Ironic Rody: the Iron Rod of the Philippines

The Philippines – it’s not just home to Fe-rich malunggay and kamote leaves, it’s also the birthplace of a similar breed of leaders: iron-class. How did it come to this – a time and place where “kamay na bakal” has now become fashionable (again)?

Apparently, three decades of mis-encountering, mishandling, lousy and incompetent “bakla” politics by the Yellow sham camp has brought people clamoring for the return of “bakal” rule. Languishing and hopelessly wallowing in injustice, rotting dilapidated public facilities, in-your-face theft by the billions in broad daylight, and trash media content gone haywire, Filipinos have had just about enough of the seemingly never-ending pointless circus that the reluctant housewife started.

From one pole of virtually unbridled freedom that has led them down the lowest ebbs of depressing chaos, Filipinos are now embracing once again the opposite extreme – Marcos-like iron-fisted authoritarian rule.

Enjoy the hot yellow Philippine sun while you can, because a massive looming iron-gray cloud on the Southern horizon is in the offing. And when this dark storm hits landfall on Malacañang’s shores, it will be raining iron nuts and bolts, the aftermath of which will turn Manila Bay blood-red with the corpses of so many criminals and corrupt officials that the fish will puke of oversupply.

Well this is how the man of the hour, dark-horse presidential bet Iron Rody somehow pictures the future of this country will be under his watch – given the chance. Whether those corpses and fish are figurative or literal, the “DU30 Reset Button” seems to be the final bastion of hope for many in a society too tired and weary of the current crop of political circus bozo material that Imperial Manila has to offer.

Just a quick review – Well, there’s ever awkwardly trying-hard Mr Palengke, who promises the business-as-usual “tuloy ang ligaya” incompetence of the “Daang Matuwid” sham/scam-record-breaking Yellow camp. There’s practically disqualified over-ambitious newbie Poe who represents the showbiz-popularity-riding camp of under-qualified “hilaw” leaders, and whose past American citizenship is getting people uneasy about her true intentions. And there’s Binay who represents trapo (traditional politician) corruption and narcissistic political dynastic rule at its finest, whose self-enrichment and self-entitlement are fueled by some fishy source beyond his monthly salary. (BTW, a relative of mine in Makati accepted the P500 distributed by the Binay camp in the past elections, but didn’t vote for him – what can you say about that Mr. Binay?)

Note: MDS is being dropped from the list of viable contenders. She would have been a promising intellectual iron lady herself, but the lack-luster survey feedbacks show that she is a run-down healthwise-unstable perpetually vote-wasting presidential brand name that not even the corniest best-selling “Stupid is forever” joke books can help buoy up.

The Man of Contrasts and Ironies

Iron-fisted Rodrigo Duterte, on the other hand, comes out to be a new breed of political animal that people have not seen the likes of. The no-nonsense-talking heavy weight contender remotely resembles your conventional “palusot” Pinoy politician. Being unpredictably cunning and radical in his political moves and strategies (resembling highly NATO-contrasting Putin of Russia), we will need a new science called “Dutertism” to analyze in retrospect just how this adept grandmaster of a tactical / psychological-warfare genius does it.

Much to everyone’s surprise, a self-confessed criminal exterminator whose battle-cry campaign slogan is “I will kill you!” is taking mainstream Philippine media by storm. It is baffling how a supposedly civilized society is embracing this kind of unorthodox propaganda. Since a president is merely a mirror-image reflection of a society, could it be that most Pinoys are actually uncivilized? (look in the mirror please) It keeps people wondering if they are hearing lines from a legacy wild west action film rather than an interview of a serious political candidate.

A rare bet who hails from the far-flung provincial South championing the cause of marginalized Visayas and Mindanao, Duterte despite his campaign for federalism is favored even by the most urbanized metropolitan region of Luzon – self-absorbed Imperial Manila herself. Iron-hard when dealing with stubborn criminals, smugglers and drug pushers in his turf, he also shows an iron-malleable humane, soft and humble side, especially when dealing with Females. It is indeed amazing how a bulldog-looking fellow can come up with such stunningly handsome and pretty offspring.

