Jose W. Diokno | |
|---|---|
 Diokno in 1966 | |
| Senator of the Philippines | |
| In office December 30, 1963 – September 23, 1972[a] | |
| 31stSecretary of Justice | |
| In office January 2, 1962 – May 19, 1962 | |
| President | Diosdado Macapagal |
| Preceded by | Alejo Mabanag |
| Succeeded by | Juan Liwag |
| Chairman of thePresidential Committee on Human Rights | |
| In office March 18, 1986[1] – January 23, 1987 | |
| President | Corazon Aquino |
| Personal details | |
| Born | February 26, 1922 |
| Died | February 27, 1987(1987-02-27) (aged 65) New Manila,Quezon City, Philippines |
| Party | Independent (from 1971) |
| Other political affiliations | Nacionalista (until 1971) |
| Spouse | Carmen Icasiano |
| Relations | Ramón Diokno (father) Jose Lorenzo "Pepe" Diokno (grandson) |
| Children | 10 (includingChel andMaris) |
| Alma mater | De La Salle University (BCom) University of Santo Tomas (no degree) |
| Occupation | Politician, activist, journalist |
| Profession | Lawyer, accountant |
| Website | Diokno Site |
Jose Wright DioknoGCrL (Tagalog:[ˈdʒɔknɔ]; February 26, 1922 – February 27, 1987), also known as"Ka Pepe," was a Filipino statesman, nationalist, and lawyer.[2] Regarded as the "Father of Human Rights" in the country,[3] he served as aSenator of the Philippines,Secretary of Justice, chairman of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights (forerunner of theCommission on Human Rights), and founder of theFree Legal Assistance Group (FLAG), which is the oldest national organization composed of human rights lawyers. Diokno is the only person to top both thePhilippine Bar Examination and the board exam forCertified Public Accountants (CPA). His career was dedicated to the promotion ofhuman rights, the defense of Philippinesovereignty, and the enactment of pro-Filipino economic legislation.
In 2004, Diokno was posthumously conferred theOrder of Lakandula with the rank of Supremo—the second highest honor in the Philippines.[4] February 27, his death anniversary and a day after his birthday, is celebrated in the Philippines as Jose W. Diokno Day.[5]
Jose W. Diokno was born in Ermita, Manila on February 26, 1922, toRamón Diokno y Marasigan, a former senator and Justice of theSupreme Court fromTaal, Batangas, and Leonor May Wright y Garcia, an American mestiza.
Diokno was the youngest son and the sixth of eight children, and had some half-siblings from Ramón's first spouse, Martha Fello Diokno, who died years before the birth of Diokno.Diokno grew up at 48 Alhambra Street,Ermita, Manila[6][b][7] and was baptized atErmita Church on September 3, 1922.[8]
Ramón Diokno was considered an anti-imperialist nationalist as senator and was one of four senators to oppose the American Parity Rights Amendment. Jose's grandfather wasAnanías Diokno, a navy general and governor in thePhilippine Revolution and thePhilippine–American War inthe Visayas.[9] Ananías's maternal great-great grandfather wasFélix Berenguer de Marquina y Fitzgerald, who was viceroy ofNew Spain and governor-general of the Philippines from 1788 to 1793. Berenguer de Marquina had an extramarital affair with a Chinese mestiza fromCagsawa, Albay named Demetria Sumulong y Lindo and sired one daughter. He abandoned this family to repatriate to Spain and later became the lieutenant-general of the navy in 1799. He was said to be an incompetent but persevering governor.[10] Despite this mixed ancestry, Diokno would later often say that he was "100% Filipino."[11]
As a young 12-year-old boy, Diokno would go with his father to trials in the provinces. He would carry his father's bag, and sit on a small chair reserved for him behind the counsel's table. He learned English through a private tutor during theAmerican Commonwealth period, as the family usually spoke in Spanish. Growing up, Diokno relished having Spanish dishes at home, namelytapas or side dishes such asangulas,white embutido,galantina, andchorizos. He liked Filipino food as well and enjoyed rice mixed withgatas ng kalabaw (carabao's milk), raw eggs, andtapang usa (cured venison).[12] Diokno also joined Nilad Lodge No. 12, a masonic lodge, as his father and many revolutionaries did before him.[13]
In 1937, after repeated acceleration Diokno graduated high school as the valedictorian atDe La Salle College, now called De La Salle University (DLSU), and went on to take aBachelor of Science degree in commerce, also atDLSU. He was an ROTC lieutenant, dramatist, writer, and student leader. He later developed a skill in photography and owned a studio. Diokno initially wanted to study mechanical engineering, but eventually compromised with his parents to take up commerce since his parents wanted a major that featured legal studies. He realized he enjoyed the legal courses the most and decided to take up law once he finished his undergraduate studies.[14] He graduated from college summa cum laude.[15] Diokno took the CPA board examinations in 1940—for which he had to secure special dispensation, since he was too young. He topped the CPA with a grade of 91.18.[11] However, since Diokno was too young when he passed the CPA exam, he could not receive a proper license until he was twenty-one, which led him to pursue his law studies like his half-brother.[16]
