Just sing Christmas carols
This is the second Christmas of President Rodrigo Duterte while in office at Malacañang Palace. But physically, President Duterte celebrates Christmas day traditionally with his family at their home residence in Davao City each year. As in previous year, Christmas would be strictly family time for the President.
“That is why we Filipinos especially celebrate this occasion with so much joy and happiness. We set aside our daily routine to spend more time with our families. We also share our blessings by giving gifts to our friends and loved ones and holding feasts in our homes and communities,” President Duterte said in his short televised Christmas message before he left Manila.
The Chief Executive enjoined the Filipino people not to forget the unfortunate ones as he wished everyone a “happy, peaceful and meaningful Christmas.”
The President sort of got an early Christmas gift from the latest survey results of the Social Weather Station (SWS) released over the weekend. The fourth quarter net satisfaction poll of President Duterte showed he posted +58%, or a “very good” approval rating. According to SWS survey, 71 percent were satisfied with President Duterte’s performance, with 15 percent undecided, and 13 percent dissatisfied.
This was a significant recovery from the third quarter survey results when his rating fell to the lowest of his presidency. The latest quarter net satisfaction rating was 10 points above the “good” +48% recorded in the third quarter. The third quarter net satisfaction rating of President Duterte saw an 18-point drop from his +66% rating in June 2017.
Hugely popular when he first entered into office in June 2016, Mayor Duterte’s rating dangerously fell following the series of alleged extrajudicial killings (EJKs) of teenagers under his administration’s deadly anti-drug war and allegations of ill-gotten wealth that hounded him even during the election campaign period.
The 4th quarter SWS survey was undertaken from December 8 to 16, 2017, using face-to-face interviews to 1,200 respondents nationwide.
The President’s popularity rating in the latest survey reflected the public’s positive response after government forces won and drove out Maute terrorists from their takeover of Marawi City. The homegrown Maute extremists along with their Abu Sayyaf bandits cohorts – which have earlier pledged allegiance to the dreaded international terrorists group Iraq-Syria Islamic States (ISIS) – forced the hands of President Duterte to declare and placed the entire Mindanao under martial law for a six-month period that is supposed to end on Dec. 31 this year.
But before the effectivity of martial law is to lapse, the 17th Congress unanimously voted to extend President Duterte’s martial law powers for another year to defeat jihadist extremists and included the rebels from New People’s Army (NPA) operating across Mindanao. This development was covered during the same 4th quarter survey period of the SWS.
Adding perhaps to the good news that boosted the President’s approval rating was the quarterly performance report released in late November about the Philippine economy growing faster than expected in the third quarter.
Eighteen months into office, the former Davao City Mayor has obviously found his bearings on the presidency.
The President spends his weekends in Davao City where he holds his “other” office at Panacan. He frowns to “Palace” as a reference to Malacañang and prefers to be called “Mayor,” a title he has been used to as local chief executive of Davao City for 23 years.
In many of his extemporaneous speeches, the 72year old President has repeatedly expressed his satisfaction over his achievements and accomplishments through these years. And because of that, he always says he has nothing more to wish for except perhaps to improve the lives of the Filipino people as he has promised during the election campaign.
Mayor Duterte, however, insists he will never be comfortable with the presidency with so much problems he has to deal with each day. This is why, he admits, he gets peeved at persistent talks and criticisms about his supposed wanting to become dictator and stay longer in office.
The President dismissed the renewed talks of dictatorship and his supposed plans to declare a revolutionary government as nothing but “politics” swirling around his proposed shift to federal system of government and Charter change plans.
Looking forward to spending quality time in a quiet and simple celebration, the President who arrived late Wednesday to spend the holidays in Davao City, was met by the onslaught of typhoon “Vinta.” As of last count, over 100 people were killed by flashfloods and landslides spawned by “Vinta” in Mindanao provinces in the path of the tropical storm.
The latest tragedy in Mindanao consequently cut through the vacation mode of President Duterte.
As early as Dec. 12, President Duterte was already extending his Christmas greetings which he first made during his remarks at the 2016 Presidential Award for Child-Friendly Municipalities and Cities held at Malacañang.
“You know there is always a time for everything in this world. Lilipas din ako. Maghintay lang kayo. (I will pass on. Just you wait.)… There’s always a Christmas time to look forward to every year. Kanta ka lang
diyan(Just sing)…‘Silent night, holy night…’ ganoon lang (Just like that),” President Duterte told his amused audience.
We join the President in his exhortation to one and all. Let’s celebrate Christmas in peace and spread cheers to everybody. Let’s sing carols to that.
Eighteen months into office, the former Davao City Mayor has obviously found his bearings on the presidency.