Crying for change

President Rody Duterte may really have the best interest of the country in his mind and in his heart. But it would be much better if he can also realize and admit that there are many others who likewise have the best interest of our country in their minds and hearts. So it will be good for our country and people if he will also listen and hear what others have to say about our country and about his way of running the affairs of State so far.

First of all, he should realize that as President, he is the “Head of State,” so he must act like a “Statesman,” the number one leader “skilled in public affairs and the art of government.” Statesmanship requires that he set the example for our people to emulate and to follow, especially the young ones, the “future generation” as he used to call them. In this regard, he should not get mad and vehemently assail those who are pointing out what they perceive are his faults and defects both as private individual and as a public servant. He should consider them also as friends who want him to succeed as our duly elected President, rather than as enemies who deserve to be cursed and called with all sorts of invectives picturing them as people of ill-repute. As it is now turning out, even his die-hard supporters are emulating him and hurling vitriolic language at his critics thus sowing so much hatred and division in our land. Actually, it now appears that two groups are bitterly fighting each other: the pro and anti Duterte or the “Dutertards” and “Yellowtards” who are the ghosts of the past administration. Kuya Rody should therefore immediately take steps to unite our people once again by acting more like a Statesman and the father of our people.

Secondly, he must be firmly convinced by now that he has been duly and overwhelmingly elected as our President. So he should already stop selling himself and trying to win more admirers by making sensational moves and uttering colorful, headline hugging and quotable but conflicting statements which keep him in the lime light for a considerable length of time. He should realize that the campaign period is long over and he should already “hit the ground running” as his erstwhile friend and adviser Fidel V. Ramos suggested. At this stage, he is still going all over the entire country and speaking to an audience gathered together for some occasions that actually do not call for a presidential appearance. Instead of travelling around the country and even abroad, he should buckle down to work and refrain from talking too much. He should let the people know and feel his achievements through a notable performance of his works than through his words. After all, people will appreciate more what he is doing rather than what he is saying.

Thirdly, he should not concentrate so much and be so obsessed in solving only some of the   problems our country is facing. During the first five months of his administration, it is quite obvious that his main focus is on the drug problem besetting our country for quite some time now. He appears to be so intent in fighting this menace to the extent of declaring a “war” against people involved in drugs, one way or another. Very noticeable in this regard is the surge in the number of deaths particularly of the poor people suspected of being drug addicts or of being hired as drug pushers and dealers by big time drug lords. Everyday news media report an average of 10 to 15 suspects killed as a result of the police operations against drugs known as “Oplan Tokhang.” This alarming rise in the number of deaths somehow indicates that the present administration has low regard for human life. The daily killings seem to be accepted already as part and parcel of our daily life and as matter of fact. Our law enforcers are emboldened by some of the belligerent pronouncements coming from Duterte himself whose guidelines are quite vague and conflicting. As the war goes on, several cases are now emerging as mistaken and unjustified killings; that the suspects who died at the hands of the police are not drug addicts or have nothing to do at all with drug trafficking and dealing. More and more complaints are coming out especially from the surviving members of poor families about how their relatives have been mercilessly killed; that some of them are already giving up and not resisting arrest when they were gunned down. The sad part here is that numerous other killings have been perpetrated by masked assailants riding in tandem which may not be drug related at all or which also involved policemen disguised as hired killers. So far, no investigation appears to have been conducted by the police authorities to find out the truth behind all these killings, whether the policemen involved are really justified in killing them in self defense, or whether the killings were done by policemen or by some other bad elements.

Another alarming aspect in this war is the emergence of “drug lists.” This practice is quite dangerous simply because the list may turn out to be wrong like what happened to a Congressman and Vice Governor of a Province whose names appear in a “Drug Matrix” bared by Duterte himself but who were subsequently cleared. The greatest danger here is that those mistakenly listed may also be mistakenly killed in some police operations. So many people are therefore now afraid to walk or travel especially at night for they may be mistakenly killed as drug suspects. So people in this country do not really feel safer now.

The drug lists are not really necessary. Instead, those in the list should be properly charged, investigated and tried in court especially if they are well known personalities. Drawing up and publicly revealing their names before being charged are quite unfair and unjust.

These are some of the dangerous and harmful aspects in Duterte’s administration which should be properly addressed, corrected or completely stopped. Hopefully he accepts them and takes steps to correct them.

Email: [email protected]