After Diokno enrolled at theUniversity of Santo Tomas in 1940, his studies were interrupted by the outbreak ofWWII in 1941 in his second year. When the war was over, he was granted a special dispensation by theSupreme Court of the Philippines and was allowed to take thePhilippine Bar Examination despite having never completed his degree. He topped the 1944 bar exam[c][17] together with a 24 year old future ally namedJovito Salonga with a score of 95.3, the highest since the language of instruction switched to English.[18][11][19] As a reward, he took a solo vacation in the United States, where he would frequently call Carmen "Nena" Icasiano, a commerce student fromBulacan studying atFar Eastern University. They met in 1946 at a dinner party hosted by future Manila mayorArsenio Lacson. Diokno was with Baby Quezon, who was the daughter ofManuel Quezon, while Carmen was with an American colonel, but both immediately spent the evening conversing with each other after being assigned to the same table.[20] Diokno started courting her, refusing to listen to his father's wishes to marryChief JusticeJosé Abad Santos's daughter. Diokno quickly returned from his trip to propose to her after he found out on the telephone that she hadtuberculosis and had missed seeing him.[20] He married Icasiano at Ermita Church in 1949.[d]
Immediately after topping the Bar exam, Diokno embarked on his law practice at his father'sbupete or law office, handling and winning high-profile cases including Vera v. Avelino, G.R. L-543, on behalf of his father, Sen. Ramón Diokno, who let the young Diokno quickly take over thebupete. Diokno also successfully fought libel charges against radio personality and Manila MayorArsenio Lacson, who was a close friend and would often visit Diokno and his wife in the wee hours at their home inParañaque to prepare them breakfast. Diokno would in turn edit Mayor Lacson's newspaper columns forFree Philippines. Historians learned a few years after Mayor Lacson's sudden passing that Lacson even intended for Diokno to be his running mate, as the Manila Mayor's fame made him the top presidential candidate for the1965 election.[21] Diokno served in different committees under PresidentRamon Magsaysay, and by 1958, Diokno gained enough stature to be selected to join a special committee to investigate theDepartment of Finance.[22] He was later invited to return to investigate anomalies happening in the Bureau of Supply Corrections.[23]
With his reputation as a legal practitioner established and secured, in December 1961, Diokno found out through the news that he was to be appointed asSecretary of Justice by PresidentDiosdado Macapagal through Mayor Lacson's influence.
In March 1962, Diokno ordered a raid on a firm owned byHarry S. Stonehill, anAmerican businessman who was suspected of tax evasion and bribing public officials, among other crimes. Diokno's investigation of Stonehill further revealed corruption within government ranks, and as Secretary of Justice, he prepared to prosecute those involved. However, President Macapagal intervened, negotiating a deal that absolved Stonehill in exchange for his deportation, then ordered Diokno to resign. Diokno only learned of his resignation from the news and received death threats from supporters of the president, which prompted him to rely on Mayor Lacson's special security. Diokno questioned Macapagal's actions, saying, "How can the government now prosecute the corrupted when it has allowed the corrupter to go?" Macapagal would become unpopular and eventually lose the next election in1965 to another controversial politician also connected with Stonehill namedFerdinand Marcos.[24][25]
In 1963, Diokno ran for senator under theNacionalista Party and won with almost half of the popular vote.
His laws and bills were often considered nationalistic in essence, as he called for the creation of theEqual Pay for Equal Work Act, which would ban discrimination of Filipinos in American companies. The infamous ex-president of San Miguel Corp. namedAndy Soriano of the Philippine Association and US AmbassadorBill Blair Jr. controversially fought to have the bill vetoed before they stepped down. Diokno often fought American policies that involvedtransfer pricing.
