"I do not know where all of this will end for me," De Lima said in her privilege speech a day after her committee ouster.
She is facing an ethics complaint before the Senate, an election protest before the Senate electoral tribunal, and is the subject of investigations of the House and Justice department on the proliferation of illegal drugs at the national penitentiary.
On top of all this, she is also subject to attacks from President Rodrigo Duterte during his public appearances.
De Lima's ouster discourages opposition for fear of repercussions, said University of the Philippines Political Science Professor Ranjit Rye and De Lima's party mate, Ifugao Representative Teddy Baguilat.
"Technically she could have been expelled, but I don’t think the Senate would do something as unprecedented and go that far. It’s a chilling effect...if you go beyond bounds and attack the president in a particular way, this is what happens," Rye said in an interview with ABS-CBN News.
In a separate interview, Baguilat said the swiftness of De Lima’s removal as head of the Senate justice committee provokes fear in people with opposing views.
"Kapag mayroon ka talagang paninindigan o paniniwala na di sang-ayon sa posisyon ng president, then baka maparusahan ka," he said, and added that this is not a good development as there are lawmakers who do not agree with the administration's stand on certain issues such as the lowering of the age of juvenile criminality, and imposition of the death penalty.
"But siyempre, ang aming expectation is 'pag nagcrack na ng whip ang administration, marami ang susunod sa posisyon," he said.
Baguilat also reeled from the negative feedback received by administration critics.
"Ang napapansin ko, pag yung criticism is on the drug war, medyo matindi yung response, talagang iniipit gawa ng nangyari kay Senator De Lima," he said.
ENEMY OF THE STATE
Critics of the war on drugs are also painted as an enemy of the state or "yellow."
"Kung tutuusin, the Liberal Party (LP) has already aligned with this administration in both Houses. Ang official party is stand is that we are with the majority, so saan nanggagaling ito?" Baguilat said.
It is a good thing that they are still free to talk about other issues such as charter change, the possible suspension of the writ of habeas corpus, or possible constitutional dictatorship, he said.
However, Rye said that despite a chilling effect and the absence of a formal opposition party, the opposition is not dead.
"Is the opposition dead? In terms of an opposition party, it doesn't exist but in terms of people who criticize, there are still many."
This, he said, is a consequence of the Philippines' weak party system.
"I would have hoped the LP as the only remaining coherent party in the senate would have taken a position as the opposition, but they decided to play a more constructive role in the majority," Rye said.
