The Calm before the storm… What can people expect on the Duterte Presidency

And so the people have spoken, undoubtedly, the simple, unassuming Mayor of Davao was catapulted to Presidency by 15,881,413 (95.6% Votes Tallied so far) million Filipinos, 600,000+ more votes than President Aquino during the 2010 polls.

The expectations run high on his forthcoming administration that capitalized on the lack of empathy of the previous one, and we the Filipinos, are left to wonder, what would the Duterte Presidency bring to the table? Or is the same story all over again… The Mascot of today, will be the effigy that we will burn tomorrow?

How ready are we for the old school discipline that this man will be bringing once he assumes the office?

First, the Nationwide Liquor Ban, in Davao selling liquor is up until 1am only, though you can still drink within your premises, this is to avoid conflicts, accidents and crimes under the influence of alcohol. And also, consider that some will wake u

p early for work the next day (the traffic in Manila is really horrible), thereby, increasing productivity. Recently, a day before the polls, a friend of mine died because he was driving drunk and hit a police outpost…

Secondly, the speed limit, you might wonder, how can the people of Davao live with 30 Kilometers per hour driving in city streets and 60kph on National roads? Well, a lot of them complained at first, after all, it is our nature to complain and give out excuses right? Like what if I’m late for a very important meeting? or work? But as the saying goes, if there’s a will there is a way. Then leave early so you will not be late. Simple as that. Also, the speed limit is imposed to avoid vehicular accidents.

In Davao, you will not hear any loud music, or Karaoke starting 10pm (not unless of course you are in a public place which is up until 1am – first item) Love it or hate it, its up to you but you also have to be considerate of your neighbors right to sleep peacefully through the night.

Curfew hours to be implemented for minors 18 years old and below without an accompanying adult; some will agree with me that it is for their own safety, right? But a deeper look at it reflects his soft spot for children. He just wants to ensure that the kids are at home or sleeping already to prepare for school the next day and to avoid joining gangs which will lead to juvenile delinquency. After all, as the popular Whitney Houston song tells us “the children are our future” right?

Bringing back death penalty to heinous crimes (drug trafficking, rape, murder etc…) you might say, consider the rights of the criminals, but have they considered the “rights” of the person they perpetrate to? What if it (heaven forbid) is your child or you are the victim? Would you feel the same way still?

The smoking in public areas (oh I love this one) not because I’m not a smoker, but also second hand smoke is far more dangerous, catch the drift? And in Davao, those caught violating are fined 10,000 pesos which the city government donates to cancer patients.

No littering. Really? What could a simple wrapper of candy do? Well, a simple wrapper of candy or trash could further clog our drainage system, then complain why we do have floods during the rainy days. Also, your plastic is a danger to sea creatures which we in turn consume.

And end to “endo” or contractualization, which a lot of big companies are practicing. Two words, “Job Security”, contractualization is really an injustice to our people who worked hard, end of it would mean continuous food we can bring to our families and not hop in from work to work right?

Well, we all have time to be ready because that’s just the surface, the tip of the ice berg. Expect a lot of change when he assumes Presidency. He may not give us what we WANT but I can assure you, he will give this country what it NEEDS. A tough hand to steer us into his vision of a better Philippines, it will never be easy, but believe me, it will be worth it.

Understanding the Duterte Phenomenon

Throughout the campaign he kissed women, told ambassadors to shut up over dislike with his remarks, and cursed thru the campaign. But it seems, the voters don’t mind the antics. As with the last survey, he has a commanding lead above his opponents.  

Phenomenal, as some would put it, just like the Filipinos going gaga over Aldub, but this is something different. It is not just the character, the persona, the campaign strategy; Rodrigo Duterte struck a chord that the Aquino administration sorely lacks. His steady rise to the top is not overnight, thus, making it tough for his opponents to pull him down.