For his performance as legislator and fight for nationalism, Diokno was named Outstanding Senator by thePhilippines Free Press from 1967 to 1970, making him the only legislator to receive the recognition for four successive years. In 1968, Diokno was awarded as the Outstanding CPA in Government Service by the Philippine Institute of Certified Public Accountants.[26] Diokno also served as the delegate for many commissions including theUnited NationsGeneral Assembly in the middle of the 1960s.[23] Diokno was also honored as the most outstanding senator by the Philippine Government Employees Association (PGEA) with a PGEA Plaque of Honor in December 1971, among other awards.[27]
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Senator Diokno became chairman of the Senate Economic Affairs Committee, and worked for the passage of pro-Filipino legislation, including what is considered to be the most important incentive law in the country, RA 5186, also known as theInvestment Incentives Act of 1967, which provides incentives to mostly Filipino investors and entrepreneurs that would place control of the Philippine economy predominantly in the hands of Filipinos.[28] The law would also be the first groundbreaking initiative of the Philippine economy to gradually step out of its import substitution mindset.[29] It also led to the foundation of the Board of Investments, the premier government agency responsible for propagating investments in the Philippines.
Diokno then authored RA 6173 or the Oil Industry Commission Act of 1971, which created the Oil Industry Commission (OIC) to regulate oil pricing in different companies. This eventually led to the dominance of three oil companies inCaltex, the alternative name of the American corporationChevron,Petron, a local partner of Middle-EasternSaudi Aramco and is owned by the brewerySan Miguel Corporation, andShell based in theNetherlands.[30]
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When Marcos suspended the fundamental legal right of thewrit of habeas corpus following thebombing of the Plaza Miranda gathering of Liberal Party members, Diokno resigned from the Nacionalista Party on August 31 in protest and took to the streets.[31] Sen. Diokno called on students to start protesting against the administration, anticipating that Marcos, who was nearing the end of his last term, would declaremartial law and change theconstitution to give himself absolute power.[11][32]
Previously, Marcos began building notoriety following theJabidah massacre, where an estimated 14 to as much as 68 alleged Muslim youths were gunned down inCorregidor by unknown armed men in 1968.[33] Following this event, aMoro insurgency would quickly develop, starting inMindanao; it would evolve into a widespread armed-conflict that would engulf the nationdecades after Marcos's lifetime.[34] Marcos tried to suppress the media and block coverage of the event, but it was too late. Diokno and many other senators sensed Marcos might have developed a hidden agenda.[35] From then on, Diokno began to put greater emphasis on human rights in public speeches and events. In an oft-quoted 1981 speech, he would declare, "No cause is more worthy than the cause of human rights. Human rights are more than legal concepts: they are the essence of man. They are what makes a man human. That is why they are called human rights: deny them and you deny man's humanity."[36]
He was the leader of theMovement of Concerned Citizens for Civil Liberties (MCCCL), which organized a series of rallies from 1971 to 1972.[37] The most massive of these rallies involved 50,000 protestors and was held on September 21, 1972, shortly before the imposition of martial law by the Marcos dictatorship.[38] During this rally, protestors denounced the infamousOplan Sagittarius, the devious operation plan by Marcos to declaremartial law.Sen. Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr. exposed the Oplan Sagittarius scandal earlier in a September 13 speech, and spoke to the Senate on September 21, the same day that the MCCCL held their exceptionally large rally atPlaza Miranda. Marcos reacted with fear of deposition and immediately finalizedProclamation No. 1081, which declared nationwide martial law at 8:00 p.m. later that evening. Exactly the next day on September 22, 1972, at 8:00 p.m., Defense MinisterJuan Ponce Enrile was told to exit his car near Wack-Wack village.[39] Another vehicle carrying gunmen arrived and stopped near an electrical post, right beside Enrile's vehicle. They then alighted from their vehicle and began to fire at the large sedan of Enrile to give an impression of a terrorist ambush, setting the stage for Marcos's theatrical television announcement.[40][41][42]
On September 23, 1972, Diokno's second term as senator was officially cut short when Marcos announced martial law on television at 7:17 p.m.
At 1:00 a.m. before the announcement, Diokno was arrested by the Marcos dictatorial regime.[43] After cutting communication lines in multiple neighborhoods, including Diokno's home, six carloads carrying forty armed soldiers visited Diokno at his home at 12 Margarita Street,Magallanes Village,Makati to "invite" him for questioning. He changed from his pajamas and was sent to Camp Crame. They had no warrant.[11] After Diokno was brought toCamp Crame, he was transferred toFort Bonifacio, where he was detained along with other opposition members such as Aquino andChino Roces, the founder and head ofThe Manila Times, the leading newspaper at the time. The military's Defense Minister Enrile offered a security detail to Diokno "to protect (him) from Communist assassins," to which Diokno laughed and responded that he really needed protection from the military.[44]
Diokno and Aquino, whom the dictatorship considered their foremost opponents, were later handcuffed tochopper seats, blindfolded, and flown out to be solitarily confined atFort Magsaysay, located in the municipality ofLaur, Nueva Ecija. They remained confined to Fort Magsaysay for exactly thirty days. They both learned of each other's presence through singing. One of them would frequently singthe national anthemLupang Hinirang or "Chosen Land," to which the other would reply by singingBayan Ko or "My Country" to prove he was still alive.[45] From the fish being served by the cookAling Cely, who later became the museum curator of the converted national memorial called the "Aquino-Diokno Memorial," Diokno was able to correctly deduce that he was detained in Nueva Ecija, particularly in Fort Magsaysay.[46] To tally the number of days, Diokno used rope knots from hismosquito net as well as the back of a soap packaging box and crossed out each day in the manner of a calendar.
