Second issue for presidential debate: crimes and drugs
One of the monumental failures of this administration, aside from the Mamasapano tragedy, the mediocre handling of the post-Yolanda relief and rehabilitation challenge, the non-inclusive economic growth and the horrendous Edsa traffic disaster, and the admittedly unsolved endemic corruptions among political allies and close friends, is the modern social cancer of worsening crimes and drug malady. Everyday, people are being killed, raped, held up in broad daylight, robbed, kidnapped and ambushed. The police is either "inutile" or its elements are involved. And almost all of these crimes are drug-induced or drug-related. This government has bungled it, and any candidate being pushed by the ruling party cannot claim to be able to solve it.
In the next presidential debate, Secretary Mar Roxas who had complete control and supervision over the police was not able to make a dent of this gargantuan national crisis. In fact, this government does not have a very strong, purposive, long-range, holistic and well-planned strategy to combat crimes and drugs. Children are being killed, almost daily, being seduced and ravished by family members and close relatives and the government seems not to be alarmed. Shabu is being manufactured inside the national penitentiary and jail and prison authorities are either involved or plain stupid as to allow such a travesty. Arrests are made for the cameras when the Secretary of Justice just wanted to be elected senator. But nobody has been convicted among the government functionaries involved.
And so, Roxas will definitely stammer and mumble generalities when in the debate on drugs. Binay too has no moral authority to claim that he is an anti-drug advocate because Makati is no different from all the other cities and provinces. The truth of the matter is that there are no less than seven million addicts and drug dependents in the whole country today, and a lot of them are in Makati. Grace Poe like her vice, Chiz Escudero, will just bombard us with vague and general theories and argumentum ad absurdum. Grace too does not have a concrete master plan against drugs and crimes. I do not know about Miriam. We cannot solve the drug menace with her high-sounding peregrinations at esoteric theories and out-of-this world philosophies.
The only hopes that we can repose are on Mayor Digong Duterte (he might be substituting Dinio by December 10, after all). The dragon lady Miriam may philosophize about she may not be that healed completely. (Yes, Maam, your health is a relevant issue because if we trust your brains and gut sand character and competence, we should also have confidence on your physical health). Only Duterte can wipe out all drug lords in less than one year. Only Duterte can challenge any drug lord to a duel or a boxing bout (leave that to daughter Sarah). Only Duterte can shoot a criminal and be seen via national television. Grace will worry about human rights. Roxas will still have to clear it with PNoy. And Binay may delegate it following the chain of command. Miriam may be resting.
And so, if we commit the mistake of not electing a strongly anti-drug, anti-crime, anti-terrorist president, then we will have more of the current crimes, more of the murders, rapes, robberies and kidnappings secondary to drug. If we elect a "teka teka" or a pure inexperienced idealist with sophomoric dreams, then we might as well process our US visa and leave this country for good, like the husband and children of Grace Poe. If the next president cannot fix the country, cannot solve the traffic, cannot stand up to the Chinese bullies and cannot bring about prosperity that is inclusive, then we have no hope staying in this country anymore. That will be very sad, even tragic. To continue the Daang Natuwad means more of incompetence, ineptitude, and more of reckless negligence.
Never again!
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