In tonight’s last presidential debtate endorsed by the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) dubbed the hashtag #PiliPinasDebates2016, the candidates really did not have much to work with. They had no credible military capability to put teeth in the rhetoric they spewed about the China threat to the Philippines’ sovereignty in the South China Sea, no sharp-enough engineering minds to dissect the traffic issue plaguing Metro Manila, and no clear enough vision for the Philippines.
In that setting, former Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte stood out, mainly because he had direct experience and results to show for in the running of Davao City — a major city in Mindanao that, in the words of renowned social media maven and noted tour guide Carlos Celdran “is one of the friendliest and one of the most hospitable cities in the Philippines.”
Unlike other big Philippine cities where Filipinos live in fear for their lives and property day to day, Davao City is one where sustainable economic growth on the back of a strong foundation of safe and reliable public transport infrastructure is actually possible.
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Do not be afraid to take public transportation in this town. Thanks to strong laws, you have some of the most polite, and some of the most honest taxi drivers in the country.
Celdran assures his viewers…
No one here will rip you off.
Note the key enabler Celdran credits in his gushing review of Duterte’s crowning achievement: strong laws.
Strong laws are a primary feature of Duterte’s pitch to Filipino voters. During tonight’s debate, Duterte cited this as the cornerstone of his assurance to Filipinos that when he says “stop” he means it and means to enforce it. Laws, of course, are not something the Philippines lacks and there is ample legislation to support the strong anti-crime focus that many crime-weary Filipinos have been clamouring for. In that regard, strength is something that Duterte projected really well in tonight’s debate.
On this alone, Duterte stood in stark contrast to rival candidates who had lots of promises to make but little actual promise to demonstrate before the audience. Platitudes and motherhood statements flowed in abundance. Perhaps, to be fair, there were some candidates who lent substance to their rhetoric. Unfortunately, #PiliPinasDebates2016 is not a Senate inquiry. It is reality TV. In that setting, Duterte’s skill at throwing emotional hooks into his audience shone through.
Rodrigo Duterte;
The runaway winner in televised Philippine presidential debates
As such, even with the articulate promises and vision statements he managed to get in during tonight’s debate, Roxas is dead in the water. He cannot possibly win the 2016 presidential elections without resorting to a massive state-sponsored cheating project.
Overall, the debate did not really add any new insight as far as anyone’s guess around what’s in store for the Philippines over the next six years. It likely did not help move the swing vote and, in all likelihood, merely solidified the support of the decided voters. In the homestretch leading to the May elections, this non-event may be the sad defining moment that did not make it happen for the majority of candidates in this race.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
I believe Duterte. He was the most down to earth, genuine and honest person on stage. Non of the “dramatic” rhetoric, just straight statements as usual. He means what he says and he won’t take no for an answer once he sets his mind to achieve something. As I have said before, he is a doer, not a talker. It is high time that we have someone on top who Filipinos respect. I’m also sure that no one in his right mind will try to make a fool of Duterte and his hands on attitude and common sense are his biggest strength. …and I like him as a person. Maybe because I can feel in my gut that he is not trying to bait me with empty promises and bullshit
He said that he has little patience for underachievers and that is what I look for in a President running a country that has lost its discipline. ENOUGH of the talk, let’s get busy.
I expected no less from Duterte.
Roxas is a bloated nincompoop who takes credit for things that are not a result of his doing as well as making disasters look as if he was not to blame.
Grace Poe talks like a nun, something she picked up from Escudero I guess, who talks like a priest. She is controlled by tycoons and generally makes me sick just listening to her. She is as fake as they come. Her whole being projects a misleading appearance.
Binay…, never mind. He is the vile personification of corruption, moral perversion, impairment of virtue and principles.
Santiago is not well, even though she tries hard to project something else. I honestly pity her and wonder to this day why she was even running.
That 500 pesos from BPI can easeally converted to 50000000 by trillanes thru bias media.
The original mandaranbong like trillanes hide the loot in cash and hide it in different person hideout..As Cororna tried to cash out those alleged bank account,he suprise they don’t exist but exist on his cangaroo trial..Pretty sure the famous small lady will re appear courtesy of malakanyang
The Track Records of the candidates will show how they will perform in their jobs.