Once both were brought back toFort Bonifacio, his visiting family members were often strip-searched by soldiers with intent to commit blatant harassment. They would sneak in books in French and Spanish for him to read, while the children would serenade with a guitar as he would converse to his wife in Spanish for only them to hear and comprehend.[47] Diokno would tell his family not to weep in front of the sadistic soldiers. Only his godmother Paz Wilson, a nonagenarian, and a mother figure throughout his childhood and since his mother's death, would frequently cry during every visit. She continued to visit despite also undergoing full-body strip searches. The family would be in tears once they left the prison, where theAquino family would see them. This helped the Aquinos prepare themselves emotionally since they never saw the Diokno family manifest much pain before.Nena Diokno, suspicious of Marcos, took most of her husband's books at the library of hisbupete onM.H. del Pilar and brought them home before the military burned down the building. Jose would thank her as he was very familiar with the library and memorized the location of each shelf and book he read.[48] Outside the prison, Marcos announced at his executive mansion,Malacañang Palace that September 21 would be known as "National Thanksgiving Day," the same day Diokno led his biggest Plaza Miranda rally. This declaration has led to a general confusion about the true date of the public announcement of martial law, which was actually on September 23, two days after Proclamation No. 1081 was signed.
Diokno spent 718 days, or nearly two years in detention, mainly at the maximum security compound of Fort Bonifacio. While Aquino was charged with subversion, no charge was ever filed against Diokno. Diokno was released arbitrarily on September 11, 1974—Marcos's 57th birthday.[49] After his release, Sen. Diokno mentioned in an interview that he served as an instructor teaching law courses, especially Remedial Law and Human Rights, at theUniversity of the Philippines (UP) College of Law at its request after he was released from Fort Bonifacio.[50] This continued until Marcos found out and had him banned from the national public university, though Diokno continued returning for speeches and conferences, and was later honored with a mural of him and other martial law heroes at the school's main college building ofPalma Hall.
A year later, in 1975, Diokno was chosen as chairman of the Civil Liberties Union, a position he held until 1982. Under his chairmanship, CLU issued a formal statement in 1978 declaring that the President Marcos and martial law were not the main threats to Philippine democracy, but "US imperialism, without which martial law would never have been installed."[51]
Later in March 1983, Diokno founded theKilusan sa Kapangyarihan at Karapatan ng Bayan (Movement for People's Sovereignty and Democracy) Organization orKAAKBAY, which was ideologicallymoderate and distinct from other beliefs such asMarxism but was joined by fellow Marxists andCapitalists. KAAKBAY influenced the public and fought hard against the Marcos administration using non-violent activism or "pressure politics."[52] KAAKBAY later elevated pressure politics as an important principle for post-democracy through its publication called "ThePlaridel Papers."[53] The August 1984 edition of ThePlaridel Papers popularized the concept of pressure politics and introduced a political system that would involve the "parliament-of-the-streets" in building a "popular democracy."[54] KAAKBAY was also one of the main member organizations of theJustice for Aquino, Justice for All (JAJA) coalition, which was founded by Diokno on August 25, 1983, followingNinoy Aquino's assassination for returning to the country to face Marcos. JAJA was the first united front against Marcos, but it did not last long. KAAKBAY served as the main coalition that kept the other extreme groups from leaving JAJA. JAJA was later replaced by the relatively leftist Coalition of Organizations for the Restoration of Democracy (CORD) in mid-1984, which had almost the same members. Before the creation of CORD, many former JAJA members who disagreed with the communists also organized a much wider alliance called theKongreso ng Mamamayang Pilipino (KOMPIL) or the Congress of the Filipino People, and was mainly headed by Diokno.[55]
From January 7 to 8, 1984, 2,300 delegates representing all sectors gathered at the KOMPIL congress to vote on multiple issues. One of the decisions voted by 60% of the attendees was to establish a newCommission on Elections (COMELEC). Elected leaders included statesmen such as Diokno,Lorenzo Tañada,Aquilino Pimentel,Cecilia Muñoz-Palma,Ambrosio Padilla,Salvador Laurel, and Jovito Salonga. Others came from non-political sectors, includingMakati'sEnrique Zobel, who was related to Andy Soriano and due to consanguinity was part of theAyala Corporation. Another leader was CardinalJaime Sin, who would play an important roletwo years later for the opposition. Of all the issues, the largest was concerning a letter they made called theCall for Meaningful Elections (CAMEL). Some including Diokno and Aquino's brotherButz preferred to boycott any election to avoid legitimizing the Marcos rule. On the other hand, some of the other signatories preferred to participate in the elections, includingNinoy Aquino's widow,Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino.[56]
In May 1985, Diokno was elected as the first president of theBagong Alyansang Makabayan (Bayan) alliance during its first congress.[57] His position as president would be short-lived, however, with him resigning some months later due to reportedly becoming uneasy about the growing influence of theCommunist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and itsNational Democratic Front (NDF) in the alliance.[58]
Diokno was a part of multiple organizations and alliances that fought the administration and foreign intervention. He continued to attack the different policies of the Marcos administration, such as their controversial nuclear programs that led to the sabotaged construction of the costlyBataan Nuclear Power Plant, thereby infuriating Marcos.[59] Diokno continued to serve as the leader behind ceasing Marcos's numerous incomplete projects.
