Forgetfulness attaches to old age. It is a fact of life that I have learned to accept. As I grow old, there are many things I tend to forget. When memory fails, I cover my obvious lapse with naughty smiles. What is frustratingly woeful though is that there are times when I need to say something, but at those precise moments, forgetfulness reigns and I cannot remember what I want to recall.
There were three promises made by President Rodrigo Duterte when he campaigned for office that I distinctly remember. These were: 1.) He would solve the illegal drug problem in three months after assuming office; 2.) He would assert our territorial sovereignty over the islands in the West Philippine Sea against China; and 3.) He would promote and protect labor by ending contractualization.
Broken promise number one. Our nation was overwhelmed by the millions who believed in Duterte's lofty promise he would lick this narcotics problem in three months. Truthfully speaking, I was among the few who expressed reservation. We thought it was not realistic to claim that he could solve the problem with whatever magic wand he possessed. Each time I wrote in this column my caution, I received a barrage of unpalatable remarks such that the deluge of Duterte believers was just like a lynching. We were simply swept away.
But, we all know he broke our hearts when he failed this promise.
Broken promise number two. With the nine-dash line that China wrote into the globes that it marketed worldwide, we saw its expansionist character. Such demarcation included the islands in the West Philippine Sea as portions of Chinese territory. During his campaign, Duterte promised to defend our territorial integrity. I remember him saying that if necessary, he would ride a jetski to the Spratlys and drive away the Chinese. I applauded the hyperbole he used and really believed in him.
The events that followed showed he never lifted a finger to defend our territory. He lost his patriotism when he allowed the Chinese invasion into our domain. He knew China built military installations in several islands that an International Arbitral Tribunal ruled to be under Philippine jurisdiction, yet he allowed their dismemberment by a foreign power. He broke his promise to drive away Chinese invaders.
Broken promise number three. When Duterte was still wooing votes, he wowed people with the promise of job security. His grasp of political sloganeering was doubtlessly masterful. "No more contractualization!" was his commitment to the young. He promised that once an employee got hired, he would look to the secured future in his work. With that he massed youthful voters into hordes of fierce campaigners.
The other day, Malacañang reneged on his promise to the contractual workers. The glorious imagery he drew for his legions of adoring fans in diverse employment situations shattered. In breach of his campaign commitment, contracting workers to certain periods at the end of which they would be fired will remain a practice. His promise to end contractualization is assuming its farcical nature.
I am certain many of us senior citizens who are forgetful are noting the campaign promises Duterte made. If we point which ones he broke, we only wish that he would mend his ways. He still has four years to shape up.