Press Release
September 15, 2009

LOREN CALLS FOR 'POLITICAL TOLERANCE'

Sen. Loren Legarda yesterday called for political tolerance, respect for human rights, gender equality and transparency as hallmarks in the practice of democracy.

In a privilege speech commemorating the International Day for Democracy in the Senate, Loren declared that "Elections are appropriate examples of when and where political tolerance must be exercised and strictly adhered to."

She described political tolerance as "accepting and respecting the basic rights and civil liberties of persons and groups whose viewpoints differ from one's own...In the context of elections, political tolerance could also mean political leaders not resorting to violence to pursue their own personal ends."

"The Philippines has long been noted for the amount of killings that happen during election period," Loren lamented. "Political tolerance requires that members of the society regard each other with respect and make use of dialogue and consensus as means of resolving conflict."

The International Day for Democracy was proclaimed by the United Nations in a resolution adopted on November 8,2007. At the suggestion of the Inter Parliamentary Union, September 15, which is the date of the Universal Declaration on Democracy, was chosen as the day when the international community would celebrate each year the International Day of Democracy, Loren said.

The IDD was inspired by the peaceful revolution of 1986, Loren said. In 1988, upon the initiative of the late President Aquino, the Philippines hosted the first ever-International Conference on New and Restored Democracies.

In that conference, the Philippines along with the other countries affirmed that democracy must be enhanced and defended.

At the sixth conference that took place in Doha, Qatar in 2006, Qatar took the lead in drafting the text of a United Nations General Assembly resolution entitled, "Support by the United Nations System of Efforts of Governments to Promote and Consolidate New or Restored Democracies". It was adopted by consensus on November 8 2007.

"In its declaration, the United Nations says that while democracies share common features, there is no single model of democracy. The UN also understands that democracy does not belong to any country or region", Loren said.

This year, the International Day of Democracy has for its theme democracy and political tolerance. Democracy can be defined in many ways, Loren explained.

"But however which way democracy is classified, it will always deal with the people...In a democracy, women are respected as equals and have as important a role to play as men...For a democracy to effectively work, institutions must be in place to provide a legal framework that guarantees human rights." She also stressed the importance of transparency, accessibility to public documents and freedom of expression.

Loren praised the Inter-Parliamentary Union and the parliaments around the world for the development of democratic principles of governance and international standards for free and fair elections.

'It is important for parliamentarians to speak freely according to their conscience, without fear of harassment, punishment or other retaliatory measures. Of course this immunity is not meant to place parliamentarians above the law," she stressed.

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