The second State-of-the-Nation Address was classic Duterte.
Obviously uncomfortable with his prepared speech, the President rambled using expletive-laden ad libs.
He spoke against the “enemies of the state”—communist rebels and IS terrorists who deserve to be bullied with the full might of the government.
He went on to talk about his war against illegal drugs and the irresponsible mining activities that destroy the environment. Despite the domestic and international flak he has been getting on extrajudicial killings, this President vows to continue his war against drugs and says it should not be linked to human rights issues.
As an independent observer, I think the President should have focused on the rising incidence of poverty and joblessness.
No doubt, terrorism will be his greatest challenge in the coming days because of the IS-inspired maute group, Abu Sayyaf, Bangsamoro Islamic Freedom Fighters and other groups.
This is why I agree that martial law in Mindanao should be extended.
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Here is the connection: The rising incidence of poverty and joblessness gives rise to bigger problems like drugs and criminality. The poor resort to the use of illegal drugs to forget their misery. There are drug pushers because the users need the money to finance their addiction.
And why has criminality gone up? This is because drug addicts live a life of crime.
Illegal gambling, on the other hand, goes all the way up to Camp Crame and Camp Aguinaldo. Why can’t General Bato dela Rosa go after these gamblers?
President Duterte also talked about irresponsible mining, which he claims is responsible for the destruction of the environment. He added that the minerals extracted by mining firms should be turned into products for local consumption.
Santa Banana, that’s easier said than done!
I don’t believe the Mining Act should be amended. It is clear enough about responsible mining.
I do not have any quarrel with the issues brought by the President, except the reimposition of the death penalty. I believe that only God can take the life of a human being. Besides, there is no empirical data to show that capital punishment deters crimes.
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What makes Mr. Duterte different from previous presidents we have had? I think it is his commitment and dedication to what he believes in, rightly or wrongly. This is why majority of Filipinos give him excellent ratings in surveys. He certainly is a strong leader, one we all can believe in.
Mr. Duterte may be maverick in many ways. He curses and uses hyperboles to drive home his point. But this is the language of the masses. This is why he became President in the first place.
The masses believe in him and share his sentiment about the United States and the European Union.
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From the start, I said that President Duterte will eventually know the futility of negotiating with the communist insurgents. It is useless because he is talking to people who say one thing and do another.
The New People’s Army keeps on committing atrocities in the countryside.
The bottom line is trust and sincerity. It’s a good thing President Duterte has seen through the communists’ double talk.
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Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez has a weird sense of priorities. Despite many priority bills in Congress, he wants to prioritize the dissolution of marriages. He also wants to legitimize common law partnerships.
Not content with these, he also wants to allow same-sex marriage here!