AFTER reading newspaper reports and watching television clips on the all-out campaign against illegal drugs, which President Rodrigo Duterte vowed would be eradicated within six months, I now have a few questions.
Are those being killed in alleged shootouts with the police real drug lords, or just plain pushers or drug addicts turned pushers? It is impossible that drug lords live in shanties.
Why are law enforcement agencies packing already-congested jails with drug dependents when these are supposed to be victims of the drug menace? Or, are they actually pushers pretending to be addicts?
With what we are seeing now, does it not seem that the BS Aquino administration simply tolerated the proliferation of illegal drugs, not doing anything to stop it?
And with the alleged involvement of at least five police generals already named, and with at least 35 heads of local government units also involved, but not yet named, could it be possible that people around BS Aquino himself are the true drug lords?
I have no ready answers to these questions, but it does seem the real drug lords are in the higher echelons of society. I advise the President and his Chief of Police to also go after movie and TV celebrities instead of targeting the poor.
It is an open secret in the entertainment industry that users can easily buy drugs.
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The police generals, two of them already retired, and the other three already deactivated, are luckier than the dealers and pushers who are being targeted by the police and other law enforcement agencies. The latter are simply killed.
The five police generals still have to be investigated by the National Police Commission if they are still members of the PNP. If not, they have to go through the normal process required by law.
First of all, there must be positive proof and evidence of their involvement considering the fact that a person is presumed innocent unless proven otherwise. Their names made public by the President is not proof. Then they must be tried. For those still in active service, they must be tried by the Sandiganbayan. And for those already retired, by regional trial courts. My gulay, that can take months or even years!
And if they have good lawyers, that can even exceed the six years of the Duterte administration. Look at the Ampatuan massacre case. It has been years since the alleged culprits were indicted.
To this end, Duterte himself may be realizing that his vow to end criminality, illegal drugs and corruption could not be achieved in six months.
Being a lawyer himself, he knows what is legal and not legal.
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Vice President Leni Robredo says that with or without a cabinet position, she’ll continue to support President Duterte. Does she has any other choice? After all, members of BS Aquino’s Yellow Army are now gravitating to the Duterte camp.
This brings up the question of whether Robredo as vice president is still relevant. I believe she has become irrelevant for two reasons.
First, because her vice presidency is under question. We all know how she won it. We also know that Senator Bongbong Marcos should be the vice president, not Leni, who is trying hard to stick like a leech.
If only to get into the news, Robredo makes herself look humble and pro-poor, like taking the bus to go to Camarines Sur. She attempts to identify herself with Duterte, coming from the ranks of the poor.
It has become “overacting” on the part of Robredo, making her “plastic” in more ways than one.
Somebody identified with the Duterte camp told me that the President is just humoring her when she wants to see him.
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The yearlong lifestyle checks of all government workers by the Duterte administration is supposed to flush out corrupt government workers.
This should have been done a long time ago considering since many in government have lifestyles beyond their means, or what get from their government post as salaries and other perks.
The problem with this move of the President is that he will still have to depend on chiefs of government, like at Customs, BIR and LTO.
My gulay, even security guards at Customs have flashy cars as Nick Faeldon, newly appointed Customs chief will soon find out. Duterte must realize soon enough that it takes more than honesty to stop corruption.
The lifestyle check is long overdue.
