Quo Vadis, Philippines?

Duterte and his politics

On May 9, 2016, over 40 million Filipinos trooped to the polling precincts to cast their vote. 

The tough-talking Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte won via a wide margin over his four contenders, garnering 36 per cent or around 16 million votesof the more than 40 million Filipino voters who cast their votes.  He will be 17^th President of the Republic of the Philippines.

Like in the past elections, Filipinos voted for another plurality president, in Duterte, having been chosen by less than 20 per cent of the Filipino people who will rule over the country populated by over 100 million men, women and children.

Googled photo:  Credit to owner

During the campaign, the 71-year-old Duterte admittedly was a crowd-drawer.  His political advertisement, too, appeared to have captured the hearts of television viewers more than any other candidates.  And yes, Duterte also dominated the war in cyberspace where participants engaged in one of the most passionate and spirited debate – if you can call it that - as to which candidate is the best for the country.

Friendships were lost and yes, people have cut ties with families, during the last electoral contest.  It will definitely take time to heal and Duterte’s continuing “political campaign” days before being sworn into office on June 30, 2016, continues to cause this divide.  

Interestingly, he promised to unite the country and even promised to bring back to the fold insurgents and end more than three decades of armed struggle in the countryside.

The tough-talking mayor of Davao City promised change to, among others get rid of criminals the way he did in his home town wherein he ruled with an iron fist as mayor for over 20 years; fix government by fighting its evils, particularly graft and corruption, and work for peace with insurgents.

Meanwhile, in the social media war, fakes became a norm.   

Fake photos, fake news report of fake endorsement and fake surveys, from blogs using fake accounts proliferated.  This was a first in the country’s election history – a game changer – which interestingly saw propagandist unleashing their most creative works.  

 During the campaign, memes became irrefutable truths and all other mainstream media, ironically, were branded as “biased” and “untrustworthy” or “paid hacks” by politicians.

Instead of being a venue for intelligent debate, social media platforms became a venue for spreading lies and hate with all the memes and one liners coming from diehards – not necessarily all coming from Duterte’s camp – while the more intelligent non-bashing communicators from various camps continue to appeal to the softer crowd from the other political fences to join theirs.  Duterte appeared to have gained the most from both, with many believing in the conviction of Duterte’s supporters that the man from Mindanao is the “last card” and the only one who can save the country from complete breakdown.

Clearly, while saying he has no financial resources, Duterte dominated the air and ground wars during the campaign, surprising even the veteran political analysts who were also not spared by social media bashers who ruled the cyber war.

Vice President Jejomar Binay, who appeared to be leading the presidential race based on the poll surveys failed to sustain the momentum and in the end landed fourth overall.

Former DILG Secretary Mar Roxas, whose popularity as “Mr. Palengke” vanished over the years, became Duterte’s closest rival on account of a well-oiled political machinery backing him up to garner votes that is, however, still six million votes short to match that of Duterte.
 

Senator Grace Poe, the daughter of legendary movie actor Fernando Poe Jr. landed third, giving only Roxas a good fight for the second spot. 

Duterte: Googled photo.  Credit to the owner

The ailing Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago got less than 2 million votes.

Duterte’s main campaign slogan was “Tapang at Malasakit – Tama si Duterte”.  It was like a magnet and the message sank in into the hearts and souls of his supporters.  They do not mind him advocating for mass murder to deliver swift justice, ironically, to end crime – and at one time, even threatening to close institutions, should there be any attempt to impeach him for his alleged secret bank account as exposed by Senator Trillanes.

His supporters believed everything Duterte said and defended him against critics with passion, and often, with aggression, even in cyberspace.   

Duterte’s “keyboard warriors” dominated the social media during the campaign, passionately fending off critics of Duterte while attacking his rivals with no mercy.

Duterte was able to make the presidential election his playground.  He cussed the Pope because of traffic, challenged his supporters not to vote for him because they will go to hell if they will defy the Roman Catholic Bishops who called on the faithful not to vote for Durtere; made jokes about a dead Australian missionary who got ganged-raped in prison because “the mayor should have been” first on the line; about his person-with-disabilities-friends, including the aged.  And as if just like a stand-up comedian in a comedy bar, his crowd during campaign sorties and rallies were all entertained, laughing, and cheering for him every time the words “putang ina” came out of his mouth.

His supporters say in picking Duterte, they picked a real person.  A man of his word.  Tough, ready to fight and die for the country, unlike his opponents who are “plastics” and hypocrites; but actually wolves pretending to be a sheep and with no love for the Filipinos like him.  That is what Duterte is to his supporters.

