My deepest wishes
I write this a day before the formal inauguration of Rodrigo Roa Duterte even though this article will be posted the midnight after the grand event. It would be nice if I had witnessed the inauguration first but deadlines of submission should be religiously respected.
What makes writing about a new page in our history is that it is really about the emergence of a new president, a new presidency, a new government more than a new inauguration. There is much to mention, ponder on, and discuss. New priorities and leadership styles make for good stories. That it centers on the man, Rodrigo Roa Duterte, raises the intensity and graphics of national attention.
We have just transited from one president to another. There has been a more than adequate stability during the transition, a testimony that democracy is strengthening its acceptance and hold in the Filipino psyche. The campaign may have been noisy and contentious, but it stayed mostly as a war of words more than a physical one. Whether truly appreciated or not, the peacefulness and ease of transition are true blessings that can now allow new leadership to hit the ground running.
Change is welcome. In fact, great change is more than welcome. I have consistently chosen optimism over criticism for over a decade, especially when assessing governance. Optimism drives me to focus on what I can do rather than what others should not have done. The great difference is when someone has a dream or a goal, the pursuit of which becomes more important than the mistakes of others.
A country long beset by poverty cannot but have serious discontent. That same country, too, if blessed by rich natural resources and a talented people, must be experiencing serious corruption, too, or the poverty could not have persisted. Whatever gains are made anywhere, if these do not substantially reduce poverty and suffering, they cannot subdue the discontent and urgent desire for change. Over and above these, the Philippines has had a running conflict between Muslims and Christians in Mindanao. Wounds are deep, peace elusive, and economic development always hampered by violence. And the Communist insurgency has defied any solution for several decades.
The latest curse has been illegal drugs and the horrible cost of drug abuse on mostly our youth and their families. The illegal drug trade is many times the problem of illegal gambling and is globally interconnected. The vast majority of barangays are infested while local populations feel helpless against the illegal drug trade and its dire consequences on millions of lives.
Change, therefore, cannot just be incremental anymore. Only those who are comfortable and secure can accept change by increments. Those who have been severely burdened by poverty, conflict, illegal drugs and corruption must be nearing their breaking points. Why else would Duterte have been such a passionate choice of millions? And why else would radical change, in the forms being promised, become acceptable?
The man of the moment has come, and with him, the hope of change of a different kind. The impact of Rodrigo Roa Duterte is awesome. Even before his formal ascension to the presidency, thousands of drug addicts and small time pushers are surrendering to the police. It is now clear why his personal choice to be the PNP Chief was someone who would be a faithful reflection of the presidential resolve against illegal drugs.
Great change cannot happen smoothly; it is always rocky, turbulent, even cathartic. Many are hopeful with the Duterte presidency. They must, however, be prepared for the turbulence that great change causes. What President Duterte has promised to do is virtually a mission impossible because first team has no known advocates against crime, drugs, and corruption with a record and reputation close to his. His more committed advocates are the Leftist leaders whose ideology may not be more acceptable even under President Duterte. Their bloody engagement with the police and the military will not heal easily as well. As committed are also the Muslim separatists, but the BBL process has mitigated the conflict substantially through years of amicable negotiations.
In the relationship with China, too, President Duterte will find himself with little company as the most active and friendly relationships of the Philippines are wary of China – and are quite close with America. In a global setting, geopolitics and economics would need a Philippines that can stand firmly on its own two feet. It may not be just a matter of presidential personality but also of a country’s physical size, population, economic power and military might. The further the issue is from Philippine territory, the less powerful any Philippine president will be.
The challenges of the country are not new, and they must be confronted. There will be direct beneficiaries of radical change, and they will be ecstatic when it happens. I hope it is not only those who are rescued from the clutches of drug syndicates and drug affliction. I hope it also touches the poor of our country, that their plight of centuries and their status as second class Filipinos will be finally and effectively resolved. I also hope that the institutions of freedom and democracy will not only be reformed but enhanced as pillars of sustainable stability. Most of all, I hope that the Filipino people will put their heart and soul to building a strong nation from hard work and perseverance. These are my deepest prayers.
Not for me but for all, may Rodrigo Roa Duterte will be the leader who will see the real picture, the historical truth, and the hero who will embrace his highest destiny.
