Speech of Senate President Franklin M. Drilon
Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats 20th Anniversary
Saturday, November 09, 2013
Manila Hotel, City of Manila
THE CALD JOURNEY: THE PURSUIT OF COMMON DEMOCRATIC ASPIRATIONS
Hon.
Graham Watson, Hon. Sam Rainsy, Dr. Rainer Adam, Secretary Joseph
Emilio “Jun” Abaya, distinguished guests, friends, ladies and gentlemen,
good morning.
Exactly ten years ago, I was in Bangkok, Thailand—the birthplace of
Council of Asian Liberals and Democrats – to take part in the
celebration of a decade of democratic activism amongst liberal political
parties in Asia. Many of you in this audience were with us then.
Today, as we celebrate CALD's 20th anniversary, we extend our warm
welcome to our friends in Europe and Asia. Literally, the Alliance of
Liberals and Democrats for Europe, and the CALD, meet in Manila in the
eye of the storm--the strongest tropical cyclone to hit land in world
history. Welcome to Manila!
I
remember the engaging discussions in Bangkok ten years ago when key
personalities from CALD and allied liberals worldwide were wide engaged
in. I was touched by the hospitality of our hosts led by former Thai
Prime Minister Chuan Leekpai; our founding Chair, the former Thai
Foreign Minister and ASEAN Secretary General, Dr. Surin Pitsuwan; and
the CALD Chair during that time, Prince Sukhumbhand Paribatra, now the
Governor of Bangkok.
At
that time, I was on my third year as the President of the Philippine
Senate. I was then a newly minted Chairman of the Philippine Liberal
Party.
Since
then, CALD and the Liberal Party have become important parts of my
political and professional life, especially from 2005 to 2007 during my
tenure as CALD Chair.
I
can proudly say that through various political, economic and social
turmoil, from one crisis after another, CALD and the Philippine Liberal
Party were there to tackle head on the most pressing and relevant issues
and concerns of the day. We did it with clarity of vision, and the
determination to seek the best solutions which, in turn, can only be
achieved by our willingness for serious self-examination. Our only
prejudice--our liberal ideology. Our only bias--our conviction to serve
the people.
Today,
we open the 6th meeting between the ALDE and CALD. This is the second
time for the Liberal Party of the Philippines to be given the honor of
hosting this most important event.
As
many of you know, while CALD was born in Asia, it was conceived in
Europe. But it has not been a one way street. Yes, it is true that many
of us in Asia still have a long way to go to reach the level of
democratic advancement, political maturity and stability and of course,
economic development that you have in Europe. Despite the multifarious
problems facing the European Union, so clearly outlined by Mr. Graham,
it still remains, for many of us a model of regional integration, which
the Association for Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN), for example, can
emulate.
The
cooperation and engagement between CALD and ALDE have become a
partnership in the truest sense of the word; a partnership characterized
by mutual respect, transparency and mutual accountability; a
partnership that has resulted in mutual growth and development, and even
synergy.
Today, CALD remains relevant. We are now on our 20th
year—stronger than ever, ready once again to serve as a clearing house
for the best ideas and practices that can aid us—whether as political
parties, as parliamentarians, as government or even as opposition
leaders offering viable alternatives—in drafting political agendas,
policies and platforms of governance.
In
a span of ten years, many CALD member parties gained, lost, or regained
power. Parallel to the ups and downs of the political fortunes of
bigger political parties within CALD is the continued persecution of our
political allies. But even within authoritarian and semi-authoritarian
regimes, CALD has significant victories.
In
Myanmar, our beloved Aung San Syu Kyi has been released after spending
more than 15 years in detention, and is actively campaigning in and
outside Myanmar to lead her people to the path of freedom and democracy.
Aung
Suu Kyi once said, and I quote: “Throughout my years in detention,
CALD has been a consistent voice in calling for the restoration of
freedom and democracy. Much remains to be done….there still remains many
oppressive regimes all over the world, and in our part of the
world…CALD and its allies continue… to use (their) freedom to promote
ours” (end of quote).
In
Cambodia, the united opposition, headed by our dear friend and
incumbent CALD Chair, Sam Rainsy, has officially won 55 seats—an
increase of 26 seats. Because of allegations of massive cheating, vote
buying and a partisan electoral commission, Sam Rainsy and the National
Rescue Party continue to reject the results of the national elections,
and have taken their case to another venue which we Filipinos are only
too familiar with—the parliament of the streets.
In
Singapore, Dr. Chee Soon Juan, after repeated prosecution and
incarceration, can now travel freely, and will be joining us this
afternoon after several years of forced absence.
In
the Philippines, the Liberal Party rose to power with the election of
President Benigno Simeon Aquino III. The Aquino Administration strongly
pursues the twin goals of good governance and sustainable development.
However, good governance and addressing the scourge of corruption by
relentlessly pursuing transparency and accountability are not easy
tasks.
Today,
the Aquino government is getting intense public beating because of the
alleged misuse of government resources earmarked in the national budget
by some legislators, popularly known in the West as the pork barrel, to
fund preferred projects and programs. We see this challenge, colossal as
it is, as a cleansing process. The Aquino government will not spare anyone who will be proven guilty from accountability and punishment.
This might be a painful politically cleansing process, but we are
confident that when the political and judicial process is completed, and
the guilty is punished, the platform of good governance upon which the
Aquino Administration stands, will have a stronger foundation.
Today,
in the Philippines, government transparency and openness have been made
possible, we must emphasize, because of the Aquino administration’s
strong adherence to democratic principles and ideals.
Bad
governance – the root of all economic ills – can be squarely addressed
only in a democracy, because of the presence of institutions and legal
environment that make governments and public officials accountable.
Democracy is a continuing struggle. For as long as we remain steadfast in our convictions and principles, we will prevail.
For
some countries in Asia, the pursuit of democracy is long and arduous.
Aside from the political persecution and oppression of those in the
opposition, or even in exile, those of us who are in power, or who have
been in power, also face serious challenges to the democratic gains we
have made. Political patronage, populism and dogmatism, continue to
hound otherwise stable democracies such as the Philippines, Thailand and
Taiwan.
However,
we must remain optimistic. We must not lose hope. Certainly, we look
forward to the day when Aung San Suu Kyi becomes the first
democratically elected president of Myanmar after decades of military
rule. And, we will all be there cheering and proud, when our CALD Chair,
Sam Rainsy, is elected as Prime Minister of Cambodia. CALD will
certainly be sending a delegation to your inaugurations, as it did when
President Aquino became the 15th President of the Republic of the Philippines.
Today,
as we celebrate our victories, we recognize the sacrifices, and even
the martyrdom, of those who made these possible. There are other things
more important than becoming the party in power. Our core liberal
values, among them the protection of the rights of every individual, the
rule of law, good governance --these are what defines us. In times of
struggles, these are what keep us going. In times of victory, these
become our moral compass.
Political
parties are the heart and soul of a democracy. We, liberals, should be
at the forefront of political party reform. We must reach out to our
constituents. We must remain inclusive and consultative. A political
party that does not practice internal democracy, can never be expected
to rule democratically.
To
those who continue to remain with us, we say thank you. To those who
will be joining us in our endeavours, we extend our warm welcome.
To
those who are no longer with us—President Kim Dae Jung of South Korea,
President Ab-dur-rah-man Wahid of Indonesia, Senator Vi-ja-ya-rat-Nam of
Malaysia, and our very own, President Corazon Aquino—we humbly offer
our eternal gratitude.
Thank you very much.
Walang komento:
Mag-post ng isang Komento