Immediately after his release, Diokno set up theFree Legal Assistance Group (FLAG) in 1974, which gave free legal services to the victims of martial law. It was the first and largest association of human rights attorneys ever assembled in the nation. In court, Diokno personally defended tribal groups, peasants, social workers threatened by exploitation, and military atrocities, which he represented pro-bono. FLAG popularized developmental legal aid and even doled out allowances to its clients. This has led to new laws requiring newly sworn in lawyers to provide free legal assistance for a certain amount of time.[60] FLAG handled 90 percent of human rights cases in the country as well as built programs to educate citizens about human rights.[61][23] Diokno was also involved in documenting cases of torture,summary execution, and disappearances under the Marcos regime.[11]
Diokno had no fear of being arrested again, and went around and outside the Philippines, spreading a message of hope and democracy. In another oft-quoted speech, he once quipped:
And so law in the land died. I grieve for it but I do not despair over it. I know, with a certainty no argument can turn, no wind can shake, that from its dust will rise a new and better law: more just, more human, and more humane. When that will happen, I know not. That it will happen, I know.[36]
Diokno also held an important role in Southeast Asia leading a group of senior human rights lawyers fromThailand,Indonesia,Malaysia, and thePhilippines in forming theRegional Council on Human Rights in Asia. The group was one of the firstnon-governmental organizations (NGOs) built to promote human rights in Southeast Asia. On December 9, 1983, in Manila, the Regional Council formalized the first human rights declaration of Southeast Asia called theDeclaration of the Basic Duties ofASEAN Peoples and Governments.[62][63] Although the council paved the way for future human rights declarations by other organizations like the United Nations, their momentum gradually declined decades after the Marcos regime ended.[64] Diokno was also, inter alia, the chairman of the firstHuman Rights Information and Documentation Systems, International (HURIDOCS) assembly inStrasbourg, France, which was a historic event that involved over two hundred representatives.[65][66][67] HURIDOCS founder Hans Thoolen said years later in a tribute to Diokno that he witnessed Diokno present novel ideas on practical ways to defend human rights victims at the 1983SOS-Torture constituent assembly held inGeneva, Switzerland, and that Diokno frequently disseminated human rights primers published in the common vernacular for mass audiences.[68][69]
After founding JAJA together with friend and formerSen. Lorenzo M. Tañada, Diokno was chosen to serve as chairman of its executive committee.[70] The two leaders were the only members to call for a boycott in the upcoming, nationwideBatasan Elections, predicting that it would be fixed.[71]
Eventually public outcries after the election results came out with Marcos winning led to the 1986People Power Revolution that peacefully ousted the Marcos family out of the country. Diokno was appointed by the new President Corazon Cojuangco-Aquino orCory, wife of the slainNinoy Aquino and mother of the future 15th president,Benigno "Noynoy" Aquino, to serve as founding chairman of thePresidential Committee on Human Rights, now the Commission on Human Rights (CHR), and tasked to lead a government panel to negotiate for the return of rebel forces to the government folds. Diokno helped write the1987 Constitution, particularly Article XIII defining social justice and human rights.[72] Diokno was also the principal negotiator in peace talks with theNational Democratic Front of the Philippines, the main leftist coalition founded during martial law.[23] One of the Constitutional Commissioners and KAAKBAY member Ed Garcia frequented Diokno's New Manila home before the ratification of the Constitution.[73] Commissioner Jose Nolledo cited Diokno as an inspiration behind the human rights and public health provisions that were pro-poor and nationalistic.[74]
In May 1984, even before People Power and its preceding, riggedBatasan Elections, Diokno had been diagnosed with terminallung cancer. He obtained a high fever and was brought to theStanford University Medical Center where he learned of his disease. He had smoked all his adult life. Diokno visited theSan Francisco University Hospital to have a brain scan and found a brain tumor. He would return home. On July 4, 1986, which was theU.S. independence day, Diokno had a series of debates with Minister Enrile, convincing him that U.S. bases should be removed from the country. Enrile, who betrayed Marcos and joined the new administration, was inspired by this debate and would later become senator and help vote to oust the American military from the country. Diokno returned to the United States on September 3, 1986 for treatment. Eventually after having a transfusion a month later atManila Doctors Hospital, Diokno decided to stop all treatments and returned to his final residence at 55 3rd St., New Manila, Quezon City, to spend his days reading and writing cases. This was after he had to shave his hair off and already experienced a declining vision. He continued to work all out for four more months, despite his illness, until his passing on February 27, 1987, at 2:40 a.m.