Is President Duterte a strongman?

Sa TIME Magazine, isa daw ako sa mga strongman. ‘Di man ako strongman...I have never sent anyone to jail for criticizing me...You can criticize me to no end…You are my employer, I’m an employee. I’m just a government worker,” – President Rodrigo Roa Duterte

In its latest issue, TIME Magazine featured President Duterte on its cover, together with other world leaders: Russian President Vladimir Putin, Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, and Turkey President Recep Tayyip Erdogan. The magazine dubbed them as “strongmen,” which Tatay Digong has later refuted. But it is undeniable that what the article says is true: we are living in the era of tough guys, and they’re here to stay. He is here to stay.

In a country where the drug problem has become the locus of a war, terrorist groups continue to torment innocent citizens, and certain politicians want to control power at the expense of the people – and even though there are those who oppose the need for a strongman, it cannot be denied that we need a leader who can take us to the road that leads to a better future.

President Duterte has time and again shown not only to the Filipino people, but to the rest of the world, that he – or our country for that matter, is no pushover. He repelled several attempts by other countries to meddle in the situation of our country, which could have otherwise undermined state sovereignty. He has refused aid from certain countries especially when these come with conditions that wish to interfere with domestic affairs. His detractors often see these moves as his gestures of nonsensical pride; what they do not see, however, is that PRRD is doing those to establish the fact that we, as a nation, can stand up from the embers of these hurdles on our own, that we can resolve our problems by relying on each other’s capacities, and not through dole outs from neighboring countries who are just waiting for the right time to prey when we are at our weakest state.

In our country, President Duterte continues to fight off traditional politicians who assassinate his character in order for them to continue reigning in power. These attacks have not stopped even after he won in the 2016 elections, but despite the ordeal, he is keeping his word and is fulfilling his promise to reduce society’s problems bit by bit. Contrary to what his opponents and self-proclaimed critics are saying, his campaign to resolve our issues does not discriminate. There’s no rich or poor in his fight for social justice, especially in the drug war. Even politicians who are protecting drug syndicates or small-time peddlers are not excluded in the government’s campaign against illegal drugs.

We have also seen the President’s decisiveness and firm action against terrorists during the armed conflict in Marawi. He declared Martial Law in order to effectively manage both the war and the post-war problems of Marawi and its environs, but some politicians used it to create another issue to malign his competencies as head of state. It prevailed however, that his decisions were done in order to protect the Filipino people.

Indeed, the fight against terrorism is far from over, but with the government’s victory in the battle for Marawi, it is evident that President Duterte’s strong leadership has played a highly significant role.

We have likewise witnessed the President’s decisiveness in fighting for the rights and safety of Filipinos abroad. He also holds a firm stance against corruption, to the point that he has fired some members of his administration due to them being allegedly involved in corruption.

The abovementioned actions of the President are not to say he is focused only on limited issues. He is also focused on infrastructure projects which are lucrative investments that are seen to improve the economy of the country.

He has also thought about the welfare of those who serve and protect the country, i.e. soldiers and policemen. He also signed the Free Tuition Law. And despite the continuous tirades against him, he created a task force (Presidential Task Force on Violence against Media Workers) to ensure the safety of media practitioners.

There’s this portion in TIME’s article depicting President Duterte as one of the strongman leaders in the world:

“These tough-talking populists promise to protect “us” from “them.” Depending on who’s talking, “them” can mean the corrupt elite or the grasping poor; foreigners or members of racial, ethnic or religious minorities. Or disloyal politicians, bureaucrats, bankers or judges. Or lying reporters.”

In our case, when President Duterte is the one talking, it is to protect us from crime, corruption, and the harmful and violent effects of illegal drugs; from terrorists and foreign countries who want to get hold of our sovereignty. To sum it all, he protects the future of the next generation by building a better tomorrow and continuously trying to solve the problems of the present.

So, is President Duterte a strongman?

Maybe to the criminals, to the corrupt, to terrorists, and to those who seek to destroy our country for money and power; but never to the Filipino people whom he has sworn to serve, protect and fight for until his very last breath.