Stripping the voice from the dissenters strikes at the very heart of democracy’s soul. Each time the current administration clamps down on the vibrant echo of Duterte’s legacy while turning a deaf ear to the cries of the people, they unwittingly stoke the fires of his political spirit among the masses. It’s a tragic irony that the common folk, the ‘tao,’ find the echoes of Duterte’s reign more resonant as their current needs and fears are neglected.
What’s even more alarming, what sends a shiver down the spine of our nation’s conscience, is the oppressive silence of the mainstream media. Their voices, once the trumpets of truth, now seem muzzled, their silence a deafening testament to the invisible chokehold the current powers wield over them.
This silence is a malignancy on the body of our democracy, a shadow that darkens the very freedoms our forebears fought so valiantly to secure. Every unreported story, every ignored injustice, every smothered outcry that the media fails to broadcast, is a nail in the coffin of our democratic ideals. The media’s silence is not just an omission—it’s a betrayal, a betrayal that suffocates the breath of democracy and leaves the common ‘tao’ gasping for air in a space that once promised the freedom of expression.
We must ask ourselves, what is a democracy if not the chorus of its people’s voices? Where is our nation heading if the very institutions meant to safeguard our rights are the ones undermining them? It is a chilling thought, one that should stir us from complacency and ignite a fervent demand for the freedoms that are our birthright. It is time for the silenced voices to rise, time for the shackles of intimidation to break, and time for the true essence of democracy to flourish once again.
No matter the political colors that adorn Malacañan Palace, the pillars of democracy must stand unshaken: the unwavering protection of freedom of speech and the right to peaceably assemble. These fundamental rights are non-negotiable and inalienable, regardless of who claims the throne, for they are the bedrock upon which a true democracy is built.
Let us remember that silencing dissent today may echo as tyranny tomorrow, and vigilantly guard these essential freedoms against any encroachment, no matter the guise it wears.
