At the outset, let me make clear the title of this column. I did not not say “disturbed.” I said “disturbing.” Lest I’m haled to court, there’s a world of difference between the two words. When one is called disturbed, it means he or she is a borderline case needing professional help.
In this column, I must confess I’m the one who finds disturbing President Rodrigo Duterte’s series of public utterances.
Take his most recent ones on House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez who admitted he has many “wives.” In siding with the multi-mistressed Alvarez, Digong said it was a non issue. Alvarez is facing a disbarment proceeding since the law is clear about extra-marital affairs.
“Sino ba sa inyo ang walang mga babae (Who among you do not have mistresses)?” Digong asked an audience in an out-of-town appearance. He may not be rich, he said, but he is rich in that he has many girl friends who are rich. So, Senator Sonny Trillanes, take note. This explains why Digong has millions of pesos in his bank accounts—the President’s ex-wife Elizabeth Zimmerman and current live-in partner Honeylet Avanceña are wealthy.
Coming from the President of this benighted republic, morality has reached a new low. The President being the elected leader has just set a new standard for public officials. But remember this is nothing new: former President and now Manila Mayor Joseph Estrada flaunted his extra-marital affairs and still got elected by the misguided masses.
And then, there was the incredible public statement of Digong he would pardon the policemen who gunned down Albuera, Leyte Mayor Roland Espinosa inside his detention cell.
“All they [the accused cops]have to do is plead guilty, and I’ll pardon them as I have to protect our policemen who risk their lives in the pursuit of the anti-drug war.”
This is rather bizarre. How can there be risk in serving a search warrant to an unarmed man already inside his prison cell?
If we are to blame someone for giving the country a bad name in the international community, it’s really Digong. He cursed Pope Francis for the traffic gridlock during the papal visit to Manila. Duterte called former US President Barack Obama “a son of a b*tch,” the clergy “hypocrites” and other choice words for the United Nations and European Union.
We are not going to be tempted to join in on the toxic trash talk going around. But someone else, actress Agot Isidro, called Duterte a psychopath. Bebot Alvarez, Malacañang’s in-house speaker for Digong, said detained Senator Leila de Lima belongs in a mental hospital.
Alvarez is facing disbarment for his alleged serial dalliances with women. But that’s another story. The law after all has as many interpretations as there are as many lawyers His remark on De Lima, however, could put him in jeopardy for practicing psychiatry without a license.
Invitation to anarchy
Two independent-minded senators—Dick Gordon and Ping Lacson—cautioned the President against his decision to let informal settlers own a public housing facility they illegally took over in Pandi town in Bulacan.
“This is an invitation to anarchy,” warned Gordon and Lacson. They said it may be a good stroke of public relations, but it does not speak well of the government which is mandated to implement the law. This is a case where an illegal act by the mob was made lawful by government itself.
The Pandi housing project was meant for police and military personnel but the Katipunan ng Damayan Mahihirap or Kadamay swarmed in and occupied the empty houses. They claimed, they too, deserved housing and should be made beneficiaries of homes built by the National Housing Authority.
To appease military and police personnel for whom the NHA project was intended, President Duterte said he would make sure the AFP and PNP families would be given another, better housing project before the end of the year.
But the question is why the police and military personnel did not move into the Pandi housing project as soon as it was completed. Perhaps the houses were too small for them? But the original beneficiaries cannot be blamed for not moving in right away because the area did not yet have electricity and water facilities. The informal settlers who are used to not having water and electricity seized the opportunity to take over and occupy the empty houses.
Digong support dips—survey
President Duterte’s public acceptance ratings, according to the latest Pulse Asia survey in March, dipped slightly from 83 percent to 78 percent. Malacañang is unfazed and a statement issued by press office said the President still enjoys wide support from the public despite all the noises and issues against him. The issues facing the President include an impeachment case filed against him by Magdalo Rep. Gary Alejano, the alleged extrajudicial killings in his brutal war on drugs, his vitriolic verbal attacks on international institutions like the UN, EU and his soft response on Chinese encroachments in the West Philippine Sea and more recently Benham Rise.
Whether Mr. Duterte will make a 360-degree turn in his policy and style remains to be seen. But this is a president who will not be easily swayed by what his critics say about him. He will most probably stay the course. He’s after all, only in his first nine months of his six-year term.