His supporters dismissed criticisms against Duterte as mere “paninirang puri” or black propaganda meant to destroy Duterte’s reputation. 

A week after the election, during his first press conference, Duterte’s transition team started floating names for his would-be cabinet.  Most of them are “recycled” from past administration’s abhorred for being corrupt and anti-poor. 

Not surprisingly, but laughable, is Duterte’s economic team’s pronouncement that it will not deviate from Aquino’s economic policy, which is widely believed to have strengthened the country’s economy.

The Duterte administration will, of course, inherit the sustained economic growth and promised to do better by, among others, improving the conditional cash transfer, pushing for a Constitutional change to enhance foreign ownership of corporations that will be allowed to do business in the country to lure more investors and generate jobs, which is precisely what the leadership of the 16^th Congress, particularly in the House of Representatives, is pushing for.

On the campaign against crime, some of Duterte’s plan is to declare a nationwide curfew for minors, ban drinking liquor in the streets; limit drinking sprees in restaurants and night clubs; including videoke – policies which are within the supposed powers of local governments under the local government code.

He still encourages “shoot-to-kill” for criminals and one in-coming mayor in the Visayas region, Tomas Osmena, is taking the cue by promoting bounty hunting, promising to pay P10, 000 to those who will shoot, and P20, 000 to those will kill, criminals. 

To fight illegal drugs, Duterte’s camp is mulling to arm at least one in every barangays, with gun.

At the same time, Duterte reiterated his commitment to increase the salary of policemen and soldiers, for them to walk away from temptation of becoming corrupt, but issuing threats at the same time against so-called “hoodlum” in uniforms who will not mend their ways – a threat echoed by his presumptive PNP chief from Davao who said he is not letting rogue cops, including police generals, in his list to stand in his way.  The campaign against crime will also include anti-illegal gambling targeting jueteng and masiao lords, and illegal drugs.

Meanwhile, among those being floated for positions include Salvador Medialdea, Executive Secretary; Salvador Panelo, Presidential Spokesperson and Press Secretary; Perfecto Yasay Jr., Acting Foreign Affairs Secretary; Athur Tugade, Transportation and Communications Secretary; Carlos Dominguez, Finance Secretary; Peter Laurel, Education Secretary; Emmanuel Pinol, Agriculture Secretary; Maark Villar, Public Works Secretary; Jesus Dureza, Mindanao peace process; Andrea Domingo, PAGCOR; Gibo Teodoro, Defense Secretary.

Dominguez, former cabinet secretary during the Ramos and Arroyo administrations, have accepted offer to become the next Department of Justice (DOJ) secretary.  Rep. Mark Villar, son of losing 2010 presidential bet Manny Villar and Senator Cynthia Villar have been offered the Department of Public Works and Highway (DPWH) top post after his parents’ party joined Duterte’s growing number of allies. Dominguez’s family has business interests in mining while Villar’s have a stake on the real estate business.  Laurel is president of Lyceum University of the Philippines.  Teodoro is president of SMI, a company that with a multi-billion mining contract in Mindanao.

Apparently, should they be officially named to their respective positions, it will be a clear conflict of interest on their part. 

Duterte’s team keeps on coming up with names, testing the water, of the acceptability of those jockeying for positions in government. 

Meanwhile, as expected, the camp of the incoming administration is getting bigger and wider with all those “political butterflies” hoping to benefit from the winning presidential candidate.

The CCP/NPA seemed to have welcomed Duterte’s call for unity under him after offering four cabinet positions – including the DENR, DSWD, DAR.  But this “honeymoon” offer was not completely taken hook-line-and-sinker by the CPP/NPA.  Instead, its leadership says it will give a short list of names for the positions offered by Duterte’s camp.

The CPP/NPA is more concerned of the release of all political prisoners – more than 300 of them – who are detained in various facilities.  It has agreed to talk peace with the incoming Duterte administration only upon the unconditional release of the political prisoners.

But as expected, the CPP/NPA is not just about to lay down their arms and stop the war in the countryside.  

Truly, the presumptive president is still in the campaign mode and hopefully, he will not stop at only words when he is sworn into office on June 30, 2016.

Of course, nothing is certain and the future is unpredictable, the same as Duterte's politics.

Six years under Duterte will be quite a ride.   

What will happen next will all depend on what Duterte says and what he is willing to do.  

After all, he changes his mind every time and whatever he says, is right.  His campaign slogan says:  Tapang at malasakit! Tama si Duterte” – Let us all pray his malasakit is real and will be right in the truest sense of the word.