It is a movement, to the grass root level - People creating their own silk screens, and voluntarily, (not T-shirts), that they can redistribute to other areas, Creating campaign materials themselves, reproducing it, distributing it. The fire that he created slowly crept into the entire nation making it seemingly impossible to put out. 

“Emilio Aguinaldo”, a metaphor that he used when asked who his biggest campaign contributor was. You would often times wonder, why people willingly give their contributions to the Duterte Campaign, Sometimes amounting to 4,000.00, when these people don’t have much. He is neither a celebrity nor a movie star to begin with… 

But what makes it equally phenomenal as well is the words that he is saying. These are just words, how can we hold him accountable to what he is saying? Is killing people a metaphor or an actual platform? The Mayor of Davao was able to position himself as the non-traditional type of candidate. Beyond his brash language, shows intellect and a brilliant strategist. 

“Change is coming” he built a politics on the issues with which everyone could relate to – crime, corruption, drugs and how he wants to fix it because he is decisive. Backing it up with a strong program of action, because people had enough from politicians that spew flowery words, eloquent speeches, but not really understood by many. He talks directly to each one, albeit his visayan humor that I really cannot phantom, and it resonates with a lot of people. Even creating his own legion of fans referred to as the “DuterTards”. We always accuse them as brainwashed and blinded followers, but the reason they like him is plain and simple, “Nagpapaka-totoo cya”. And for Filipinos, that means something.

“Empathy”; one would clearly see, that compared to the Aquino administration who was weak on empathy, that is his main selling point. And suffice enough to say, that his moves are calculated, the underlying thought on what he was doing on the campaign trail, if you haven’t realized, is one of the traditions Filipinos do during the feast of the black Nazarene, that he would wipe his face with a towel, or t-shirt, then throw at his supporters. It is very symbolic, religious and altogether powerful. Brilliant isn’t it? That lack of empathy, which has been the problem of the Aquino administration, is Duterte’s strongpoint, and that same lack of empathy is how people see the administration candidate, lack of charisma, technocratic and not having the touch for the poor and the ordinary person.

Filipinos never change; they’re not looking for Intelligence, experience, or platform. People are looking for Visibility - the concern for the poor, moral integrity, and principle. It has always been the same song, Duterte just sang it differently, and that alone reflects how masterful and brilliant he is at planning his strategy...

He was clever enough to use the administration’s weakness to his advantage. But more than that, he inspired a nation known for its apathy. To cut across classes of society is something really exceptional, I haven't seen something like it. He carefully studied his market. Learning from the mistakes of the previous candidates, his PR Team carefully devised a plan  trying to unite a nation that is long hounded by regionalism... Much like with the fire that started the revolution against Spain, the spark that started in Davao, burns throughout entire country, slowly but surely, has turned the entire nation aflame. He is always a step ahead of his opponents, and made sure that whatever black propaganda they throw at him, would go backfire straight to their faces. 

Sure, he isn't intelligent like Mirriam, not as eloquent as Poe or Roxas, and definitely not a sweet talker like Binay. He was bold, crass, and highly unpredictable...  A smokescreen that he used to propel him to where he is now, Like a brilliant General planning for his war. After all, he is a seasoned public servant.

The burden now is if he could keep the fire that he started long after May 9. How long can he sustain sense of nationalism that he rekindled in every Filipino? Or are we going back to our regionalist mentality after the polls is another battle looming at the horizon, but that's another story... One battle at a time, May 9 is upon us, and the fever which he instilled in us make him win? Or just like any other brilliant minds before him, shall he go down in history as a great leader who failed to get the chance?  The ball is on your courts now..

End Note:
I never planned to open this blog again, It reminded me of a phase in my life from which I have already moved on but I don't have the luxury of time to create a new one so I am posting here. A small token of my contribution to the beloved Mayor of Davao who won me over because I had the chance to live in an exemplary city. The culture of honesty and discipline he instilled in Davao is unforgettable. (Left my iphone on the cab, did not notice it until minutes later I was called by our office receptionist, the cab driver went his way to returned it to me... who in their right mind, right?)