Hell to pay at the end of Duterte term

The thoroughness with which Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio has examined the West Philippine Sea issue is what’s needed in our national policymaking. Unfortunately and tragically, Carpio’s thoroughness is in stark contrast to the way policies are being made. All that our national policymakers come up with are one-line arguments that become the bases for state policies and actions.

Saying “we cannot stop China” is something a head of state who knows his job should never do. Hey, there’s such a thing as diplomacy, didn’t President Duterte know that? And does he know what diplomacy means?

The nation should be grateful that there are experts in West Philippine Sea issues. Do we also have experts in the drug problem? We badly need them.

One “policymaker” has often said, “drugs are destroying my country.” It is very doubtful if he had looked at the problem with any degree of thoroughness.

He once remarked that addicts were “raping children and grandmothers.” How often has that happened? My guess is that things like that get etched and amplified in the minds of people, especially those who read tabloids and little else. I am tempted to say one man’s fundamental ignorance and simplistic ways have placed us in a very deep, dark pit.

If there are millions of drug addicts in our midst, how much destruction have they done to people other than themselves? Drug addicts “are victims,” our policymaker once said, with little conviction. Experts probably could determine how many murders are attributable to drug use, and how many rapes, etc., and what could be done to prevent them. Then we can begin to have clarity and well-thought-out policies.

Lately our policymaker has been saying that his order to the police was “only to arrest them (drug suspects). If they don’t want to be arrested and fight back, and you think you will die, shoot the idiot.” He has said this so many times in the past couple of months. Is he beginning to cover his back? Maybe he has come to realize finally (he seems quite slow sometimes) that after his term in office, there will be hell to pay.

ATIS ALTAMIRANO, [email protected]