Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman. (File photo from Facebook)
MANILA, Philippines — Bataan 1st District Rep. Geraldine Roman has apologized to the public for her silence when former President Rodrigo Duterte was in office.
She recalled that the past administration seemed to send a message that there should be no opposition. Hence, her silence was a move from lawmakers to protect their districts.
In an ambush interview on Monday, after the flag-raising ceremony at the House of Representatives, Roman was asked about her apology to former Senator Leila de Lima.
The former senator was incarcerated for seven years during the Duterte administration for drug-related cases, which were eventually dismissed.
According to Roman, many of the women legislators felt the need to stay silent after De Lima’s arrest and detention to protect their constituents.
“Ang pinaghuhugutan ko no’n, I remember, in the 17th Congress. And I’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to ask and seek… well… forgiveness and apologize to Senator Leila de Lima because, at that time, it seems that the past administration was sending a message to the legislative that hindi pwedeng may opposition. Hindi pwedeng may dissenting voice,” Roman said.
(The point I was coming from was, I remember, in the 17th Congress. And I’d like to take advantage of this opportunity to ask and seek… well… forgiveness and apologize to Senator Leila de Lima, because at that time it seems that the past administration was sending a message to the legislative that there should be no opposition. There should be no dissenting voice.)
“And a sitting senator was imprisoned so unjustly for seven years. And for many of us here in the House of Representatives, mostly the women, we felt that we had to keep quiet to protect our districts,” she added.
However, Roman said under President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.’s term, free speech is vibrant—making it easier for them to speak their minds.
“So this is a different administration where there is freedom of speech,” the lawmaker said.
“And I’d like to take advantage, to apologize to the millions of women who might have felt offended by misogynistic remarks that have been made in the past by our elected officials,” she said.
“It is for this reason that from the Committee on Women and Gender Equality, we are trying to amend the Safe Spaces Act to include a provision for elected officials, na dapat magsilbing huwaran at mabuting ehemplo para sa ating mga mamamayan,” she added.
(It is for this reason that from the Committee on Women and Gender Equality, we are trying to amend the Safe Spaces Act to include a provision for elected officials that they should be good examples to the people.)
“Hindi po tama (na) magluwal tayo na mga misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic remarks. We should be respectful always of women,” Roman noted.
(It is not correct for us to say misogynistic, homophobic, transphobic remarks. We should always be respectful of women.)
Previously, Manila 6th District Rep. Bienvenido Abante Jr. said the investigation of the former president’s drug war started only years after the campaign because it was only during the 19th Congress that he became chairperson of the House committee on human rights.
READ: Drug war probe repetitive? Abante says new information coming out
The pronouncements came after past administration allies like Senator Ronald dela Rosa — Duterte’s first Philippine National Police (PNP) chief — claimed that several House members were “unprincipled” and “opportunistic.”
Dela Rosa remembers that some personalities were highly praising Duterte and his officials before, only to criticize them now.
“Before, they were singing hallelujah to us, saying, ‘Thank you for the drug war. Thank you for the peace and order … Thank you for keeping the streets safe from the drug menace,’” Dela Rosa said at a Zoom press briefing.
“But now, they are saying ‘You are the villain. Why did you conduct the war on drugs? What you did was wrong,’” he said. “It’s so sad that people easily change their views depending on who is in charge of the government.”
READ: Dela Rosa calls former allies ‘opportunistic’ for drug war stance shift
However, Antipolo 2nd District Rep. Romeo Acop said it is dela Rosa who is the “real opportunist” of the former president.
Acop explained dela Rosa supposedly “used his ties with the former president to rise from PNP chief to senator, leading a bloody drug war that targeted the powerless while shielding the powerful.”
READ: Acop to dela Rosa: ‘Prioritize country’s interests’ over ties with Dutertes
“Don’t act like a K9 of the previous administration. Prioritize the country’s interests and the general welfare of the people,” Acop suggested to the senator.