Not a Duterte family political dynasty
Every time I receive some reactions to my article, I get more profound learning. I am truly blessed because there are just many sensible ideas to any given proposition that learned men educate me with, time and again. Also in that regard, I am thankful that bright minds keep feeding me with extremely valuable points of view. Indeed, readers’ comments broaden my perception and sharpen my insights. One such education flowed from a gentleman who lectured, nay pontificated, after reading my article last Thursday on political dynasties. The reactor was someone who would wish to be referred to as Mr. OC not because he is obsessivecompulsive but because he, as he claims, is an ordinary citizen.
Mr. OC opened up by quoting the following words of President Rodrigo Duterte: “I will do it even if I lose my life, my honor or even the presidency.” He said that this presidential line, one among others, forms part of the opening billboard (also known as introductory spiel) of the early morning radio/ television program of ABS-CBN’s Noli de Castro. The president uttered many quotable quotes in various occasions he talked to his constituency and broadcaster de Castro strung them together for his radio show. Accordingly, Mr. OC could only salute the president if he were to paraphrase the latter’s patriotic pronouncements and their full dignifying impact.
It was after my reactor tackled the motherhood statements of the president that he began to sound doctrinaire and philosophical. I was caught by his seeming turnaround. Written in the Constitution is an anti-political dynasty provision. Thanks to the vision of the 1986 Constitutional Commission. This, according to him, may still be a philosophy in search of a definitive implementing statute but to us, the ordinary citizens, this is not a ghost. We know that a political dynasty means that some powerful families have virtually made elective government offices extensions of their homes. Their methodologies are more glaring than hidden. Family members alternate in holding one government or they control different positions at the same time.
Many of these political families believe that they have the monopoly of knowledge to discharge the duties and responsibilities of government positions. They lace this thought with somewhat dutiful assertions that these offices are important in uplifting the lives of the less privileged but only their family can do it. Congruent to this belief is their assumption no other family lineage has the capacity to do the job.
My pontificating reactor cites the family of the president. There is no other family endowed with the intellectual capacity that can lead Davao City, only the Dutertes. Certainly there is no man, who is not a Duterte, who has a vision. It is undisputed that Davao is a Duterte City. The president himself was the city’s mayor for more than two decades. And because he has become the president of the country, only Sara, his daughter, has the sole right to be the city’s chief executive.
It is not enough for the president that his daughter is the Davao City mayor even if she has a demonstrated manliness to confront a sheriff. Her sphere of influence must be felt beyond the city jurisdiction. Mr. OC opined that when Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, also a Davaoeño, had to be dethroned, the president used his city mayor daughter to reach out to representatives throughout the country to kick him out. Having succeeded to spread-eagle her potestative wings, her political alliance (as Hugpong head) has suddenly been sought for by many a 2019 candidate.
Then, the president’s son has to rule as a congressman because other families are incompetent. And when the Dutertes rule over Davao, it is not political dynasty. It happens only to be a massive surrender of the non-Dutertes.