A government that mutes its critics is showing signs of weakness. Allowing critics to voice out their views without fear of reprisal or interference is indicative of a strong government.
This should be the attitude of our present administration. It should open itself up to criticism. It should allow citizens to share their views, constructive or otherwise.
Shutting down criticism only makes the citizens suspicious that this administration is heading toward authoritarianism.
It is undemocratic to silence those who dissent or those who hold political viewpoints different from the official line of the government. We cannot have democracy without dissent.
Trying to silence Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, the fiercest and most consistent critic of the Duterte administration, is a cause for concern, and indeed a visible step that democracy in the country is dying.
REGINALD B. TAMAYO, Marikina City