Presidents, Vice President, Senators, etc…
Look closely, how they did their jobs; and how they behaved during their terms of office. Do not forget the MATURITY of the candidate…and the Integrity. Leadership is also very important.
Apparently, you’re clueless.
The next thing you’ll say is that Marcos is the author of the 1987 Constitution. Calling it. 😛
It’s the magic of projecting “strong leadership”.
First post-“rape” remark also shows the antifragile candidate is impervious to the heat:
Pulse: Digong widens lead over Grace
*post-“rape-remark” poll
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/781453/first-post-rape-poll-shows-duterte-widening-lead
It’s not magic, it’s appealing directly to that inner Filipino sense of machismo, from womanizing to rape jokes and the use of violence to quickly solve everything.
Duterte’s campaign knows exactly how to appeal to this because nothing relieves the average Filipino voter than simplifying the complex problem of corruption in Philippine government to something that can be taken out back and shot.
Bingo
Question, who does this American support. My answer went from only Grace Poe be able to support Duterte also. These are the only real candidates that understand that the USA help is needed in dealing with China and that the Philippines must also make a stand with whoever helps the Philippines. They are the only candidates that understand that the Philippines does have problems and that Philippines is part of the answer. I heard one candidate pretend that the money the government is providing for healthcare is enough and that people in this country do not die from being turned away from hospitals. They are also the only two candidates that talk about issues that are starting to scare foreigners away from the Philippines like safety, the 60/40 business crap, and having a different approach to Mindanao. These are the only two that appear to want to work with other candidates to use each other ideals and strengths.
Question, why do you have to start all your questions with the word “question”?
It is my style of trying people to think about what I am going to say, before just insulting me and dismissing my thoughts. I read many comments on political pages and people start attacking a person before the whole story or comment is read. I do not have that problem unless it is to ask why do I start everything with a question.
Knowing that some of these candidates aren’t running to serve the public but are really vying for high post to serve their personal interest and of those oligarchs supporting them, it’s easy to see now that they are just playing roles of goody, accomplished politicians with boring promises. Without clear reliable platforms and plans to show, amongts them the best choice would be someone with real strength to deal with most urgent and prominent issues and with real track records of showing results, a leader that will make the people see and give off the best part of themselves, those things that people thought they don’t have or are not capable of having such as discipline, good judgment, humility, respect, accountability and intelligence.
My opinion… if Digong looses this election, massive cheating happened (have happened) …
Duterte keeping Davao City “safe” by the summary execution of 1,700 people (in his own words) is a claim I still take with an entire Morton can of salt.
We only seem to hear from the otherwise well-to-do (such as Celdran) on this claim. That people seem to easily take Duterte’s word for it that the people killed were all hardened criminals bothers me. How do we really know this for sure?
@Frank, sa tingin ko naman po hindi rerespetuhin at mamahalin ng tao ng Davao si Mr. Duterte kung pumapatay sya ng walang kasalanan.
I think this is a satirical stance against Celdran kasi Celdran is pro-Mar Roxas pero he is boasting of the effects of ‘strong laws’ sa Davao sa video na ito.
Para sa barok na Pinoy (which is probably majority of Pinoys), Duterte probably stood out but his approach is beguilingly simplistic–a silver bullet or a get rich scheme, which many Filipino voters are lapping-up hook line and sinker.
Over the course of the past couple of months, I have vetted the presidential candidates and in summary, the choice is still clear (at least for anyone who has an iota of gray matter): Mar and Leni.
For starters, if the Philippines had a truly functioning judicial system, Binay would be in jail for plunder (perhaps even dead alongside his plundering BFF Erap, if GMA did’t dick around with Congress to abolish the death penalty), Duterte would be in jail for killing people and Poe would be disqualified to run for the presidency (at least for the May 2016 elections). But alas, our judiciary is terribly broken, thereby unnecessary imposing these shady characters on Filipino voters, who are not exactly the most discerning bunch of people.
In a nutshell, Binay is a plunderer, Duterte is a killer (of small-time criminals only; not to mention, a global embarrassment to every decent Filipino), Poe is a puppet (of Danding Cojuangco, who is a bad man for all those clueless millennials out there) and Santiago is . . . well, she’s dying.
