Solidarity Message by Dr. Hakima el Haite on Sen. Leila de Lima’s Prize for Freedom award Deputy President, Liberal International 28 July 2018
(Dr. El Haite says: “The regime in the Philippines took away the freedom of Leila de Lima. But it doesn’t take away her dignity, her conviction and her friends.)
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(Dr. El Haite starts her speech by formal greeting the distinguished guests) I’m so happy to be among you here today, although I would have loved for this to be under different circumstances. We have come today here for a special award for a special lady. The Prize for Freedom is a prestigious prize which was launched by Liberal International in 1985—a unique prize of its kind, meant to be awarded to all people who stand for freedom, human rights, rule of law and democracy. [Given yearly by] Liberal International Human Rights Committee headed by our friend Markus Loening and Tamara Dancheva, who’s here, our fight entirely is to defend liberal values and principles which are increasingly [becoming] under threat in all corners of the world. On behalf of all of you, I would like to thank Markus and to thank Tamara for their great job. (Applause) Ladies and gentlemen, at the Liberal International’s 70th Anniversary Congress in Andorra, the global Liberal family came to ad hoc the Andorra Liberal Manifesto as a firm declaration of our values, giving an answer to the violations and threats to freedom and humankind. What will be humankind without dignity? What would be our world without saying what we think, without being able to love whom you want, moving where we want, and believing what we feel? What would be our world without respect for the rule of law and the respect for human dignity? It would be anarchy. This is what we saw today in the St. Vincent Theology School. Today, we met with the families of what is called the extrajudicial killing victims. Here in the Philippines, you gave this awful practice the name “EJKs”. I will simply call them crimes against humanity. The priest we saw this morning made a request to our President and myself, and asked us to urge the President to free Senator De Lima, and asked us also to tell their story to the world. And it’s why we are here tonight. We are here tonight, ladies and gentlemen, to be the loud voice for Senator De Lima. (Applause) We are here tonight to have the story and to go outside the borders of Philippines and to tell the story of what we saw this morning in this school to the world. By awarding Senator Leila de Lima the Prize for Freedom, we are not only acknowledging her fight against this injustice, her fight for the respect for human rights and democracy, but also while she is in jail, we will be her loud voice and we will tell her story, the story of the victims we saw this morning, the story of the Filipino people, your story, ladies and gentlemen. (Applause)
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So all the victims we saw are not alone and we, liberals, will stand to make all those who believe in the principle and respect of human rights stand together with them and with Senator De Lima. The regime in the Philippines took away the freedom of Leila de Lima. But it doesn’t take away her dignity, her conviction and her friends. That’s why we are here tonight. And I have the privilege and the honor to announce and declare, on behalf of the Liberal International, Senator Leila de Lima awarded by the prestigious Prize for Freedom of Liberal International. Thank you, ladies and gentlemen. (Applause)
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