a rise in reports of killings
and deaths in shootouts of many “suspected criminals”, with speculation rife
that the Dutertismo call to arms has
trickled down to local administrations and law enforcement (and other non-State
armed elements?), emboldening those who hold local state coercive powers. With
unfriendly media now in the crosshairs, will people therefore be less inclined
to level criticism at the new Administration?
Mr. Duterte’s attacks on media and others
critical of him—even as they are ironically framed as an assertion of his own
“freedom of expression”—on the contrary result
in the suppression of this freedom, serving to foster a “chilling effect” on
dissent and contrarian opinions, lest they be called out as expressions of
“stupidity” or “idiocy”, or worse, corruption-tainted hatchet jobs paid by
enemies of his government and therefore worthy of violent reprisal.
The
Foundation for Media Alternatives (FMA) therefore adds its voice to the few
who, during this “honeymoon phase”, have sought to address these threats and
counter any such chilling effects by issuing appropriate statements of concern
and condemnation (such as various journalist
organizations, women’s groups, and international free expression advocates)
about the rhetoric which may construct reality.
In response to these contrarian voices, it
is unfortunate that the President-elect’s immediate reactions have been even
more confrontational, strident, and even condescending and insulting. Either as
a part of a deliberate strategy, or merely an expression of the Mayor’s
well-known candor and honesty, Mr. Duterte has managed to disrespect and even
malign such venerable institutions such as the Commission on Human Rights
(CHR), the Catholic Church, and even the United Nations.
Lest these attacks be deemed justifiable
due to acknowledged flaws within these institutions, we must point out how these attacks only serve to weaken the
democratic ecosystem which exists in our country. We must remember that
part of the institutional roles of such institutions—free media, independent
churches, national human rights institutions, and apex intergovernmental bodies
like the UN—is precisely to prevent
abuse of States and their instrumentalities.
Naming and shaming these organizations for
perceived slights betrays a lack of
appreciation of their institutional roles in a democracy; vilifying them or
their representatives in effect seeks to
de-legitimize them in the eyes of the public. This ultimately will lead to
a weakening of the democratic system of
checks and balance that prevents overconcentration of power by the State.
The President-elect’s recent warnings to
Congress not to initiate any legislative inquiries on his anti-crime
initiatives can also be considered as another frontal attack on an
institutional pillar of democracy, which again serves to undermine the balance of
power between and among co-equal branches of government. Is the President-elect
above any democratic limits on Executive power?
Dutertismo came to power democratically on the will of vast numbers of
Filipinos fed up with a perceived old and uncaring order, and traditional
politician-based responses to age-old social exclusions. Hence we believe that
President-elect Duterte has to be given a chance to make Dutertismo work in such a complex political, economic and social
environment far from the more simple parameters of local governance. If this
requires the President-elect utilizing a more frank, no-nonsense, and
take-no-prisoners discourse that apparently resonates with a large section of
the citizenry which has felt historically excluded, then so be it. It may
eventually deserve our political support, if it delivers its promise of genuine
change.
But when this discourse and political style
crosses a line that serves to diminish
the human rights which the Filipino people have fought for decades to
defend, or impugns the legitimacy of
democratic institutions tasked to defend these rights, or belittles the rights and freedoms of any
Filipino, it is incumbent on all Filipinos to speak up.
On the question of human rights therefore, Dutertismo
will be ultimately judged on whether it
will address the culture of impunity that taints this country, or contribute to
it. Even in this “honeymoon period”—or at any time it manifests itself
actually—any violent rhetoric that negatively impacts on rights must
immediately be responded to and countered, lest it evolve into political
reality.
We urge the incoming President and his
administration to refrain from inciting any more violence, and to discontinue
any lines of attack on legitimate and democratic institutions, for what is at
stake is beyond just his avowed personal right to free expression. He—as de
facto the most powerful person in the country now—must be circumspect based on
his mandate to defend the very institutions that has allowed his rise to power.
First they came for the Socialists,
and I did not speak out - because I was not a Socialist.
Then they came for the Trade Unionist, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.
And then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
Then they came for the Trade Unionist, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Trade Unionist.
Then they came for the Jews, and I did not speak out - because I was not a Jew.
And then they came for me - and there was no one left to speak for me.
Martin Niemöller
German anti-Nazi theologian and Lutheran pastor
[2] Duterte and the Davao Death Squad; 5 dead in Philippines as
Duterte-inspired street executions start; The summary execution after the PH Election; Vigilante
killings alarm CHR, church execs; Duterte warns cops involved in drug
trade: I'll kill you; Rodrigo Duterte: Shoot a drug
dealer, get a medal; Philippines' Rodrigo Duterte: Public
'can kill' criminals
Ross is known as the Pambansang Blogger ng Pilipinas - An Information and Communication Technology (ICT) Professional by profession and a Social Media Evangelist by heart.
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