SEVERAL MEMBERS of the Ateneo de Manila community held a forum on the opportunities and challenges of democratization and social justice in the face of the Duterte administration on August 14.
The forum, led by Economics Assistant Professor Randy Tuaño, PhD and Political Science Associate Professor Benjamin Tolosa Jr., PhD, saw former Ateneo School of Government Dean Atty. Tony La Viña, Commission on Human Rights Chairman Atty. Chito Gascon, and former Constitutional Commissioner Ed Garcia as resource speakers.
Also in attendance were Vice President for Social Development Atty. Jaime Hofileña, John J. Carroll Institute on Church and Social Issues (JJCICSI) Associate Director Eleanor Dionisio, Associate Dean for Student Formation Bobby Guevara, and Ateneo de Manila student leaders and alumni.
Hofilena said that the forum stemmed from the “common desire of members of the university community and Jesuit institutions based in the Loyola Heights campus” to know how they can contribute in the furtherance of democratization and social justice under the Duterte administration.
According to Tolosa, the forum was part of continuing conversations on the meaning of service of the faith, promotion of justice, and becoming “men and women for others” in light of the country’s current situation.
“If you look at the talks and presentations [during the forum], they’re looking at the Duterte government not in terms of personality,” Tolosa said.
“It’s important to have a forum like this so that we’re not just talking generalities, but really talking about the complex configuration: Who is in government right now, which branches of government can we work with, and what kind of policies are being implemented,” Tolosa added.
On Duterte’s policies
Dionisio said that the JJCICSI found that many first moves of the Duterte administration in line with the eight principles of Catholic social teaching identified by the Second Plenary Council of the Philippines.
“[Duterte] appointed several cabinet members who have a strong redistributive agenda or who express strong preferential option for the poor,” Dionisio said.
However, she sees a contradiction in the war on drugs.
“’Yung drug war niya, puro mga mahihirap namamatay, so there’s that contradiction, (Only the poor are being killed in his war on drugs, so there’s that contradiction),” she said. “[Duterte] also wants to restore the death penalty which, [as] studies have shown, is biased against the poor because the poor cannot hire good lawyers.”
Dioniso added that Duterte’s attacks on Senator Leila de Lima undermined the proper checks and balances of the national government. De Lima is one of the most vocal critics of the President’s anti-drug campaign and is currently conducting investigations on extrajudicial killings.
“[The President] drags [ de Lima] through the dirt. It has a chilling effect like ‘If you protest anything that I do, I will bring out your personal stuff.’ The effect of that is people will be afraid to speak. This is a very undemocratic sort of behavior. He’s the president, when he does that, in effect [it is] policy,” Dionisio added.
On responding to these actions and policies, Hofileña said that “the University would do well to give credit to the taking of measures which prove to be truly laudable and promotive of nation-building, but call it out also for its actions which rather undo or derail that.”
“When criticism is called for, it would do well for the University to enunciate what alternatives there are which should be considered and implemented, going beyond criticizing merely for the sake of doing so,” Hofileña added.
Ateneo and ‘elitism’
Tolosa believes that as a Jesuit, Catholic university, the Ateneo’s response to the Duterte administration comes from a long tradition of certain values that have also been expressed in the past.
Hofileña holds the same belief. “As an academic community of higher learning, the University ought to continue studiously and keenly appraising and responding to such challenges and overall realities in Philippine society, in light of truth and the principled, authentically-humanistic rights and values which the university upholds,” he said.
“[Being men and women for others] means continuing to value others as the innately dignified persons that human beings are and to act accordingly: Look out for and protect their nature as such and their human rights,” Hofileña added.
In carrying this out, Hofileña suggested that it can begin with “voicing out critical questions on the issues and events of the present time, and their active participation as well in seeking out–among themselves and their peers from outside the university –the answers to those questions.”
However, Tolosa acknowledges that there are accusations of elitism because of Ateneans’ positions on issues.
“It’s not true that Ateneans have no exposure to life outside the Ateneo. It’s a stereotype or a caricature that Ateneans only talk, but don’t really understand the situation,” he said.
“The challenge is: What does it mean for us to be able to engage society while maintain, at the same time, our core values? We have to grapple with the accusation of elitism, but not in a knee-jerk sort of way,” Tolosa added.
Tolosa said that this notion of being accused of elitism sometimes hinders Ateneans to express their sentiments because of the fear of being labeled as such.
“If you really believe that it’s a valuable perspective, how do you keep on saying it that doesn’t alienate but is able to mobilize and empower?” Tolosa said. “It is something that is distinctive and has made a difference. And it will continue to make a difference.”
