Honestly there were several actions, pronouncements and even policies made and implemented by former President Rodrigo R. Duterte that we strongly disagreed. To be more specific, his utterances of uncouth language wherever he is and whoever is his audience.
However, it is not incumbent upon us to demand for him to change his ways, more so when he has been so used to such actuation. That is, it becomes automatic for the man to say this and that in the midst of his speeches or even simple conversation. Duterte too, speaks the language of the common people and does their acts as well. It is, without doubt, the reason why majority of Filipinos accepted his ways with hardly a question.
So, despite the bloodshed in his “war on illegal drugs” during his administration as Davao City Mayor and later as President of the Philippines, the raves drowned the protestations of those who felt they were wronged by the former Presidents campaign.
Unfortunately for the former Chief Executive, the families of his bloody campaign got the support of human rights advocates who painstakingly worked their way up to the International Criminal Court (ICC) that sees the victims of Duterte’s alleged extra judicial killings (EJKs) as perpetrated under his direction.
Amidst all these he still publicly claimed full responsibility of the killings made by the law enforcers who implemented his anti-illegal drugs drive. As consequence he is now facing charges of committing a crime against humanity at the ICC.
Now the former President is in The Hague, Netherlands where the ICC headquarter is located and the various processes in his litigation will be undertaken. Meanwhile, the former President will be held in detention in a ICC-designated jail. But what is revolting to us and many of the Filipinos, is the way his arrest was carried out. It was with haste and extreme secrecy that when it was implemented, ironically by our own Policemen, the former President and all his supporters were bereft of time to use the necessary legal means of preventing the arrest as well as his turnover to the jurisdiction of the ICC.
Now who were the people who facilitated the former chief of state’s apprehension? They were the very same people who were – and still are – calling Duterte a traitor to his country for allegedly kowtowing with China in relation to the issue on the West Philippine Sea.
It is apparent though that in facilitating the arrest of FPRRD, and immediately turning him over to the ICC, the people now on top of the present national administration are doing acts even more treasonous than what they alleged of the former President.
Are their acts not virtually surrendering the Philippines’ sovereignty to an international entity where we already withdrew our membership?
With what the administration officials, from the President down to his last subalterns with roles in the Duterte arrest, karma is now casting its shadow. In fact we believe that it will catch them up very soon – to be exact, in the coming May 2025 elections. We are certain of that.
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What possibly is the implication of the arrest of former President Duterte, a mayoralty candidate of Davao City, on the coming electoral contest?
Surely he remains as candidate because by the time the election is held, even the preliminaries at the ICC may not be completed yet. And even if the former President is convicted, the court is not that of the Philippines. So it is unlikely that the rule on convicted persons aspiring for elective position in the country will not apply.
Chances also is that Duterte’s arrest will further boost his candidacy as mayor. And if indeed he wins there is certainty he cannot assume. Since Baste Duterte is also a likely winner, then he is a cinch to assume as mayor. And Rigo Dujterte III? He too is a sure top notcher. So will Davao City be under a Duterte-Duterte reign?
It still is unlikely. Why, because according to the guidelines of the Department of the Interior and Local Governments (DILG) in the appointment of a vice mayor if a situation where it is the winning vice mayor who will assume the post of mayor, the top notcher among the winning candidates for councilors in the city’s three districts with the highest percentage of votes from the total number cast is to be appointed vice mayor.
So, with the number of candidates for the Council running especially in the first district, many will be dividing the votes. Hence, the smaller the percentage of each.
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We were in the end part writing this column yesterday when our son told us we have a visitor. We obliged to stop our work and see who was coming to our rural house. It was third district councilor Myrna Dalodo-Ortiz, a fellow employee at Davao Light before she tried her luck for the City Council after the death of her father, the late Councilor Jose Dalodo.
She dropped by after learning that a small refreshment center near the barangay hall in Talandang, Tugbok district is ours.
We had our time re-living memories when we were both working in the power company where Myrna’s husband Lito Ortiz was Assistant Vice President for Human Resources. Dalodo-Ortiz is running for re-election and for the past many terms of hers she was heading the very important Council Committee on Finance, Appropriations, Ways and Means.
We have no doubt Myrna was making good in the local legislative body – the Sangguniang Panlungsod. Had she failed the expectation of her constituents she would have long been gone in that branch of the Davao City government.
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