DUTERTE personifies Filipinos' anger against monopolistic, anti-competition economic elites & corrupt-to-the-core political dynasties. But he won't tolerate dissent. He will "kill" - not "die" – for the Filipino. His well-intentioned supporters ignore all the red flags at the PH's peril. Read on.
I can see why Duterte has appeal. He promises change that the Filipinos deserve. He promises to end their sufferings. He doesn’t seem to play by the rules of the political and economic elite that have been stacked against the middle class and the poor. And he seems to be a decisive leader who will not be bullied by powerful interests. He is a no-nonsense leader who will finally not engage in business-as-usual, will upend the status quo, and perhaps make the Philippines into the new Singapore. He also has progressive views that I think will serve the Philippines well (a left of centre view). Add to that, he has a sense of dark humour that can, to some people, be appealing.
When I listen to this part of him I like him. I honestly like him. He exudes an honesty and confidence that none of the other presidential candidates exhibit. He seems unfiltered. He appears to be the real deal.
And honestly, I couldn’t care less about his foul mouth. He says “fuck”, “shit”, etc. I don’t care about this. A person dealing with the corruption, stupidity, idiocy and insanity in the Philippines need not worry about remaining nice and polite. He or she can curse, and that’s excusable.
And I don’t care too about his womanizing. Sexual sins are the least of my concerns. That’s his private concern. As long as he is not supporting these women with ill gotten money (like Erap), then he can fuck hundreds of women to his heart’s (or viagra-enhanced dick’s) content.
But one cannot ignore the other things he says and does. If a voter ignores these things, the Philippines does so only at the country’s peril. IT IS NOT THE INDIVIDUAL ACTS OR STATEMENTS THAT WORRY ME. IT IS THE PATTERN. HE DOESN’T MAKE ONE OFF GAFFES. HE CONTINUES TO SAY AND DO THINGS WHICH HE BELIEVES IN AND ARE PART OF A PATTERN OF HIS PERSONALITY, POLITICAL PHILOSOPHY AND LEADERSHIP STYLE.
To ignore the other things he says and does would be akin to wanting to see and hear only the good things from someone you are falling madly in love with, ignoring all the red flags and warning signs, going to the altar and marrying the person, and ending up in a 6 year (or less) relationship that will not end well in any conceivable way.
So what I did was to collect information that’s not propaganda but are out there as news reports, actual interviews, and court documents that show a glimpse of the real Duterte. You will see the sincere, decisive Duterte. But you will also see a Duterte who will be an authoritarian strongman who will not take no for an answer, who will consider any opposition to him as wrong and unacceptable, and who will have no qualms about killing people. What’s scary is that he has no qualms institutionalizing vigilante justice by allowing Philippine institutions like the police force to kill and implement street justice. It is a very troubling picture.
I think if someone other than Duterte wins, that person needs to emulate the qualities of Duterte that will be good for the country. Decisive, sincere, and willing to challenge and change the status quo and finally lift the poor and middle class out of their misery. The new president must end the callous and trickle down economics of the economic and political elites of the Philippines who have lorded it over through monopolistic/no competition advantages as well as through corrupt family/political dynasties and private armies.
Here’s the summary. Feel free to add more proof:
a. Duterte says during his presidency, it will be bloody. This is scary. He looks into the camera and says “I am telling the Filipino people, huwag ako, it is gonna be bloody” (see timestamp 1:25 minute mark)
b. Duterte says “hindi ko mapigilan ang init ng ulo ko” (translation: I cannot control my temper!) ( see timestamp 1:00 minute mark).
c. Threatens to close Congress if they don’t cooperate with him.
d. Without remorse, he says that in fixing corruption and crime, he will will fix it. And adds “If I have to kill you, I’ll kill you” (timestamp 1:36 minute mark).
e. Duterte makes a very crass and crude statement involving a raped and murdered Australian missionary. When his supporters laugh about it, he doesn’t even admonish and tell them that this is a story, not a joke.
f. He says he will not apologize for his rape remark. Then his campaign people released a statement that he is apologizing. Then he denies that he apologized and said he will never apologize. And finally, he is apologizing.
g. Called his daughter a drama queen after his daughter said she was raped.
h. Threatened to sever ties with US and Australia (among the Philippine’ strongest allies and where millions of Filipinos live) .
i. Admitted in a rally in Iloilo that he shot a bully classmate of his in San Beda law school.
j. Claims to be the hero and central figure in the 1989 hostage crisis in Davao that he dared people to read newspaper accounts at that time. In newspaper account after newspaper account by the Philippine and international press, none of these reported what Duterte claims were his heroic actions.
Part 1 | Part 2 | Part 3 | Part 4 | Davao Hostage Crisis
k. Said in an interview that in Laguna, after hearing the depravity of criminals who killed 2 kids, he told the Laguna police to hunt the criminals and “shoot and kill them” (timestamp 25:33 minute mark).
*I know some of you will want this vigilante style justice because in your minds, Philippine court justice is an abysmal failure. If you advocate mafia-style execution as the solution, then you are simply allowing shortcuts - - the same mentality that has made the Philippines fail in many ways in the past. The solution is strong leadership in all branches of government to make the court system efficient and effective and where cases can be prosecuted, heard and decided in one to two years. Speedy justice in the courts. Not speedy justice in the streets.
l. Where an actual report in the court records of his annulment case, he is diagnosed as having anti-social narcissitic personality disorder.
m. And where Senator Trillanes, a person who may not be likable but at least is credible in terms of telling the truth and not lies, relates how Duterte casually told the story of how he could let certain “criminals” kneel and he would shoot them in the head. In Tillanes’ words, he understands if that is done by someone in the military during war time. But when a person who executes others mafia-style and can go to sleep at night without remorse, that person is sick. http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/780823/trillanes-duterte-told-me-how-he-did-killings
n. Duterte is in favor of Marcos burial in Libingan ng mga Bayani (Heroes') Cemetery.
Duterte loses all credibility regarding the issue of corruption and human rights violations when he has no qualms about giving a hero's burial to the Philippine dictator Ferdinand Marcos, who imposed Martial Law, closed Congress, and put in place a Constitution that allowed him to override the Batasang Pambansa. The legally elected President extended what was supposed to be a 2 term presidency ending in January 1973 to a dictatorship that started on September 11, 1972 until he was ousted and left Malacanang on February 25, 1986. We hope Duterte isn't using Marcos as his model.
These are not propaganda. These are facts. These are things proven by unbiased news reports in 1989 that didn’t anticipate Duterte running for president in 2016, by actual interviews with Duterte who makes these outrageous statements, by unedited videos, and by actual court documents.
If supporters of Duterte refuse to see these things for what they are and will dismiss all these evidence and say that he is still the best candidate for president, then do not complain when he will bring the Philippines into an era of fear and vigilantism, when he begins to curtail internet freedom for the sake of national security, when he causes a constitutional crisis by trying to shut down congress if he thinks they are not cooperating, and when his statements cause local and international uproar week after week after week for the next 6 years. It will be a never ending drama for 6 years in the Philippines!
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