—one day after his 65th birthday at home inNew Manila. Diokno had spent the last decade of his life making documentaries and speeches, and leading different coalitions and rallies on the streets. His funeral was held at the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in New Manila, and he was buried atManila Memorial Park - Sucat but later reinterred at a Metro Manila park on October 6, 1996.[20][75]
Following Diokno's passing, PresidentCory Aquino declared March 2–12, 1987 as a period of national mourning, with flags flown at half-staff. Expressing her grief, Aquino said, "Pepe braved the Marcos dictatorship with a dignified and eloquent courage our country will long remember."[76] She quoted what her husbandNinoy would often tell his friends that Diokno was "the one man he would unquestioningly follow to the ends of the earth," and that he was "the most brilliant Filipino." As part of KAAKBAY's group of intellectuals, UP ProfessorRandy David admired Diokno and called him the "best president we did not have," whileLondon'sAmnesty International called him the "champion of justice and human rights in Asia." Diokno became famous in theUnited Kingdom after creating a martial law documentary called "To Sing Our Own Song" with theBritish Broadcasting Corporation in 1982.[77] Out of frustration, Marcos subpoenaed Diokno and interviewee Cardinal Sin to testify before the Supreme Court regarding their roles in the documentary and connection with another involved human rights hero namedHoracio Morales, who used the documentary as trial evidence against the military. Marcos even threatened theBritish embassy and gave them an order to cancel the documentary, which the British decidedly ignored.[78]
Diokno's nationalist legacy made further headlines when on February 12, 1983, formerSupreme Court JusticeJ.B.L. Reyes,UP PresidentSalvador P. Lopez, and former senators Tañada and Diokno formed the Anti-Bases Coalition (ABC), with Diokno voted as the secretary general or the chairman of the coalition.[79] The influence of the ABC eventually led to the end of American military presence in the Philippines, notably inSubic Bay andClark, Pampanga. The historic turnover ceremony transpired on November 24, 1992, under then-Philippine PresidentFidel Ramos. Diokno also had a reputation for philanthropy as one of the Board of Directors at thePhilippine Tuberculosis Society, Inc. (PTSI).[80]
In 2004, Diokno was posthumously conferred theOrder of Lakandula with the rank of Supremo—the Philippines' highest honor, which was signed by former Pres. Diosdado Macapagal's daughter, the 14th presidentGloria Macapagal Arroyo. Diokno was the first recipient of this honor.[81][82] The award tends to be reserved for non-Filipinos, making Diokno unique in that distinction. By virtue of a presidential proclamation signed by Gloria Arroyo, February 27 is perennially celebrated in the country as Jose W. Diokno Day.[83]
In 2005, the De La Salle Professional Schools, Inc. Graduate School of Business (DLS-PSI-GSB) handed out the inaugural"Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award" as a champion of human rights. This was established along with another milestone, the establishment of the Jose W. Diokno Distinguished Professorial Chair in Business Law and Human Rights.[84] The first everKa Pepe Diokno award as a Champion of Human Rights was given toVoltaire Y. Rosales, Executive Judge of Tanauan, Batangas for his effort in protecting the downtrodden, even giving up his life for the cause. Subsequent annual awards have been given to worthy candidates such asMaria Ressa andBishop Pablo Virgilio "Ambo" David, who in life or death, fulfilled the values of protecting human rights just as Senator Diokno did.[85][86] He has received praise in other sectors, as Rappler has called him the "country's greatest lawyer."[87] DLSU has also created other memorials such as the annual Jose W. Diokno Memorial Lecture series held at theUniversity of St. La Salle inBacolod City since 1992, and the Senator Jose W. Diokno Leadership Award at DLSU inMalate, Manila.[88][89] Diokno also received aDoctor of Laws Honoris Causa from theUP College of Law.[90]
