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Sen . Delima is a dilemma even for President Duterte .
A dilemma is a situation where you have to decide between two difficult choices . It ’ s like a choice between the devil and the deep blue sea , or in this case , allowing democratic freedom of speech in aid of legislation but having to put up with annoying , politically destabilizing rhetoric ; or deciding to jail the Senator to shut her up , but , in the process , be accused of dictatorship , political persecution and harassment .
I remember a historical note about the relationship between President Marcos and Sen . Ninoy Aquino that said Pres . Marcos was caught in his own dilemma between the need for a credible political opposition to preserve the semblance of democracy in a de-facto and dictatorship , versus silencing the popular opposition leader in whatever way . But Marcos
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also knew that a martyr lives forever , and that is why I suppose , Ninoy was jailed , not executed ; tried and convicted , but allowed exile ; told to stay away but insisted on coming home ; and so the rest is history .
My own dilemma today has to do with the horrifying lack of a credible , inspiring opposition leader . I mean someone that can galvanize the people and transform their party into a movement . Ninoy , for all his faults , was a charismatic , intelligent , elegant , charming yet shrewd politician .
The opposition today needs someone like that to emulate , a strong force of persuasion and intellect . Someone who is more than just a counter-puncher to match the President ’ s bruteness and trash-talk . Definitely someone with more vision than mouthing motherhood statements for the helpless people at the
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hem of society . Certainly not an elitist pop singer with an Australian citizenship whose idea of a worthy opponent is a bunch of kids holding up a streamer .
And that is why the opposition gets very little traction these days . No matter what they do . Without a leader , the opposition would have to make do with the likes of Sen . Delima . And that my dear friends is a real dilemma .
I always found Senator Delima a bit “ OA ” in the arena of political ambition . Maybe that ’ s part of the problem . When the dust from the elections finally settled , some senators of the liberal party , Delima included , joined the majority coalition to elect Duterte ’ s annointed , Sen . Pimentel , to the Senate Presidency . Now , as chairman of a major committee like justice , Sen . Delima gets another budget in addition to what the Office of the Senator
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already receives .
But , instead of acting as a member of a coalition , she behaves the opposite : more like the rah-rah poster girl of the opposition , with all the smoke , bluster and drama , while the rest of the opposition takes a back seat and allows her , without any significant support , to get beating after beating from the President and his supporters .
Of course , there are the usual statements in the name of God , Country and party , but the political reality is the opposition cannot have their cake and eat it too . They cannot be in opposition and at the same time a beneficiary of a Senate Coalition . And that is why , inspite of all the effort , the opposition suffers from a credibility and authenticity problem .
As for the good Senator , her anti-Duterte actions have earned her a drug charge and some jail time . She says the charges are preposterous , and she might be right . She
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says it ’ s political persecution and she may have a point too . But she has to agree that , for all of her complaints about the President ’ s lack of due process , Sen . Delima arrest has become the best example of it .
That being said , we all need to also agree that Senator Leila Delima is innocent until proven guilty by a competent court of law . Because if we cannot believe in that , there not much else worthy for us to believe in .
I have to admire Sen . Delima ’ s courage . To stand for a principle of what she believes is right . That was what the EDSA spirit was all about thirty-one years ago . The courage to be there . The courage to stand for right and liberty . Helpless . Scared yet unbowed . Armed only with a steamer , a printed T-shirt and a conviction .
Much like the courage of the Duterte Youth at the EDSA Anniversary yesterday .
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