MAMAMAYANG Liberal Party-list Rep. Leila de Lima on Monday criticized Vice President Sara Z. Duterte’s silence over recent sexist remarks directed at women, saying the lack of response sends a troubling message about leadership and respect for women.
During the House’s all-women session, Rep. Leila de Lima delivered a privilege speech titled “The Sound of Sara’s Silence,” emphasizing that silence can sometimes be more powerful than words.
“Sa gitna ito ng lantaran at tahasang pambabastos sa kababaihan. In the particular cases of Congressman [Bong] Suntay and Atty. [Ferdinand] Topacio, we also know that their remarks were uttered in light of the impeachment complaint against the Vice President herself,” De Lima said.
“Yan siguro ang paraan nila ng pagdepensa kay VP Sara. Gets po natin ‘yan, kahit bastos sila. Ang hindi natin gets ay kung bakit si VP Sara ay naaatim na manahimik kahit inaalipusta na ang mga babaeng gaya nya,” De Lima said, referring to remarks made by a congressman and a lawyer, De Lima said the comments were linked to efforts to defend the Vice President.
“This is the sound of Sara’s silence.
Hindi tayo pumapayag dito. Hindi tayo dapat pumayag dito. At tayo naman sa Kamarang ito: ano ang ating tugon? Huwag naman po sanang magkikibit-balikat. Huwag naman po sanang mahahawahan ng pananahimik. Dahil ang pagsawalang-kibo ay pakikisangkot. Dapat na hamunin at singilin natin ang ating mga pinuno kapag mali, kapag baluktok ang kanilang asal at salita, at kapag walang katwiran ang kanilang pagtikom ng bibig kung kailan kailangan,” de Lima said.
“We are told that sometimes action speaks louder than words. This is true. But oftentimes, inaction — or, should we say, omission or silence — can be the loudest speaker,” De Lima said.
“And here it’s not enough that we call out the silence of the Vice President. And it’s also not enough that we point out that silence actually reflects on her character, on the type of woman and leader she really is. That on the things that matter – women’s dignity, our country’s sovereignty, the rule of law in our land – we cannot count on her. Importante po ang mga puntong ito. But our bigger point here is to confront the political message and symbolic meanings of that silence. More telling here are the far-reaching repercussions that that silence may cause in the public consciousness and the effects that it may engender in the minds of our public servants. Na tamang manahimik kahit niyuyurakan na ang dignidad ng tao. Na tamang magsawalang-kibo kahit inaagaw na ang ating teritoryo at inaalipusta na ang sariling kababayan. Na tamang palampasin ang krimen at panggugulo na parang walang kwenta ang ating Konstitusyon at mga batas,” de Lima said.
“Dalawang mambabatas na mambabastos ito, at tatlo silang diumano’y nakapag-aral pa ng batas, pero hindi tumatalab sa kanila ang Convention for the Elimination of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW), Magna Carta of Women, Safe Spaces Act at marami pang batas at polisiya para sa kababaihan,” De Lima said.
She then questioned why the Vice President had remained silent despite the controversy.
“And then there is a kind of leader who does not talk, but her silence effectively disrespects women, while diminishing her own office. She keeps quiet, yet her silence already speaks volume,” De Lima said.
She also cited the Vice President’s silence following remarks by her father, former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte, during a rally in Davao.
“Gaya rin kaya ito ng pananahimik ni VP Sara sa malinaw na inciting to sedition na
ginawa ng kanyang ama sa isang rally sa Davao na hinikayat na mag-alsa ang militar? Nanaig
lang kaya ang pagiging anak nya, o ang presensya mismo niya ay maituturing na pag-sang-ayon sa sinabi ng kanyang Ama? May malinaw na krimeng naganap, pero hindi nagsalita o dumistansya dito si VP Sara. Mas matimbang ba ang pulitika nilang mag-ama kaysa pangingibabaw ng batas at kaayusan sa ating lipunan?” De Lima said.
“Saan na napunta ang Panunumpa sa
Katungkulan na maging tapat sa Konstitusyon at mga batas? Sa bagay magtataka pa ba tayo eh
sa bibig nya nga pala mismo galing na naisip nyang putulin ang ulo ng Pangulo at nagbanta
pang ipapatay ito. May ‘tapang at malasakit’ daw sa maraming isyu. Pero tikom ang bibig pagdating sa mga usapin ng dignidad ng kababaihan, soberanya ng sariling bansa, at pangingibabaw ng batas,” de Lima stressed.
She warned that silence from leaders could normalize disrespect, injustice and disregard for the rule of law.
“But our bigger point here is to confront the political message and symbolic meanings of that silence,” she said.
“Na tamang manahimik kahit niyuyurakan na ang dignidad ng tao. Na tamang magsawalang-kibo kahit inaagaw na ang ating teritoryo at inaalipusta na ang sariling kababayan,” she added.
“Isn’t the dignity of women far more important to her than personal or partisan interests? Isn’t decency in public discourse weightier than political theatrics in pursuit of presidential ambition?” she added.
De Lima also compared the Vice President’s silence on the issue with what she described as her lack of response to other national concerns.
“Katulad din ba ito ng pananahimik ni VP Sara sa pananakop ng China sa ilang bahagi ng West Philippine Sea?” she said.
“Mas matimbang ba sa kanya ang suporta ng China sukdulang talikuran ang sariling bansa? Mas mabigat ba ang interes ng dayuhan kaysa sa ating soberanya?” she added.
She noted that during Women’s Month many public officials publicly express support for women’s empowerment but fail to live by those statements.
“During Women’s Month, every March, many politicians and public personalities grab microphones and flood social media with their praises for the importance of women in various spheres and their commitments to women’s empowerment in different walks of life,” she said.
“They preach equality, protest against discrimination, and proclaim loudly to be pro-women. Pero may ilan sa kanila na hindi naman isinasabuhay ang sinasabi. May ilang nang-aapi ng babae. Performative statements lang pala ang kanilang mga pahayag,” she added.
De Lima also condemned sexist remarks and behavior by certain public figures, saying such statements diminish respect for women and undermine existing laws protecting them.
“Then, there’s another breed of public figures who cannot even afford to hide in words their contempt of women, who cannot shut their mouths or temper their language in hurling sexist and misogynistic remarks,” she said.
De Lima urged fellow lawmakers not to ignore such issues.
“Hindi tayo pumapayag dito. Hindi tayo dapat pumayag dito,” she said.
“Huwag naman po sanang magkikibit-balikat. Huwag naman po sanang mahahawahan ng pananahimik. Dahil ang pagsawalang-kibo ay pakikisangkot,” De Lima added.
“Belated International Women’s Day. Happy Women’s Month. Mabuhay ang kababaihan at lahat ng mga maka-kababaihan,” de Lima said.
