Robredo rallies Asian liberals to strengthen, protect democracy from threats
Published Nov 19, 2018 03:15 pm
By Raymund Antonio
Vice President Leni Robredo on Monday rallied liberals and democrats in Asia to strengthen their resolve to protect democracy as their rights and freedoms are at risk due to serious threats.
Vice President Leni Robredo
(Photo by OVP / MANILA BULLETIN) In her speech before the 8th Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (CALD-ALDE) Summit in Bangkok, she encouraged them to “speak truth to power” for democracy. “We have to help other democracies thrive by supporting institutions in our midst: those campaigning for civil rights, crowds rallying for fair and free elections, groups fighting for freedom of the press and free speech in an age of disinformation and fake news,” she said. “At this point in time, it is critical that those of us who aim to preserve these tenets of liberalism should restore people’s trust in them,” the Vice President added. Robredo was the guest speaker at the summit that gathered liberals and democrats in Asia to discuss ways that will strengthen and protect institutions amid the rise of populism, liberalism, and authoritarianism in the region. The opposition Liberal Party, of which Robredo is chair, is a member of CALD, the only regional alliance of liberal and democratic parties in Asia. Robredo opened her speech by recalling the times in history when then President Corazon Aquino rallied the Filipino people to the streets in protest of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ tyranny. The Vice President said that during the Marcos regime, Aquino fought for freedom and restoration of democracy in the country. “They dismissed her as merely ‘the housewife’ of exiled opposition leader, who was a liberal, Ninoy Aquino, but she fought for her countrymen who could no longer take the abuses of the dictator,” she said. For Robredo, this is a story “worth telling” to everyone. In the same speech, the Vice President noted that democracies in Asia are facing “serious threats” as “populist movements and strongmen leaderships are expanding.” “Ultimately, the challenge for us today is this: How do we safeguard our democratic institutions at a time when its legitimacy is undermined? How do we keep the freedom agenda alive?” she asked. The challenges now, she cited, include the global trend where people are drawn to populists and repressive regimes that affect the marginalized communities. With these, the Vice President said it depends to the people to stop the return of tyrannical rulers and keep the spirit of democracy alive. “Now more than ever, nations must find solutions together and create spaces for collaboration to face the enemy. Through these avenues, we build a strong community and camaraderie among nations,” said Robredo. “We cannot simply utter the core of our beliefs and expect the ordinary citizen to understand where we stand. We must use their language, we must see where they are coming from, and we must speak with one voice,” she added.
Vice President Leni Robredo(Photo by OVP / MANILA BULLETIN) In her speech before the 8th Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats - Alliance of Liberals and Democrats for Europe (CALD-ALDE) Summit in Bangkok, she encouraged them to “speak truth to power” for democracy. “We have to help other democracies thrive by supporting institutions in our midst: those campaigning for civil rights, crowds rallying for fair and free elections, groups fighting for freedom of the press and free speech in an age of disinformation and fake news,” she said. “At this point in time, it is critical that those of us who aim to preserve these tenets of liberalism should restore people’s trust in them,” the Vice President added. Robredo was the guest speaker at the summit that gathered liberals and democrats in Asia to discuss ways that will strengthen and protect institutions amid the rise of populism, liberalism, and authoritarianism in the region. The opposition Liberal Party, of which Robredo is chair, is a member of CALD, the only regional alliance of liberal and democratic parties in Asia. Robredo opened her speech by recalling the times in history when then President Corazon Aquino rallied the Filipino people to the streets in protest of late dictator Ferdinand Marcos’ tyranny. The Vice President said that during the Marcos regime, Aquino fought for freedom and restoration of democracy in the country. “They dismissed her as merely ‘the housewife’ of exiled opposition leader, who was a liberal, Ninoy Aquino, but she fought for her countrymen who could no longer take the abuses of the dictator,” she said. For Robredo, this is a story “worth telling” to everyone. In the same speech, the Vice President noted that democracies in Asia are facing “serious threats” as “populist movements and strongmen leaderships are expanding.” “Ultimately, the challenge for us today is this: How do we safeguard our democratic institutions at a time when its legitimacy is undermined? How do we keep the freedom agenda alive?” she asked. The challenges now, she cited, include the global trend where people are drawn to populists and repressive regimes that affect the marginalized communities. With these, the Vice President said it depends to the people to stop the return of tyrannical rulers and keep the spirit of democracy alive. “Now more than ever, nations must find solutions together and create spaces for collaboration to face the enemy. Through these avenues, we build a strong community and camaraderie among nations,” said Robredo. “We cannot simply utter the core of our beliefs and expect the ordinary citizen to understand where we stand. We must use their language, we must see where they are coming from, and we must speak with one voice,” she added.