President-in-waiting Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte visited Cebu last Saturday for a second victory party headlined by local and Manila-based performers. The thanksgiving celebration held at the South Road Properties (SRP) drew some 10,000 supporters eager to hear what the incoming President had to say four days before he assumes office.
Digong’s visit here took place a couple of weeks after Jeffrey Diaz alias Jaguar, allegedly the number 1 drug trafficker in Central Visayas, was killed in a police shootout in Las Piñas City. As we know, Jaguar’s cohort, Alvaro Alvaro alias Barok gave himself up to agents of the National Bureau of Investigation in Bohol a few days after the former was slain. He has been singing like a canary since he surrendered, but the NBI won’t reveal the names as yet of the supposed echelon of the illegal drugs syndicate.
Digong’s tough stance against illegal drugs remained the main issue of his 45-minute speech last Saturday. He warned those involved in illegal drugs to stop doing what they’re doing or else they will meet the same fate as did Jaguar.
“Undang na mo ana (Stop that). If I couldn’t convince you, I’ll have you killed. Just imagine if I kill 10 persons a day for the next six years. If you’re into drugs, I’m very sorry. I’ll have to apologize to your family because you’ll surely get killed,” the incoming President said.
Aside from underscoring what will be a brutal and relentless drive against illegal drugs, Duterte also announced he will put up a 24-hour hotline for the public to report malpractices by government workers and officials. He vowed to review government policies to make public service more effective and responsive especially in the Land Transportation Office (LTO), Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR) and the Department of Foreign Affairs. He does not want to see long lines of people waiting to be served in these government agencies.
Digong also expressed empathy for widows of policemen and soldiers by vowing to make it easier for them to claim the death benefits and pensions of their late husbands. I think the last two items, re a 24-hour hotline and a more pro-active bureaucracy that will respond to widows of policemen and soldiers, make up the bulk of complaints that he has received from the public.
Contrary to perceptions that he is stubborn and self-willed, Duterte’s declarations indicate he listens to the grievances of ordinary taxpayers. When he promised to act on the specific complaint from the widows, it tells me that he has a high empathy meter.
In so far as the current crackdown on illegal drugs, Digong may have been prompted by reports by the news website Rappler (indicating that from June 16 to 20, twenty-five (25) suspects or an average of 5 people a day have been killed in separate operations) when he announced he will not hesitate to have 10 drug users killed every day if they continue with their bad habits. He asked forgiveness from their families ahead of his plans because he believes drug addicts are beyond reform or rehabilitation.
I certainly hope Digong’s pronouncement of killing drug dependents is all bluster to intimidate them. Even assuming they are into drug trafficking, the strategy of eliminating people in the bottom of the drug chain is not going to make the war against illegal drugs victorious.
Why kill only the small fry? Who are the three police generals involved in this heinous crime? Who are their cohorts in the police and local government units who protect and enable them to build an evil empire?
There is no doubt the country is facing a grave problem. Illegal drugs have been described as the real weapon of mass destruction, but we need to have better and more humane policies to address the problem.
I have always been against vigilante-style justice or fighting crime with crime because it is opposed to Christian values and the rule of law. Even Digong has, at one time, aired reservations, saying that some suspected drug lords are being eliminated “aron dili mopiyait” (so they won’t squeal) on their cohorts in the police organization.
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