It may be said that President Rodrigo Duterte’s war against illegal drugs has spawned equally important concerns like summary killings of alleged drug lords and drug dealers, as well as the proliferation of loose firearms.
Nobody can dispute the fact the President is fully responsible and accountable for how this war is progressing.
According to Mr. Duterte, some of these officials even supported him during his campaign. This is the perfect example of how resolute and committed he is in ridding the country of the drug menace.
He says his next targets are the mayors in Metro Manila. This will demonstrate that the rich and powerful are not exempted from the campaign against illegal drugs. But I still have to see the police, the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency and the National Bureau of Investigation raid exclusive subdivisions and swoop down on the rich and the powerful.
Still, the President has shown leadership that we have never seen from any chief executive.
The fact that there is no public outcry—except isolated ones from some members of Congress, the Catholic Church, the Commission on Human Rights and the United Nations—tells us that the people have become desensitized to the killings. This may well be the result of the erosion of the people’s faith and confidence in the government and its leaders.
With Duterte now doing what other presidents before him have failed to do, people now believe that change is already here. There is a visible effort to eliminate illegal drugs, criminality and corruption.
I do have reservations on whether or not illegal drugs can be eradicated. As long as there is demand there will always be supply. Drug lords or drug dealers can always go underground or operate outside the country. The Philippines has even become a transshipment point for international drug cartels, like the Chinese triad, West Africa syndicates, and the dreaded Mexican Sinaloa.
Even in countries where drug lords and drug dealers are executed, the menace remains. Curbed, perhaps, but not eliminated.
My gulay, the illegal drug trade is a multi-billion dollar industry, and people are always greedy with money.
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It comes as no surprise that President Duterte has declared a war against oligarchy. Mr. Duterte not only has an affinity for the working class and the poor. His general outlook and ideology have always leaned towards true social equality. He is a self-confessed socialist.
This is also aligned to the President’s mission to bring about the change that Filipinos have long clamored for. After all, the very definition of the word “oligarchy” seems to encapsulate the socio-economic conditions of the former BS Aquino administration.
In true Duterte fashion, he spoke not of vague generalities and motherhood statements when he vowed to destroy the oligarchs. Unfortunately, he singled out international businessman Roberto “Bobby” Ongpin. Ongpin is far from being the poster boy of patronage and business “embedded” in government.
After Edsa 1, Bobby was outside of the Philippines and came back only during the early years of the nine-year rule of former President Gloria Macapagal Arroyo. Bobby was never embedded during the six-year rule of BS Aquino, who tasked his lapdogs and minions to file cases against Ongpin if only to harass and persecute him.
Ongpin’s only fault: His friendship with former First Gentleman Mike Arroyo.
As I said in yesterday’s column, my gulay, there are more accurate examples of oligarchs than Bobby Ongpin.
During BS Aquino’s time, in fact, boardroom gossip and coffeeshop talks always alleged that former Finance Secretary Cesar Purisima was the main orchestrator of the so-called “Yellow Oligarch Club.” Supposedly, this extremely powerful group of businessmen, attended by equally entrenched former Customs commissioners and other rich and affluent businessmen and Chinese friends, closed billion-peso deals.
A couple of my friends relayed to me their amusement at the predicament of Purisima’s friends. It seems that they are trying to back-channel to get into the good graces of Duterte, when almost everybody knows that they were big contributors to the Mar Roxas campaign. Santa Banana, Duterte is a known master strategist—expect him to have a keen eye for turncoats and phonies. The oligarchs would do well to remember this.
By the way, who do you think now owns “Burger King,” that chain of hamburgers? It was bought from the Ayalas by a syndicate led by you know who.
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I have said that I am beginning to admire Du30. For one thing, he walks his talk and is committed and resolute about his work.
During the campaign, he vowed to have the remains of former strongman and President Ferdinand Marcos buried at the Libingan ng mga Bayani. Marcos was not only a president but a soldier. The law mandates that presidents, soldiers, commanders-in-chief, national defense secretaries and heroes would be buried at the Libingan. And Santa Banana, Marcos was not only a soldier and president, but commander-in-chief and National Defense secretary. Let me add that he was also a true hero in Bataan against the Japanese. He is a veteran guerilla.
The point I am leading to is that Du30 walks his talk, despite threats of protest. “They can rally all they want and I will give them permits,” he said. That’s leadership for you.
Sept. 18 is scheduled to be the burial of the remains of Marcos. Hopefully, this controversy will also put to rest an issue that has long divided the country. Being finally able to move forward—now that’s change I can appreciate.
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A longtime resident of Mandaluyong City, who just wants to be called a “Concerned Businessman” sent me a copy of his open letter to Justice Secretary Vitaliano Aguirre. He wants to know why a Senior Deputy State Prosecutor of the Department of Justice continues to act as Acting City Prosecutor for the city for the last four years.
The writer of the letter sees the need to fill a vacancy on a temporary basis where some situation may call for one. This case, however, stretches the logic. What is being whispered about is the acting prosecutor is there to look after some big-time business interests.
The businessman says the acting prosecutor maintains a schedule of only Tuesdays and Thursdays in Mandaluyong City, and not even for a full day. And then he goes off to Quezon City.
The writer now believes that the quality and integrity of the prosecutor’s work must be suffering. Alas, the citizenry fears this office and will not speak out.
The letter urges the Justice secretary to appoint a permanent city prosecutor. The DoJ, the writer says, must implement a rotation of prosecutors to ensure good governance and prevent corruption.
I would like to ask Secretary Aguirre whether the acting prosecutor is getting additional compensation for spending two days a week in Mandaluyong and two days a week in Quezon City. There is a prohibition against multiple compensation.