Palace tells critics to snap out of illusion
Malacañang called on the critics of President Duterte to snap out of their illusion that the administration has done nothing for the people, noting that the present government has done more in the past three years than previous presidents.
Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo made the statement after Senator Kiko Pangilinan said Duterte was politicking when he accused senatorial candidate Mar Roxas for "wasting" the lives of 44 police commandos in the 2015 Mamasapano clash.
"Raising the matter anew is pure and simple politicking, and a means to shun important and pressing issues affecting the Filipinos such as poverty, lack of opportunities, indignation over China’s aggression, and corruption hounding many of the administration candidates," Pangilinan said.
In his statement, Panelo said Pangilinan is deaf and blind to the achievements of the
Duterte administration just like the other critics of the President.
"Like the other critics and detractors, Senator Pangilinan is deaf and blind to the unprecedented survey numbers of the President. It is about time he and others in the opposition wake up from their selfdestructive illusion lest they are swept away to oblivion by the horses of change galloping in the country," he said.
According to Panelo, Pangilinan's claim of diversionary tactics with regard to Duterte's remarks is noxious nonsense.
"The achievements of the administration far exceed that of the administration of his idol, PNoy, where incompetence and trust issues among its top officials were prevalent, such as what were exhibited during the Mamasapano incident and the destructive storm Yolanda, an incontrovertible truth that is beyond forgetting," he added.
Panelo then boasted that previous administrations pale in comparison with Duterte's war on drugs, on criminality, on corruption, and on terrorism; as well as his "Build, Build, Build" infrastructure program.
"The Duterte Administration has achieved many firsts in its almost three years of governance owing to the President’s political will and disaffection about powerful private and proprietary interests of some," he said.
Panelo then showed off some of the laws and executive orders Duterte signed including the free tuition in state colleges and universities, free irrigation for farmers, universal health care for all Filipinos, free medicine for indigent Filipinos and free school feeding program for public school children.
He said Duterte also made possible the collection of billions of taxes from errant billionaire businessmen, salary increases of police and military personnel and teachers, firing of an array of top government officials either allied to him or closely identified with him, the passage of ease in doing business law, the issuance of an executive order on freedom of information, and the establishment of the Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Mindanao.
He noted that Duterte also vetoed the unconscionable R95.3billion pork barrel, and worked for the crushing of the Marawi rebellion.