President Rodrigo Duterte again surprised us all Monday, but this time in a good way, delivering his third State of the Nation Address minus his usual profanity and rambling digressions. In the 48 minutes it took him to go through the address, the President was on point, making clear what his administration’s priorities are.
The war on illegal drugs, he said, would continue despite criticism from human rights and religious groups, who condemn its rising death toll.
But the President stood firm, and was clear in the logic behind his campaign.
“If you think that I can be dissuaded from continuing this fight because of demonstrations…then you got it all wrong,” Mr. Duterte said. “Your concern is human rights, mine is human lives. The lives of our youth are being wasted and families are destroyed, and all because of the chemicals called shabu, cocaine, cannabis, and heroine.”
The President was clear, too, that he would brook no corruption in his administration, not even from his friends and supporters, urging them not to make his job “lonelier” by forcing him to dismiss them.
He then turned his attention to key economic priorities, starting with his drive to reduce red tape, which itself is an opportunity for corruption.
Calling for an improvement in frontline services, he ordered all agencies to faithfully carry out the Ease of Doing Business Act that was recently signed into law.
“I particularly call the attention of the agencies with the [most] number of red tape-related reports from the public, make your services truly customer-friendly. Our people deserve efficient, effective, and responsive government services. They deserve nothing less,” he said.
Turning his attention to Mindanao, the President vowed to bring the island closer to realizing all its potential. He cited the Bangsamoro Organic Law, which should have been signed Monday, as the way toward harmony and peace and away from war and human suffering.
The President also defended his policy of forging closer ties with China, while committing to defend our interests in the West Philippine Sea.
“Opening lines of communication and amicably managing differences have led to positive developments that include renewed access of Filipino fishermen in the areas in dispute in the… West Philippine Sea,” he said.
The President was direct in addressing criticism of the Tax Reform for Acceleration and Inclusion and urged Congress to pass part two of the program to reduce corporate income taxes to give Filipino companies more funds with which to hire more workers and expand their business.
He was also clear in his warning to the mining industry to stop practices that destroy the environment, and made a measured pitch for a draft federal constitution that would create an environment where every Filipino—regardless of social status, religion, or ideology—will have an equal opportunity to grow and create a future.
Curiously, the President did not mention his ambitious Build, Build, Build infrastructure program, a centerpiece in the administration’s efforts to spur economic development and reduce poverty. We can only speculate that Mr. Duterte, who has previously expressed impatience with the slow pace of progress on this front, was also signaling his displeasure to the officials responsible for the program. We trust they got the message.