EDITORIAL
Cardinal Jaime Sin: fighter for democracy

In the tumultuous history of the Philippines, few figures will stand out as heroically as Cardinal Jaime Sin, who died this week at 76.

Jovial, humorous and infinitely courageous, Cardinal Sin was a man of the church but also of the people. He put his reputation — and indeed his life — on the line more than once in defense of the people against autocratic and often corrupt governments.

It is a testament to his integrity and his determination that he continued to speak out against corruption and the anti-democratic antics of Philippine leaders even when it appeared he might have been losing the battle.

One of Sin's most public crises of conscience came late in his career when he helped lead street protests against former President Joseph Estrada on grounds of corruption and misrule.

The protests helped force Estrada from power, but they also angered many poor followers of Estrada who were ardent admirers of his flamboyant ways and his presumed identification with the "little people."

Faced with a violent backlash from the Philippines' urban poor, Sin offered an unprecedented apology in which he admitted the church had neglected the poor, leaving them easy prey for charismatic populists such as Estrada.

Sin's greatest legacy was his willingness to lend moral and political force to the "people power" revolution that ousted the late Ferdinand Marcos and set a model for relatively peaceful challenge to authoritarian regimes around the globe.

He set a powerful example for the Philippines and for democracy fighters around the world.