What will the next president do?

On Friday, President Duterte said he should not have promised he would end the country's illegal drug problem within six months of his presidency. Hubris was just part of the campaign strategy. With only a few weeks left in his term as president of the country, illegal drugs are still rampant. So, for those who voted for him because they believed in his promise, that’s his explanation. It can be recalled he also called stupid those who believed in his statement he would ride a jet ski to our islands in the West Philippine Sea and plant our flag, claiming it was physically impossible to do so.

Candidates have once again made many promises once elected. Voters should carefully study all these statements and whether they can fulfill them. Put all the empty promises and bluster aside and listen to what is being said. Therefore, debates are important, to see how candidates think, make plans, and respond to difficult questions, especially on national issues such as sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, corruption, and so on. A candidate’s refusal to attend debates speaks volumes detrimental to him. Does he avoid the difficult questions such as those concerning his family’s past, unpaid taxes to the tune of billions, and so on? Just asking.

With only weeks left into Duterte's term, we are seeing notable developments such as the case of Sen. Leila de Lima. Two former witnesses against the senator have retracted their testimonies alleging de Lima was profiting from illegal drugs. Pressure, coercion, and intimidation against him and their family were allegedly used to make them speak out against the senator. Ronnie Dayan, the former driver of De Lima, and Kerwin Espinosa, a well-known drug lord, have retracted their statements.

Is it because Duterte's term is about to end? Six years also must come to an end. Did government renege on alleged promises for their testimonies? Several witnesses who also testified against the senator have already died, such as Jaybee Sebastian and Vicente Sy.

But according to the Palace, all these do not affect the remaining two cases against De Lima. Will there be more retractions by witnesses against De Lima? This is what De Lima's lawyer hopes. How the cases against De Lima and other critics of Duterte will proceed under a new administration has yet to be seen. ABS-CBN, on the other hand, was not fortunate in being given another franchise by Duterte's allies. Their frequency has also been given to a Duterte ally. Will the next president do the same to his critics and opponents? Something to think about on these last few days before the elections.