SPACE REACT CON: A Tragic Error in PRRD's Administration

Even during his campaign, Duterte mounted himself as one of the most internationally recognized Filipino leaders, alongside the country’s greatest dictator, Ferdinand Marcos, and the first Filipina President known for being a housewife-turned-president who restored democracy in the Philippines and fought Marcos’ tyranny, Cory Aquino. There is no doubt that the Duterte administration has been packed with criticism, outrage, and irregularity throughout the course of recent years, as media outlets all over the world zeroed in on the former president’s anti-drug campaign and his blatant and controversial statements.

Innumerable vows, 6 years after; a glimpse of his major covenants

As a nation driven for quite a long time by a liberal party, it is justifiable why Filipinos sought to choose somebody who might lift the nation and give a break from what they used to allude to as ‘dilawan.’ His victory over his close rival, Mar Roxas, who finished second in the 2016 national election, demonstrated that Filipinos are eager to experience a new administration with promises rather than continuing the culture of electing someone from the opposing party.

Duterte vowed to bring a new change in three to six months by reducing crime, corruption, and illegal drugs, but he, like previous presidents, failed to deliver. The negative impact of his anti-drug campaign was overwhelming, as things were not put in place, and an increasing number of people were killed on a daily basis as a result of drug-related causes. According to a report released from inquirer.net on March 30, 2022, the total number of drug suspects killed as of February this year has reached 6, 235. Because of the massive killings that have exposed flaws in the power granted to the Philippine National Police in leading the anti-drug campaign, the staggering impact of the aforementioned brutal initiative has left many Filipinos dumbfounded and scared.

To recall Duterte’s remarks during the annual police gathering held at Quezon City on August 17, 2016, he said,“I will kill you. I will take the law into my hands … forget about the laws of men, forget about the laws of international law whatever.” People were not oblivious in regards to the way that Extrajudicial Killing (EJK) existed and Human Rights (HR) were abused during his residency, but the call to end EJK and follow due process in the war on drugs fell on deaf ears because the government insisted that such claims about EJK were false and that the administration always seeks to uphold the rule of law. In a broader sense, the presence of the drug war exacerbated extrajudicial killings, as the people killed were not only drug addict suspects, but also civilians and leftists as well.

Meanwhile, the existence of freedom of expression has been tested for quite some time during his presidency, as the number of multiple attacks on the press has increased at an alarming rate. These atrocities violate the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, which was adopted by the United Nations General Assembly and guarantees the rights and freedom of all human beings.

Six years into his presidency, the issue of crime, illegal drugs, and corruption remains one of our country’s major issues that must be addressed immediately, contradicting his vow to eliminate the aforementioned issues.

Dismayed, Discouraged, and Saddened (DDS)

2020 has been a difficult year for the world as many countries announced a national lockdown and a travel ban, particularly for China, due to the threat posed by COVID-19; however, the Philippines had a different narrative.

The Philippines reported its first death case in February 2020, and Duterte’s failure to respond quickly after stating that declaring a travel ban in and out of China may hurt their feelings while assuring the people that there is nothing to worry about infuriated the public. He moved slowly to implement travel restrictions even when many Philippine legislators pushed for it. With the former president’s weak response to Chinese naval incursions in the South China Sea, the public’s already disheartened heart has been fueled, and the perception that Duterte is too soft for China has been stoked.

Our country had one of the worst COVID-19 outbreaks in the region, with the highest fatality rates, exposing the fragility of our public health system. The increasing number of people becoming infected on a daily basis, despite the strict implementation of safety and health protocols, demonstrated the government’s lack of response. With the alarming statistics, people urged the Department of Health to conduct mass testing before the Philippines became one of Asia’s most dangerous hotspots. Meanwhile, the issue of vaccine negligence was a hot topic, with Senator Ping Lacson criticizing Secretary Duque for dropping the ball on the Pfizer vax deal. The government could have secured the delivery of the aforementioned vaccine if it weren’t for Duque’s lack of urgency after failing to complete the necessary paperwork.

People urged the Duterte administration to prioritize the pandemic, pointing out that the government spent millions on the project while paying little attention to the families in need of cash assistance through the government’s initiative. More specifically, funds for the Manila Bay should have been reduced, cut, and reallocated to address the pandemic’s deteriorating effects.

Despite his poor performance, it is remarkable that people still chose to ignore him and turned a blind eye for six years. Criticizing the government for failings while supporting its efforts and initiatives is not the same as being overly enthusiastic. Yes, the Philippines has experienced new governance under Duterte, and Filipinos have been anticipating this change for many years, but one should never repeat the same mistakes. Be wary of the actions of our government while remaining true to our beliefs and principles.

Sources: https://bit.ly/3Q8qugR; https://bit.ly/3buJJBQ https://on.cfr.org/3Jq84Fq; https://bit.ly/3BAc3NZ https://bit.ly/3bpdvIq; https://reut.rs/3vVh6VN https://bit.ly/3Qhf5Lj; https://bit.ly/2LwurcV

by Brian Jay B. Vallejo

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