So the Davao City Police Office (DCPO) has no such thing as a “Davao City Model” in the fight against illegal drugs that was used as the scheme implemented on a national level during the term of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte? This was according to DCPO spokesperson Capt. Hazel Tuazon.
Well, maybe so. But was Captain Tuazon already with the police force when the drug war in the city was launched during the Duterte terms as mayor? It was many years ago. And there is no argument that the drive against the proliferation of the illegal drugs trade in the city was successful because those in that business were either dead, or in hiding and cowering in fear.
As news editor of one of the local papers then we were witness to the almost daily bloody incidents involving drug personalities. But during those times nobody cared to ask why? For who would when the city then was virtually the haven of the drug trade in this part of Mindanao. Criminality was high as most perpetrators were known drug crazy, or are forced to commit crimes in order to support their cravings for the illegal substance.
So, when the war against drugs in the city was implemented it was a welcome move by the population that was weary of the clearly deteriorating society then. Even the Church was intriguingly silent because it knew that the campaign saved a good number of the faithful from perdition.
But did it involve the alleged financial reward and quota system that is supposedly disclosed by a retired lady police officer in the long-drawn quadruple committee hearings of the Lower House? Did the former President really ordered the Police to implement a similar strategy at the national level? If we have to believe in the affidavit of the former police official, the Davaoeno former chief executive did.
But perhaps it failed because somehow, gauged from the “noise” of several sectors of the population, especially the human rights advocates, so many lives were lost including those who were innocent of the crime. Yet, the drug trade in the country still flourish even up to the present.
Of course it is common knowledge that there is a majority of the Filipinos, the ordinary man mostly, who just keep silent of their appreciation of the Duterte drug war. May be if they have the means to let their voices out, or the group or groups who could champion their manifestation of support to the former President, then it is possible all this grandstanding will be put to rest.
But from the looks of it now, the former President is really pushed to the limit. And what if the probe succeeds in establishing his role in the so-called bloody drug war? Will Congress strongly prod the Department of Justice to file cases against Duterte? Will it move for the re-affiliation of the Philippines with the International Criminal Court? Or, will Congress force the President to allow the ICC and the Interpol to arrest the former President if the said international court has indeed issued an arrest order against Duterte?
Will President Marcos, Jr. risk the division of the Filipino people at this critical times of his administration? May be he will wait until after the May 2025 elections because the outcome will surely make him know whether he has the support of the people.
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What is the likely scenario of the election for the Congressional seat in the first district of Davao City?
We believe it will also be like the situation in the second district. What with the challenger to incumbent Polong Duterte is another Nogralec scion who is also a lawyer and incumbent Partylist congresswoman, Atty. Migs.
It cannot be denied that the Nograleses seem to have a good number of followers in the first district as can be borne by the votes during the time that now mayoral candidate Karlo Nograles ran and won for several terms.
In fact the rise of incumbent Pulong Duterte only came in handy when Karlo was cleverly convinced to join the Duterte Cabinet leaving no significant opponent to the former President’s son.
Now with PBA Partylist Congresswoman Migs challenging Pulong the likelihood is that the latter will be in for some surprises. It is very possible that the Nograleses still have their supporters intact and are just silent for the time being.
Migs too, may have the resources needed to run a competitive campaign against the incumbent. Therefore, the election for representative in the first district could be as exciting as it could be in the second.
