No matter what the Opposition say, what Filipinos personally see as Duterte’s achievements WILL stick

For sure the National Artist for Literature will cop flak again for his latest column on why President Rodrigo Duterte MAY YET BE THE BEST PRESIDENT THE COUNTRY HAS EVER HAD AFTER MAGSAYSAY. I put that down in ALL CAPS so morons will see it and hopefully be cognizant of the colatilla of F. Sionil Jose in his judgment of the President. In “Why Duterte” published on the Philippine Star, Jose starts with the bottom line which, ironically, doubles as a call to action for the Opposition…

It is so obvious now that whatever his critics say, or whatever hosannas his admirers heap on him, doesn’t matter because he has the people in the palm of his hand. What political and social analysts should do is to find out how he did this.

It is easy to get swayed by the propaganda being churned out by the hypocritical Opposition. I had a meeting yesterday with an individual whose identity I cannot reveal. He went on for close to two hours about how his principal should be the next President of the Republic. As I’ve stated repeatedly, I’m a political pragmatist. I swear no allegiance to any ideology or party. What I look at are platforms and outcomes. I don’t need to repeat what the National Artist has elaborated on as Duterte’s achievements during his term. Yes, he will fall short on his promises and the expectations of the public but it is safe to say that the public who support him see what he has done for the good of the country. He didn’t embrace the flag for show but he quantified his love of country in what he set out to do on Day One of his Presidency.

Duterte will bow out soon enough but not without the possibility of his running as Vice-President to his daughter, Davao City Mayor Inday Sara Duterte. Hindi ito Davao. Wala na bang iba? Sila lang ba ang magaling at may karapatan? We have heard all of these from the Opposition last Saturday, June 12, during the 1Sambayan announcement non-event. That was an exercise which was doomed to fail even before it began. The Opposition never learned from 2016 and 2019. They will not learn in time for 2022. What the esteemed national artist missed out on is the need for a new Opposition. One that is mature enough to set aside differences after an election cycle and work for the common good of Filipinos. This is not impossible to do if one is genuine and sincere in motive. We need a legitimate fiscalizer to keep watch for the public interest because the adage that power corrupts and absolute power corrupts absolutely is true.

What the National Artist said about the oligarchy is true. But the fact is, they are still in power and the only way to curb their power is to open up the economy to foreign direct investment. As Jose said, Cory didn’t strengthen democracy. She weakened it with the 1987 Constitution. In the midst of the pandemic, where the only certainty is uncertainty, it is time to amend the Constitution. It is time to abolish and old political structure and replace with a more responsive and efficient system where equality and equanimity stand a chance of being institutionalized for every Filipino. It is only now I realized that in life, you start out with your dreams and then reality hits you hard in the face and you become pragmatic. But as I begin the twilight of my existence it is not impossible to dream again of a better future for the Philippines.

Ramon Ortoll

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