Missing Duterte?
President Duterte disappeared from the radar screen and his absence makes the mind of Sen. Antonio Trillanes wonder. The way he sounded it is even more titillating as he complains why the weary Rody cannot even wake up from his deep slumber.
The President had been all over in the war zone areas where our troops are battling Maute terrorists and then visiting families of fallen soldiers. He accorded VP Leni Robredo the privilege of raising the Philippine flag in Luneta. If he cannot talk to her at least when she raises that flag she will realize that what the soldiers are fighting for in Marawi is for that flag to keep on flying and divisive politics is not what it takes to defeat the enemy.
The last time Trillanes came real close to Duterte was when he wooed him to be his running mate instead of Alan Peter Cayetano. But between the two, Alan “ay mas may dating.”
Sonny actually never gave up on the former Davao City mayor so that when Duterte finally decided that Cayetano would be his running mate, the dejected Trillanes since then hated Duterte like a woman scorned. Now he and the wondering opposition are missing the elusive Duterte.
Their problem is that they always place the “probinsyanong Presidente” in the mold of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III and others before him. Let’s see how they differ.
When Noynoy Aquino ordered the dispatch of 300 policemen who were all members of the Philip-
The President had been all over in the war zone areas where our troops are battling Maute terrorists and then visiting families of fallen soldiers
pine National Police (PNP) Special Action Force (SAF) to catch the notorious Zulkifli bin Hir alias Marwan, he furtively did so without proper coordination with government forces in Mamasapano, Maguindanao. When the encounter took place, President Noynoy was hundreds of miles away in safe Zamboanga.
Of course we all know what happened. Fortyfour SAF soldiers were mowed down by the enemy gunfire. When the bodies of the government troopers were brought home to Manila and were given military honors, President Aquino skipped the event and went instead to the blessings of a motor company.
When finally he attended the necrology service, he was photographed laughing to the discomfort of former president Fidel Ramos, who was seated right next to him.
Noynoy never missed formal ceremonies including the raising of the flag in Luneta. But what about the Probinsyanong Presidente? Why cannot he be like Noynoy? Why does he visit his soldiers in the battle fronts?
He visits them in their sick bed and pin medals on them. He cries and mourns with the bereaved families of the fallen soldiers. He cannot even manage to smile as he hands out cash assistance for the kin of the soldiers. He stays in the wake until daybreak when some garrulous politicians who should have been there in vigil were asleep.
Missing Duterte? When Duterte is missing, better be careful with his next move.--