In 2007, by virtue of RA 9468, Bay Boulevard, a 4.38 km road along theBay City coastline, orPasay andParañaque City was renamedJose W. Diokno Boulevard in his honor.[91] Calle Jose W. Diokno inTaal Heritage Town was also renamed after the nationalist, and stretches more than 420 m intersecting Calle Ananías Diokno, which was named after his grandfather. The municipality houses the ancestral home of thefamily of Ananías Diokno and was heavily used as Diokno's political residence when running for the Senate and voting in the elections in the 1960s. Taal later named its inaugurated legislative hall the Jose W. Diokno Legislative Hall for theSangguniang Bayan to conduct its regular sessions. The project was planned by Taal mayorPong Mercado and all the barangay captains in the municipality. The town, among other areas, was celebrating the centennial of Diokno's birth.[92]
In 2017, the CHR erected a nine-foot statue of Diokno at the center of the CHR compound entrance in Diliman,Quezon City. The statue was made by sculptor Julie Lluch.[93] The surrounding park was namedLiwasang Diokno or the Diokno Freedom Park. The hall inside the compound is calledBulwagang Ka Pepe orBulwagang Diokno (theKa Pepe orDiokno Hall) and features a bust and an accompanying mural of the late chairman.
Order of Lakandula (Supremo) -posthumous (2004)
Sen. Diokno was married to Carmen "Nena" Reyes Icasiano on March 28, 1949, at Ermita Church, with whom he had ten (10) children mostly named afterSt. Jude Thaddeus, the saint of lost causes: Carmen Leonor orMench, who was born a year after the marriage and became college valedictorian, then first joined the garment industry with husband Emil Escay before working for NGOs; Jose Ramon orPopoy, who joined theLopez Group of Companies that established theABS-CBN Corporation; Maria Paz Tadea orPat, who joined banking companies in Europe and domestically such asComBank; Maria Serena Encarnacion orMaris, who is a nationally recognized historian; Maria Teresa Tadea orMaitet, who is a UP cum laude graduate of Economics and was executive director of a non-profit institution calledIBON Foundation; Ma. Socorro Tadea orCookie, who was secretary general of the Regional Council on Human Rights in Asia and secretary general at FLAG since 1976; Jose Miguel Tadeo orMike, who is a US-based lawyer; Jose Manuel Tadeo orChel, who is a dean and lawyer; Maria Victoria Tadea orMaia, also a lawyer and her father's CHR secretary; and Martin Jose Tadeo, who is a Singapore-based architect from UST and was adopted when he was two weeks old. Diokno also has at least 18 grandchildren and 11 great-grandchildren.[30] His children all excelled in their studies, but Diokno would often chide his children about their lack of perfect scores, to whichMaris would reply that studying in schools like the American-founded UP (which is the official publicnational university and where Sen. Diokno wished to enroll in but was banned by his politically-moderate parents) made very good scores the equivalent to perfect scores at DLSU, a private, sectarian Catholic university.[94] They were quite devout, as they frequently had nightly rosary prayers and were devotees ofSt. Joseph and St. Thaddeus, with Diokno often carrying a rosary in his pocket, which he practiced since his elementary days at De La Salle College.[11]
Maris Diokno, a renowned historian, is the former chair of theNational Historical Commission of the Philippines, and former Vice President for Academic Affairs at UP. She studied at theUniversity of London and graduated UP magna cum laude.
Chel Diokno is a human rights lawyer, Chairman of FLAG, head of the Diokno Law Center and member of the Jose W. Diokno Foundation, founding Dean of the DLSUTañada-Diokno School of Law, and former Special Counsel of the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee. Chel Diokno ran for Senator twice and nearly secured enough votes to obtain a seat. He joined theOtso Diretso coalition andLeni Robredo'scoalition, which opposed theRodrigo Duterte administration. Chel ran for theHouse seat under theAkbayan partylist.[95] Duterte has been compared to the Marcos family without the privileged background or American ties of Marcos, but instead he has been seen currying favor with theChinese Communist Party.[96][97] Duterte has also committed human rights violations and like Marcos shut down the media corporation ofABS-CBN. FLAG has representedRappler founder Maria Ressa, during court hearings filed against her by the Duterte administration for Rappler's reports on Duterte'sWar on Drugs and Murder of Drug Addicts.[98][99]
Sen. Diokno's grandson andChel's firstborn child,Jose Lorenzo "Pepe" Diokno is the executive director of alternative education groupRock Ed Philippines.[100] He is best known as amotion picturedirector,producer, andscreenwriter whose debut film, "Engkwentro" won theVenice Film Festival'sLion of the Future Award in 2009, as well as Venice'sOrizzonti Prize, theNETPAC Award for Best Asian Film, and theGawad Urian for Best Editing.Pepe used commercials and short films to market his fatherChel during his election campaigns.[101][102] Pepe Diokno is also the director ofKwentong Jollibee and other commercials that have gained popularity among netizens.
