Common sense governance

President Rodrigo Duterte’s SONA was as good a conversation that a president can have with the people. It was as straightforward as Duterte had always been. It avoided technocratic terms and language, and the few that manage to sneak in the prepared text he mocked.

What delighted me with the SONA was the common sense governance philosophy that the President emphasized. It is as if you don’t have to be a graduate of the Harvard Kennedy School of Government to know what must be done for this country.

President Duterte said he knew what ails the country when he sought the presidency. “I heard the people on the streets complain that justice had become illusory; that equity and fairness and speedy disposition of cases had deteriorated into hollow concepts… equal treatment and equal protection are what I ask for our people.”

The SONA expressed the social conscience of the President. The government must simply help the poor… no demolition of squatter homes without relocation…social justice is at the top of his priorities.

“My administration shall be sensitive to the State’s obligations to promote, protect, fulfill the rights of our citizens, especially the poor, the marginalized and the vulnerable, and social justice shall be pursued, even as the rule of law shall prevail at all times.

“My administration shall implement a human approach to development and governance, as we improve our people’s welfare in the areas of health, education, adequate food and water, housing, environmental preservation, and respect for culture.”

He spent time and kept his focus on his number one mission: “the fight against criminality and illegal drugs and corruption will be relentless and sustained… There can never be real, tangible and felt development without making our people feel secure. And it is our duty to uplift our people’s welfare.”

People seem to like what they are seeing during the first three weeks of his administration. The no nonsense style of leadership, the simplicity of his accustomed lifestyle and the strong determination to quickly deliver results have all captured the people’s hearts.

Elected with less than majority of the votes at about 40 percent, the latest opinion polls show he has the support of over 90 percent of our people. Pulse Asia measured his trust rating at 91 percent at the start of his term, the highest rating among presidents according to the survey firm.

The other public opinion poll revealed that President Duterte received an “excellent” net public trust rating during a June 2016-Social Weather Stations survey, the first such survey to be taken since he won the presidency. According to SWS, its findings point to a very auspicious start for the incoming administration of President Duterte.

The SWS survey reveals 84 percent of those polled said they had “much trust,” 11 percent were undecided, and five percent had “little trust.” This gave Duterte a net trust rating (percentage of “much trust” minus percentage of “little trust”) of +79. The SWS rates net trust ratings of at least +70 as “excellent.”

There are apprehensions about the spate of killings in the conduct of an all out war on drugs. But equally shocking is the extent of the drug menace many of us never realized existed within our communities. We wonder why the previous administrations allowed the drug threat to get this big.

We were apparently on the brink of becoming a narco state with illegal drug money in control of government officials, from senior police generals and LGU officials. The drug lords were manufacturing shabu inside the maximum security area of the National Penitentiary and enjoying luxury pads inside the jail as well. Thank heavens Duterte came along when he did!

If only more real drug lords are being killed instead of poor runners or pushers, public support for the anti drug war would be almost universal. Vigilante killings also make for a very unsafe environment for everyone.

Well, at least Duterte’s main promise to curtail the illegal drug trade is off to a good start. Thousands of people with links to the drug trade have surrendered to authorities. A new problem has emerged… a shortage of facilities that could help rehabilitate some of the truly repentant drug dependents.

The President’s next major promise of curbing corruption has received a boost. He just signed an Executive Order on Freedom of Information that covers the Executive branch. We still have to see the list of exceptions. But Duterte’s action is refreshing in the light of P-Noy’s failure to keep his election promise on the matter.

Other promises are a bit more difficult to get going. Take the promise to greatly improve Metro Manila’s traffic situation… the new Transportation Secretary seems sincere and determined to introduce improvements, but this one needs time and possibly, emergency powers.

It was interesting to note that while the President was reading the promise of Tugade to introduce more rail cars and speed up the MRT3, a flash of skepticism overtook him. The President wondered if the faster speed can be achieved with the poor condition of the rail tracks. “Sabi ko, ‘Art, sigurado ka maka-hold ang rail niyan? Baka maputol ‘yan mag diretso ang train sa Cavite… Art, ambisyoso ka ah. Kaya mo kaya ito?”

The President’s common sense approach to governance explains the litany of things he intends to accomplish as quickly as possible. The list includes:

-Tougher enforcement of traffic rules and regulations as well as a rationalization of the public transport system, notably in the matter of franchises for buses, jeepneys and utility vehicles. “Our anti-colorum campaign and out-of-line apprehension including the removal of terminals will be intensified and, my God, it will be done. (applause) Immediately, immediately.”

-Going against those who practice environmentally damaging methods of mining. He defended the appointment of Gina Lopez as DENR Secretary. “Gina is just doing her job. You know, she’s really a crusader, that is how I describe her persona: Crusader. Sabi ko tama yan.”

-Working for enduring peace with the Bangsamoro as well as the communist insurgency. To this end, he declared a unilateral ceasefire with the CPP/NDF.

On the economy, the President, who described himself as a socialist, one with a record of friendly relations with the communist NPA, promised to continue with the current prudent fiscal and monetary policies. He sees these policies as crucial to help translate high growth into more and better job creation and poverty reduction.

“By the end of my term, I hope – I hope and pray–to handover an economy that is much stronger, characterized by solid growth, low and stable inflation, (strong) dollar reserves and robust fiscal position.”

On taxation, he plans to do what the Aquino watch didn’t have the nerve to do. “My administration will pursue tax reforms towards a simpler, more equitable and more efficient tax system that can foster investment and job creation. We will lower personal and corporate income tax rates and relax the bank secrecy law.”

He will mandate reforms to ensure competitiveness and promote ease of doing business. He seeks an end to restrictions to the economy “to make more investments to come and to develop labor-intensive industries…We must also invest in human capital and ensure equal access to economic opportunities.”

He said he would implement the Responsible Parenthood and Reproductive Health Law with “full force and effect so that couples, especially the poor, will have freedom of informed choice on the number and spacing of children they can adequately care and provide for, eventually making them more productive members of the labor force.” That’s another common sense thing to do. 

President Duterte said all the right things in his SONA… the things that resonated with the voters last May.  Common sense governance will see to it that the high expectations will not lead to disappointments. But Mr. Duterte and his Cabinet have so much to accomplish in so little time.

Boo Chanco’s e-mail address is [email protected]. Follow him on Twitter @boochanco