‘MILITARIZING’ BUREAU OF CUSTOMS

President Duterte could be trying to ride the tiger or just messing with the opposition’s head

DUTERTE admits that is what he has been doing but in whatever case that goes to court over his plan to “militarize” the Bureau of Customs, it is not what he or his critics call it but whether the act or acts violate the law or the Constitution.

Duterte calls it militarization. His spokesman Salvador Panelo says it is not. If it reaches the court, what will be examined is the act itself, not the label given to it by the president or his friend or foe.

Check: Can he assign military personnel to do the civilian job? Expressly prohibited by the Constitution. Can he appoint retired military officials to key posts in government. He can and he has been doing it extensively.

The subtext may convey something else. Some critics fear it could be a prelude to total takeover of government functions by the military, either through nationwide martial law or a military coup with the president’s consent.

It is an abnormal procedure, with Duterte first testing each device until he is sure the public and the military accept. Experiences of the so-called banana republics compare it to trying to ride the tiger to see if the people and the tiger would allow the ride.

Or he could be just messing up with the minds of the opposition.