DJ Yap’s article about Earl Parreño’s book, “Beyond Will and Power,” on President Duterte would make a fine bookend for the 2018 “Duterte Harry: Fire and Fury in the Philippines” by British journalist Jonathan Miller.
The earlier book, published in Australia and the United Kingdom, was an equally fine work describing Mr. Duterte’s early and present political life. It included an excellent collection of photos tracing Mr. Duterte’s background and path to power. The book seemed to gain no traction in this country, possibly because of the nature of partisan politics here.
As Yap described it, Parreño makes no judgments in his book, which makes one wonder if he lives here and is playing it safe. Miller, whose conclusions are clear about where his sympathies lie, may be safe from any form of “retaliation” since he doesn’t live here.
It would be interesting to learn more about Parreño’s background in view of the fact that there are precious few Filipino analysts with probity, intelligence and unjaundiced eyes to view how this country has been diminished by its politicians.
ISABEL T. ESCODA
Cebu City