Picky on being to-the-letter in interpreting the Constitution (particularly, Poe’s disqualification case), he apparently turns a blind eye on the principles enshrined in it that he deems flawed (particularly, due process in dealing with his much-abhorred criminals and rule breakers). A complex ruby of many facets and rough edges, the guy behaves like a rogue rowdy pauper caught awkwardly seated before a royal dining table among highly refined and mannered stately princes & princesses, for which he may soon sit on the throne as their brash iron-rod-wielding king.

First-glance impressions by anyone would easily dismiss the man to be some “wa-class probinsyano” nobody that you would typically find in a squatters’ drinking circle; and yet under his belt is the Philippine’s rare masterpiece in governance excellence: his prized world-class queen city of Davao, which he proudly stands (arms crossed) as the architect of.

Cussing, vigilantism-supporting, and womanizing (rather than plummeting his survey score with these no-no traits any role-model president ought to hide from the public), his every move no matter how unsavoury only increases his popularity and claim to fame all the more. Have Filipinos really gone mad in wanting to put such a man on the throne?

Iron Rod of Discipline

A vote for Ironic Iron Rody is a vote for iron-fisted discipline, which the citizens of this overly freedom-spoiled democracy are now clamoring for. Zero-tolerance leadership to fight corruption and incompetence can only come from a man who has the genuine good of the country in mind. He’s a man who in empathy for his beloved hapless countrymen of P.I. can hardly keep himself from dishing out expletive P.I.’s when he opens his mouth in frustration, like a fearsome bear robbed of its cubs. A most potent game changer, he is not in it for fame or wealth, but his passion is fueled by an altruistic desire to bring about lasting change and an end (once and for all) to the suffering of a ravaged nation.

Can Duterte be the next Lee Kuan Yew of SEA? Can the man who turned Davao into the Philippines’ Singapore-class success story replicate the same phenomenon on a national scale? Can he transform the Philippines by instilling discipline and bringing back a healthy level of fearful respect for the law in the hearts of its citizens? Compared with the competition which only offers savory lip-service “promises” to a change-longing electorate, only Duterte has the solid track record to attest that an executive job of titanic proportions is best handled by a man with proven hands-on transformational executive management and leadership experience.

Let the Philippine Hunger Games Begin

As we enter campaign season in this chapter of Philippine politics, many have settled into their seats and opened their bag of popcorn ready to watch and enjoy how this showbiz glamor and mud-slinging entertainment event will turn out. It is indeed a brutal world of gladiatorial combat, the players of which constitute a massive media-flying convoluted spaghetti monster (Pinoy-brand politics) adored by its many hypnotized adherents, hungry for the sight of barbaric carnage.

Should Filipinos welcome the “Death of R.P. as we know it” (corruption, incompetence, crime and all) which the Iron Rod has to offer? But could a Duterte presidency with the full military and police force at its disposal turn our freedom-loving nation into a CIA-controlled state where criminals, real or perceived, are eliminated on the spot (the way Bin Laden wasn’t even given a fair trial)? This untested experiment (which ironically solves crime by legalized crime) will surely be risky, but a host of desperate souls have already placed their bets on this road less chartered.

Besides, do Pinoys hungry for change have any other choice? Yes, there is one last item in the multiple choice questionnaire: None of the above (NOTA). You can skip voting as a boycott to the lack of a PERFECTLY FLAWLESS candidate, and let the less enlightened zombies and friendly neighborhood squatters do the deciding for you. Then let’s see what your inaction will bring you and your country. But don’t come back to GRP whining and complaining for the next 6 years – coz whatever the outcome of 2016 will be – guess what, you deserve it!

It’s a free country. Staring you in the face is the RESET BUTTON –> [DU30]. Press at your own risk.