LEILA DE LIMA 2.0

By Wilfredo G. Villanueva on July 11, 2024

Atty. Leila with her supporters before leaving RTC Muntinlupa

Interview by Wilfredo Gatbonton Villanueva

Did they just let out Leila de Lima as we know her, or am I interviewing an altogether new person brimming with poetic justice, an undying love of country, whipped up with a muted desire to make things right not only for herself but to the society at large, all these with a generous serving of God almighty's zeal and guidance, with Jose Rizal genius, and Andres Bonifacio and General Antonio Luna's old-school bravery?

A novelist would have been awestruck with such a concept, pounding on the keyboard, seeking to write the great Filipino novel, El Filibusterismo on his mind, of a not-so mere woman thrust to our collective consciousness, when we would rather curl up and watch streaming Netflix, updates on the latest breakup and popcorn on the fly, pare-pareho lang naman lahat ng politiko, back to online entertainment, next?

Yes, ladies and gents, behold the upgraded Leila de Lima with scars aforementioned. Does she have a hardened heart, I asked, knowing her answer but wanting a confirmation. "No," she said, for a heart that kept on beating in the darkness by her lonesome, an electric fan humming away her feelings like a song, hemmed in by a 3-meter tall moss-covered fence topped with razor-sharp wire, with a growing population of street cats–pusakals–seeking human touch like herself, the constant threat of death re-staged by a supposed deranged inmate with a knife to her throat, ring upon ring of security personnel around her, treated as public enemy number one, a whisker away from execution if she only so much blinked, can only be humbled by the Holy Spirit, thus cannot be hardened, but made ready for the unfinished task ahead; a patriot is born by the spite of a man worshipped for his foulness and nothing else. Authentic daw kasi.

You think of how diamonds, pearls of great price, precious gold is formed, by immense pressure in the bowels of the earth that would have crushed ordinary elements to ordinariness. But this 64-year-old martyr/saint/battleax remains an enigma to her enemies but a compassionate pusong mamon to her friends, most of all to Israel, her sweet, handsome son in autism spectrum, to Coco her favorite dog and her cats, remnants of her stay in Gulag for six years, eight months, 21 days, open to visitation 8am to 5pm weekdays except Mondays, and Holy Mass on Sundays under the aegis of Parokya ni Leila. (Father Robert Reyes, Father Albert Alejo, S.J. or Pareng Bert; and Father Flavie Villanueva, S.V.D. are the priests that have formed that informal parish.)

There is no trace of sadness or bitterness in her for her unjust incarceration. Parokya ni Leila has made her spiritual.

I asked her to make a S.W.O.T. analysis of the country.

Strengths

"A strong and vibrant civil society that comprises a movement that remains to be an assurance that democracy is kept afloat."

"A labor force made up of professional and skilled workers."

Weaknesses

"Bad governance."

"Poverty."

"Gap between rich and poor."

"Backward educational system."

"Patronage politics."

"Wealth concentrated in the hands of a few."

Opportunities

"Educational system needs quick reforms."

"An opportunity to appoint a new and competent Secretary of Department of Education preferably from the education sector." (This is moot and academic with the appointment of Senator Sonny Angara as the new DepEd Secretary after VP Sara Duterte.)

"Create a national long-term plan based on economic activity with decent living wages."

"Keep up military upgrade; NPA no longer a formidable force, so we can prepare for external threats."

She believes that "China's end goal is total control and domination over the West Philippine Sea and full exploitation of the marine resources there."

Threats

"POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operations) and the concomitant corruption of our law enforcement authorities and public officials is a tool to weaken our social fabric, to make us susceptible to manipulation and undermine our resolve to assert our sovereignty."

"Billions spent in nonbeneficial public works projects."

"Corruption at our port of entry through Bureau of Customs."

If there is a knife pointed at our throats that can lead to instantaneous death, what would it be?

"Our political culture. There is a resurgence of authoritarian government. For example, the plan to field three Dutertes as senatoriables at the same time next year. Is this for self-preservation? Certainly, they will be espousing the same mode of governance. That would be a disaster!" de Lima said.

What are your thoughts about your acquittal from all three cases?

"I had no doubt that someday, charges will be dismissed. I stood by the truth of my innocence. Pero hindi ko inaasahan na ganun katagal. I was arrested on Feb. 24, 2017. Four years later, one case was dismissed, in 2021. In May 2023, the second case was dismissed. Last month (June 24, 2024), I was acquitted of all charges. This is because many judges inhibited themselves, about six or seven of them, so proceedings were delayed."

"Medyo anticlimactic ang acquittal ko sa third or last trumped-up drug case last June 24. Grabe, ang iyak ko noong November last year when bail was granted. We anticipated that the demurrer to evidence would be resolved seven months later, which is what happened."

(A demurrer to evidence is a pivotal legal concept in jurisprudence, allowing a defendant to challenge the sufficiency of the plaintiff's or prosecution's evidence. - Respicio & Co. Synonyms to demur: objection, protest.)

Are you planning a nationwide tour to explain your acquittal?

"Eric Tanada, Teddy Baguilat join me in campus tours. Siliman University is one of the academic institutions that we have visited. We have pending invites from Baguio, Cebu, Zamboanga. Political education programs are key."

"We encourage the students to be active in the public sphere. This activity is very fulfilling. We have a woke generation. But because of the ease of communications and gadgets, we caution them to exercise critical thinking in various social media platforms."

Describe the Leila de Lima brand. How do you want to be remembered?

"That I endured persecution, that I persevered, that I remain unbowed and unbroken."

What is the role of God in what you went through, if ever?

We couldn't do it without His enlightenment.

Postscript:

Of the six cats that Leila de Lima brought home with her from Crame, one escaped, never to return. I suppose there is a Leila de Lima even in catdom. One will get away, freedom being the only option in life. - WGV