That said, I am not sympathetic because Santiago has consistently defended corrupt public officials like ERAP and Corona during their respective impeachment trials at the Senate, GMA on the “Hello Garci” controversy and, the most recent one that takes the cake, Bong Bong—who refuses to come clean on the Marcos ill-gotten wealth, much less return the same to the Filipino people. Her thoroughly misplaced alliances ensure that Miriam Santiago will go down the annals of ignominy as a pretentious intellectual and political whore.
I don’t see any other decent candidates standing except for Mar and Leni. Come on people . . . think!
Mar Roxas and Leni Robredo, decent? My ass…it is like telling us Chicago’s late Mafia Boss, Al Capone was decent.
For Roxas , Aquino and Robredo.
It is Crookedness with Self Respect, and Duplicity with Honor.
There is really Honor among incompetent and thieves. Where is the missing Typhoon Yolanda Relief fund, Mar Roxas?
actually al capone was revered by the people, being a modern-day robin hood and all. thats why the fbi got him only on… tax evasion charges.
the aquinos would make ayn rand proud. leni is well, for decoration and mar – well just fuck that guy.
Kung hindi si Mar at Leni, sino pa ang maaalok mong kandidato? Ang hirap sa iyo, puro reklamo at insulto ka lang. Duwag ka na man sabihin yung kandidato mo dahil siguradong mas masahol pa sila kung ikompara kay Mar and Leni.
Ito lang ang masasabi ko, kung si Bong Bong Marcos ay makapuslit bilang Vice President, ito na ang ating pagkakataon na katayin siya at ang buong angkan ng Marcos na dapat ay noon pa nangyari–kung hindi lang sila tumakbong duwag sa mga kano. Ang problema ay kung si Duterte ang manalo bilang presidente, siya pa ang magkukupkop at magpoprotekta kay Marcos. Iyan ba ang anti-crime at anti-graft at anti-corruption president na gusto natin? Duterte will only kill the small time criminals because he’s the chum of super crooks like Marcos and GMA. Cosmetic, superficial at pakitang-tao lang ang anti-corruption platform ni Duterte.
Speak for yourself, Yellowtard. I’m not voting for Duterte, but he has a point when he said this:
It seems that you’re always whining about taking out a corrupt politician yet never understood the full lengths of the corruption. Of course, it’s better if you will get EVERYONE, right? And that includes your favorite super crook, Benigno Simeon Aquino Da Turd.
Virtual Vigilante
Your idol Mar is worse because he can’t even stand up to PNoy. Duwag na nga si PNoy, mas duwag pa si Mar. And Leni is so full of herself. She just likes the attention of the LP boys, ang papangit naman. Maybe she’s “lonely”.
Does nobody else find it depressing that the ‘clear standout’ in a line-up of the idiots, crooks and airheads standing for the presidential election (let’s say that again – the presidential election) is a foul-mouthed thug? Is that the creme de la creme, the best that’s on offer? God help us all, but the country has long, long way to go from here.
Amen,Marius, Amen. He’s a LYING foul mouthed thug! After the last presidential debate, Alex Padilla, son of former Senator Ambrosio Padilla, current head of Philhealth and a genuine public-servant, issued a letter that negates the lie of Duterte that no one in Davao City was helped by Philhealth. Sinungaling si Duterte! What kind of anti-corruption platform contemplates handing-over the presidency to Bong Bong if he “fails” to stop crime and corruption within the first 6 months of his term? Sinungaling na traidor pa!
Breaking news. . . Trillanes exposes P211 million bank account of Duterte which was not included in Duterte’s SALN. Bakit niya itinatago itong limpak-limpak na salapi at saan niya ito nakamit?
Breaking news…
You just ruined your credibility Virtual Vigilante.
It hasn’t even been proven yet but you already believe the information to be true. You’re the same as the yellow rabid supporters Jim, Leah and Cynthia – mayayabang!
Hey Anonymous fanboy: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=t-yHDBHxAfI
That’s why I don’t vote. I’m not gonna endorse my conscience to any of these jokers.
Yup not only depressing but worrying. This debate was a good chance for them to seriously articulate plans to address national issues but meh, I guess I expected too much. Let the mass executions commence says the people, that’ll fix the country right up.
It is better to debate a question without settling it than to settle a question without debating it.