Turned everything upside down
INVOKING law and order, but President Rodrigo Duterte has been going beyond it, or circumvent it, in carrying out war on drugs, crimes, corruption, and terrorism.
Emphasizing good governance, but he has kept on appointing and hiring corrupt officials, giving favors to know campaign donors and friends, and extending big project contracts to big contractors and developers with allegedly questionable track records.
Bragging now and then of his self-professed socialist and pro-poor standpoint, but he has been licking the ass of foreign corporate interests, big businesses, real estate developers, mining companies, causing mass dislocation of indigenous peoples and poor farmers, further marginalization of the small transport groups, odd-jobbers and the homeless, and firing of leftist officials in his Cabinet and administration.
Crowing to every citizen to defend our sovereignty, but he has deliberately allowed the steady encroachment of China into our territorial waters and natural resources.
Exhorting people of all faith to be true to their religious beliefs and respect for their leaders, but he has been vilifying and demonizing God, church leaders, clerics, and lately the saints and spirits.
He makes so many promises, commitments and stand on a wide range of issues and social concerns but swallow them as quickly as he said of them.
The list of President Duterte’s telling this but doing differently is long, and still going.
He has turned everything upside down that we seem to have reached a point in our national life where many start to ask what is lawful and not, right and wrong, true and fake.
The definitions and standards, and even the practice of human rights have likewise been altered, blurred, confusing even the most veteran lawyers, prestigious international and local legislators, and human rights defenders and activists.
A friend called this condition, a social, political and cultural explosion that polarizes everything. It is a condition that forces some people to think and behave differently, either accepting what the administration conveys or not necessarily but keeps a critical mind.
Other people and sectors who have their own long-held ideologies and politics, and used to the old governance styles, or have other preferences, definitely react or could not swallow Duterte administration’s declarations and conduct.
Some sectors who are desperate with their continuing sad plight under past administrations seem to give the Duterte administration a license to proceed with whatever it thinks is good for this miserable country.
Other sectors who believe they have better solutions to our country’s problems are putting up a concerted fight.
Is this a deliberate move by Duterte and his advisers to create a new order, for whoever they are beholden to?
Or is this a part of creating a scenario to justify authoritarian and fascist rule either in the form of military rule or military-led civilian rule, or fascist dictatorship, or whatever form, for the same purpose?
Whatever still awaits for this country, the fact is, the Duterte administration is turning everything upside down and this causes confusion, chaos, fear, polarization, skewed economic growth, and growing popular resistance.
Well, whatever or whoever side you take, be sure you can stand its consequences.
But in this times, the old adage is perfectly right for all of us, “those who have no reason for living, will never find a cause to die for.”*
(For feedback, email to ombion.ph@outlook.com)