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Diokno is generally seen as the intellectual leader contrasted to the fierceness ofNinoy Aquino in opposing theperversion of the Marcos Administration.[103][104] He managed to have the ability to lead rival political factions together. As senator, Diokno had a strong relationship with technocrats such asCesar E.A. Virata,Placido Mapa Jr., andVicente Paterno, all of whom joined Marcos's administration during martial law. According to these economists and technocrats, Diokno did not carry preconceived notions of others provided that nationalist goals could be met. His willingness to work with people of contrasting ideologies allowed him to adopt the Investment Incentives Act of 1967.[105] Diokno was also popular among all social classes and became a liaison between Pres. Aquino's new government and the communists, whom he led in different coalitions in the past.[106] Despite Diokno's seemingly stoic demeanor and very simple lifestyle, Diokno was also known to be quite eloquent and was completely blunt with his opinions, as he usually avoided any sugarcoating. One instance was when he addressed an affluent American audience at theWestchester Country Club inNew York:
"Let us do it as we believe it must be done, not as you would do it in our place. Let us make our mistakes, not suffer yours… With your help or despite your hindrance, Philippine nationalism will do the job. No one else can."
The audience fell completely silent after his address.[107]
Diokno was also well-respected by his peers, and he carried the same stature as other talented and brilliant scholar-activists in history, includingJose Rizal andApolinario Mabini.[108][109][110][111]
Among his works areDiokno on Trial: Techniques and Ideals of the Filipino Lawyer - the Complete Guide to Handling a Case in Court, which was compiled and posthumously published by the Diokno Law Center in 2007. During martial law he also produced multiple pamphlets with FLAG and as an activist. Some of these includeThe State of the Nation After Three Years of Martial Law.[112]
A Nation for Our Children, a collection of Jose W. Diokno's essays and speeches onhuman rights,nationalism, and Philippinesovereignty, was published in 1987 by the Diokno Foundation. The collection is named after Diokno's popular speech, in which he says,
There is one dream that all Filipinos share: that our children may have a better life than we have had. So there is one vision that is distinctly Filipino: the vision to make this country, our country, a nation for our children.[113]
In his BBC DocumentaryTo Sing Our Own Song, Diokno lamented the foreign US aid given to the paramilitary of the Marcos dictatorship. He still concluded the film with a sense of renewed hope:
How can such a government stay in power? Because powerful nations, principally the United States, support it. And they support it because of my country's strategic location and the profits that their multinationals make here. It looks impossible for my people and people of the Third World to get out of this trap. But we will. It would be a lot easier if you of the First World were to give us your sympathy and your understanding, and prevail upon your governments to stop supporting repressive governments like the one in my country. But whether your governments do or not, I know my people, I know other Third World people. I've worked with them. I've lived among them. And whatever your governments do, whatever our own elites and our own rulers do, and even if we have to wade through blood and fire, we will be free, we will develop. We will build our own societies. We will sing our own songs.[114]
| Year | Office | Party | Votes received | Result | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
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| 1963 | Senator of the Philippines | Nacionalista | 3,422,828 | 44.38 | 3rd | N/a | Won | |
| 1969 | 4,566,353 | 55.67 | 3rd | N/a | Won | |||
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The Civil Liberties Union of the Philippines urges the entire nation to ponder these lessons on the sixth anniversary of the death of our civil liberties.Makati,Rizal [sic], Sept. 21, 1978
A total of 826 of 1,209 delegates from all over the country voted for former Sen. Lorenzo Tanada as chairman and former Senator Jose Diokno as president.
Media related toJose W. Diokno at Wikimedia Commons| Legal offices | ||
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| Preceded by | Secretary of Justice January 2, 1962–May 19, 1962 | Succeeded by |
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| New office | Chairman of the Presidential Committee on Human Rights March 18, 1986–January 23, 1987 | Succeeded by Mary Concepcion Bautista asChairperson of the Commission on Human Rights |
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