De Lima pens a poem urging women to stand up against 'berdugo', fight for truth & equality

Opposition Senator Leila M. de Lima has penned a poem urging women to not be afraid to stand up and speak up for truth, freedom, justice, and equality amid sinister attempts by what she called as a "berdugo" (evil executioner), alluding to Mr. Duterte, to silence and undermine them.

The poem entitled "Pinay, Malaya at Nagpapasya," interpreted by writer-director-actress Bibeth Orteza during a cultural event organized by Circa Pintig for women in Chicago last March 20, decried how women, especially women like De Lima who stand up to despots, are being targeted to misogynistic and sexist attacks.

Orteza's interpretation of the poem was published on De Lima's official Facebook page last March 21 and has already garnered more than 90,000 views, shares, likes and comments, as of this writing.

In writing the poem, De Lima said she took inspiration from personal experience as the most prominent political prisoner under the Duterte regime who has become a consistent target of state-sponsored fake news and troll messages.

"Pinay, Malaya at Nagpapasya," which Orteza read aloud with passion, started with words stating that De Lima remains detained because she decided to speak out against abuses perpetrated by the so-called "berdugo," including extrajudicial killings.

"Nakapiit ako ngayon

Dahil hinubdan ko ng maskara ang berdugo;

Hindi niya malimutan kung paanong hanapan ko siya ng pananagutan

Sa talamak na EJK at karahasan

Sa sarili niyang nasasakupan.

Allergic ang mamamatay-tao sa rule of law

Para siyang bulateng naasinan nang usisain ko

Kung pinaiiral ba niya ang karapatang pantao," the first stanza of her poem read.

"Ang iginanti sa akin ay propaganda

Hindi para salagin ang isiniwalat ko

Kundi para atakihin ang pagkababae ko.

Parang koro ng mga misogynist silang umawit nang sintonado:

Ikulong si Leila, isakdal sa imbentong kaso,

Samahan pa ng maaanghang na 'Imoral ang babaeng yan'

Para mawasak na sa mata ng publiko.," another stanza read.

De Lima was the first to introduce a Senate resolution calling for an investigation into the spate of extrajudicial killings in the government's all-out war on drugs, and even announced that the Senate Committee on Justice and Human rights, which she then chaired, would take the lead in conducting an inquiry into EJKs.

It may also be recalled that De Lima, then Chairperson of Commission on Human Rights (CHR), investigated then Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as the suspected mastermind of the so-called Davao Death Squad (DDS) that was believed to be responsible for the extrajudicial killings in the city.

Duterte later used all his powers at his disposal to cut her down by using his political allies to remove her as chair of the Justice Committee in the Senate that prematurely terminated the probe on EJKs and by filing fake charges against her.

During a House probe into the proliferation of illegal drugs at the New Bilibid Prison (NBP) during De Lima's stint as justice secretary, Duterte's allies at the House of Representatives pried too much into the personal life of De Lima instead of asking questions that could shed light on the issue of the drug trade inside the NBP.

Through the poem, De Lima said the attacks she was subjected to under the present regime strengthened her resolve instead of silencing her, and that she hopes that Filipino women will also never be cowered by misogynistic remarks or any attempts to oppress them.

"Pero hindi ako nanahimik;

Pinili kong umalma dahil 'yon ang nararapat;

At kasama sa naging pasya ko

Ang buo kong pagkatao," part of her poem read.

"Kaya mga kapwa ko Pinay,

Hindi tayo babalik sa hawla ng kumbensyon at takot:

Ang babaeng Filipina ang tinig ngayon ng pakikibaka

Dito sa atin, dadaluyong ang kababaihan sa barikada.

Saanman tayo naroon

Huwag nating payagan

Na ang ating pag-iral ay maging anino lamang

Sa mga sulok ng lipunan," another stanza read.

De Lima, a staunch human rights and women's rights champion, has filed Senate Bill (SB) No. 378 protecting women in state custody, SB No. 622 increasing the age of consent to 18 to protect minors against rape and other forms of sexual exploitation, and SB No. 1926 to protect women and their newborns in detention and prison facilities, among others, this 18th Congress. (30)

(Watch Ms. Bibeth Orteza's interpretation of Sen. Leila M. de Lima's poem here: https://www.facebook.com/leiladelimaofficial/posts/29785491157089)