(November 14, 2005/ Manila) Hon. Franklin Drilon, Senate President of the Philippines and President of the Liberal Party, served as keynote speaker during the dinner tonight in honor of Mr. Sam Rainsy, leader of the Cambodian opposition and the Sam Rainsy Party.
This is the first official function attended by Senator Drilon as the new Chairman of the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats (CALD). Last October 14, Taiwanese President Chen Shui-bian turned over the CALD Chairmanship from the Democratic Progressive Party of Taiwan to the Liberal Party of the Philippines.
The dinner, hosted jointly by Mr. John Coronel, CALD Executive Director, and Dr. Ronald Meinardus, Resident Representative of the Friedrich Naumann Foundation, welcomed the more than thirty senior officials of the Sam Rainsy Party to Manila.
This is the first time that Sam Rainsy was able personally to meet his partymates since he was forced into exile last February 14, when his parliamentary immunity was lifted. CALD passed its first resolution for 2005 expressing concern regarding this development.
Senate President Drilon, the 3rd highest official of the Philippines, expressed his concern regarding the situation in Cambodia. Below is the complete text of his speech.
His Excellency Sam Rainsy, our distinguished MPs and guests from Cambodia, Butch, Dina, Raul Daza, Gov. Grace Padaca, party-mate from the Liberal Party and the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats, Mr. Hubertus von Welck, and Dr. Ronald Meinardus of Friedrich Naumann Foundation, Mrs. Meinardus, friends, ladies and gentlemen, a pleasant evening to all of you.
As President of the Liberal Party of the Philippines and Chairman of the Council of Asian Liberals & Democrats, I would like to extend a warm welcome to our visitors from Cambodia, members and officials of the Sam Rainsy Party.
Both the Sam Rainsy Party and the Liberal Party of the Philippines are members of CALD. The Honorable Sam Rainsy chaired the CALD from 2000 to 2002 and his immediate predecessors were former Education Secretary Florencio “Butch” Abad and former Deputy Speaker now Governor Raul Daza.
Once again the Liberal Party of the Philippines was given the distinguished honor and privilege of chairing the CALD last October 14 in Taipei. Senator Rodolfo Biazon accepted the CALD chairmanship on my behalf from His Excellency Chen Shui-bian, President of Taiwan and member of the Democratic Progressive Party at the historic Taipei Guesthouse. I was then in Geneva to participate in the 13th General Assembly meeting of the Inter-Parliamentary Union and its Committee on Human Rights. Among the distinguished parliamentarians I met was the esteemed leader of the opposition in the Kingdom of Cambodia and former CALD Chairman the Honorable Sam Rainsy. Even if we both missed the momentous occasion in Taipei, Sam Rainsy and I were with you in spirit through our firm commitment to democracy in Asia.
Messrs. Sam and Chea are here with us tonight. However, Mr. Cheam Cheam Channy is still detained in Phnom Penh. Friends, it is unfortunate that members of the Sam Rainsy Party have to meet in another country since their leader cannot return to Cambodia because of their fear of arrest by the authorities.
Membership in the parliamentary committee by SRP in our area is being addressed by Prince Ranariddh. Parliamentary immunity is not just a privilege extended to legislators to protect us from possible harassment in the course of doing our duties, whether in terms of creating laws or exercising oversight functions; it is integral to a working democracy, for it ensures the separation of powers. We Filipinos and Cambodians deeply understood that absolute power corrupts absolutely.
During the 112th Assembly of the Inter-Parliamentary Union in Manila we lobbied against the chairing of ASEAN by Myanmar because of the curtailment of human rights in that country. There was a separate effort in the Philippine Senate. We succeeded in convincing Myanmar not to take the ASEAN chairmanship. For this allow me to congratulate the Philippine Parliamentary Caucus on Burma—many members of which come from the Liberal Party.
However, until now the parliamentary immunity of Mr. Sam Rainsy and his two colleagues has not been restored and Aung San Suu Kyi still remains in detention. What we started last April in Manila is still a work in progress. We all know too well that democracy is a never-ending process. And it has been said eternal vigilance is democracy’s price.
In Cambodia the struggle for democracy remains even decades after the genocidal reign of the Khmer Rouge. The Philippines is no stranger to democratic struggles. In 1898, our country became Asia’s first democratic nation when Filipino revolutionaries defeated the Spaniards after three centuries of colonial rule. After the Spaniards, two more foreign rulers came to our shores. However, the Filipino’s indomitable spirit and unwavering commitment to democracy moved the people to drive these colonial rulers away. Decades later our country experienced another curtailment of democracy in the hands of an authoritarian regime. But we courageously and relentlessly worked for democracy to be restored and in 1986 the world was astounded by the bloodless EDSA People Power revolution that drove the dictator away. Since then, the EDSA People Power revolution inspired democratic movements inKorea, Indonesia, Taiwan and Eastern Europe.
Gaining freedom is one thing; maintaining it is another. The last few decades saw the emergence of democratic nations in Asia. This is something we should celebrate. But much work remains to be done. Many countries continue to be under authoritarian and semi-authoritarian regimes. Even democratic countries must not rest on their laurels, for democracy has its relentless enemies. Hence it must be zealously guarded.
Indeed there is a lot of work to be done. We Filipinos and Cambodians must continue our respective struggles. But regardless of the difficulties and enormity of our tasks we find consolation in the fact that we are not alone. As Asian Liberals and Democrats we must remain united and support each other’s struggles.
Once again, I welcome you to Manila. May you bring back to Cambodia pleasant memories of the Filipino’s warmth and hospitality.
Categorised in: News Article
This post was written by CALD
Unit 409, 4/F La Fuerza Plaza 2, 2241 Don Chino Roces Ave. corner Sabio St., 1231 Makati City, Philippines
+632 8819 60 71
info@cald.org
