Press Release
February 21, 2019

Dispatch from Crame No. 471:
Sen. Leila M. de Lima on the mindless proposal of a sycophant NYC Chair

If National Youth Commission (NYC) Chair Ronald Cardema had his way, our government should only sponsor mindless students and train them to be unquestioning citizens who cater to a tyrant's every whim.

Cardema was quoted formally requesting Pres. Duterte "to issue an Executive Order removing the government scholarships of all anti-government scholars."

I guess, one can only expect as much if we have a sycophant appointed to the premier office serving our Filipino youth.

Unang-una, hindi requirement ng government scholarship ang pagiging bulag na tagasunod. Pangalawa, hindi bahagi ng mandato ng NYC na makialam sa malayang pamamahayag ng saloobin ng mga kabataan.

Cardema should do his job and implement programs to help our youth instead of engaging in counterproductive politicking. His insistence in making these kinds of statements highlights his ineffectiveness and his lack of interest in carrying out his office's actual mandate. If he wanted to focus on engaging the NPA, he should have stayed and finished his training with the Philippine Military Academy.

Duterte sycophants would have people believe that to criticize the government is to commit sedition. Never mind the fact that freedom of expression and the right to petition the government for redress of grievances are guaranteed by our Constitution.

Ang pagsasalita laban sa kamalian ng gobyerno ay hindi lang karapatan, kundi tungkulin ng bawat mamamayang Pilipino. Ang kabataan ang pag-asa ng bayan. At para sa mabuting kinabukasan, kailangan ang ating kabataan ay marunong mag-isip at matapang magsalita para sa kapakanan ng ating bayan.

To quote John Kramer, "the people's silence is a tyrant's greatest advocate." Dapat tayong manindigan laban sa sinumang naniniil sa ating karapatang magpahayag. Ang ating katahimikan ay ang magiging daan para sa muling pag-iral ng diktadurya.

Any public official who seeks to suppress dissent is an enemy of democracy and of our people. Our youth should be encouraged to think critically and participate in our democratic processes, not bullied to silence by those who seek to perpetuate tyranny.

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