Unwinnable crusade
HE vowed to continue the war against illegal drugs till his last day in office. He has also promised a zero tolerance for corruption and unforgiving and relentless fight against criminality of all kinds.
As promised, he has declared all-out war against drug trafficking, corruption and criminality which have resulted in improved peace and order.
However, these are unfortunate choices of crusades for Pres. Rodrigo Roa Duterte as these evils of human kind since time immemorial have been unwinnable, uncontrollable, and interminable.
Unless there is a resolute and profound transformation of values and ethics, it is plausible that these evils will resurface with a vengeance after Duterte’s watch.
Nevertheless, as shown by his consistently high trust and approval ratings, President DU30 has not only been successful and supported for his radical changes and censures against misconduct directly or indirectly related to corruption, but has also earned notoriety, controversial reputation, and grudging admiration both here and abroad.
Moreover, Pres. Duterte, unlike his predecessors, has shown a sincere compassion and exceptional concern for ordinary people by being visible in funerals and hospitals for dead and injured troopers and bereaved widows.
In this respect, the President has been unduly generous and ubiquitous.
On the one hand, with feeble and ineffectual opposition from the public and both Houses of Congress, Pres. Digong Duterte is succeeding with his strong arm and arbitrary policy changes without having to declare martial law nationwide or revolutionary government.
It seems that the nation is tolerant with a quasi-autocracy within an existing fractured democracy.
It appears that the masses are in awe with President Duterte, for example, for his fight against certain oligarchs, Boracay carpetbaggers, drug lords, police scalawags, abusive employers, and inept local officials.
The masses love it, and they want and urge PDU30 to carry on and do more to dismantle the status quo.
On the other hand, there is a downside to President Rodrigo Roa Duterte.
Power corrupts, according to Lord Acton, when a leader ceases to listen to advice and the sentiment of the people and becomes intolerant and supersensitive to criticisms and critics.
The advent of totalitarianism is just a presidential proclamation away.
When all is said and done, notwithstanding his success, PDU30 has feet of clay as he is unable to rise from being a small-town mayor to president of 105 million population.
You be the judge.