Duterte’s acid test
Roman Catholic bishops are headed for a virtual clash with President Rodrigo Duterte, who faced destabilization attempts by political opponents, and who risked losing his grip on power, analysts in this central Philippine city said, amid mounting nationwide pressure for his resignation.
Across vicariates in Manila, and key cities in the Visayas and the southern third of the archipelago, parishioners led by bishops held meetings, clamoring for the president to step down and appealing for unity in this largely Roman Catholic nation.
But Duterte, who criticized the “god” of Catholics as a “stupid god,” showed no signs of leaving Malacañang Palace soon, other than saying he will probably step down in 2019 and make way for a “younger successor.”
The frenzy for his departure gained crescendo after he criticized the “god of Roman Catholics” in June and the spate of killings of priests, town and village politicians, and drug lords took center stage.
Law enforcement officers suspected of involvement in the proliferation of meth drugs, also called “poor man’s cocaine,” were among the victims in a killing pattern that analysts describe as an “alarming prelude to upheaval,” according to a brief from the National Intelligence Coordinating Authority.
Pollsters report an 11 percent drop in the president’s approval and satisfaction ratings, now down to 45 since April 2018, by far the lowest in eight surveys since 2016. His score card showed a slip to 56 from 58 in December 2017.
But the combative and confident president remained unfazed. “I don’t care, it does not interest me at all,” Duterte told a news conference north of Manila, referring to the drop in his ratings.
As this largely Roman Catholic nation come to terms with the violent attacks, critics of the president claim that his “parochial thinking” has hindered his ability to establish balance in his pronouncements as top leader of the land.
The military is looking into reports that the killings had been carried out by “rightist forces” allegedly funded by the political opposition, mustering Roman Catholic support for the ouster of Duterte and attempting to whip the nation into staging protest marches and street rallies in the run up to the president’s July 23 address to a joint session by both houses of Congress.
“External forces appear to be exerting pressure for a policy change toward China,” foreign diplomats said, raising the possibility of Washington’s involvement in a “subtle campaign” to install a new leader supportive of the security and economic interests of the United States in the Southeast Asian region.
An outspoken critic of the United States, Duterte has favored rapprochement with China and had remained mum on Beijing and its encroachment on Philippine territorial jurisdiction at the Spratlys island chain.
“This acid test [on Duterte] will determine how strong his hold on power has been,” the Philippine Institute of Applied Politics and Economics (PIAPE) says, adding that it will show whether the Catholic Church has remained a potent force and how steadfast the armed forces behind him.--Abbey Canturias, Philippine Institute of Applied Politics