Hitting the ground running

It was a great inaugural speech by President Rodrigo Duterte shortly after taking oath as the 16th president of the Philippines. It was great because it did not go again into the details of many of his campaign promises, most of which got him deep into controversy. He just skimmed over the general principles of what his presidency will be like.

He needed to do that because he has to reassure his countrymen, or at least those who voted him into power, that the Duterte that is now embarked on a six-year rule is still the same Duterte that captured their imagination during the campaign. But by not going into the details, he avoided the temptation to launch into his profanity-laden speeches that have spooked many, including some of his own supporters.

In other words, Duterte served black coffee as usual but allowed the nation to suit it to its taste. But the one thing that truly made the speech great was his qualifier to all of those promises. With one line, he reassured everyone that as someone who has vast experience with the law, he knew where the limits to his awesome presidential authority were and that he was not about to cross it.

If there was any part of his speech that allowed people who had some issues with his governing style to breathe easier, I think that was it. It is difficult to say from just watching the proceedings on tv, but it seems that that was the most applauded part of his speech. And rightly so. For a speech that was not laced with bombast, it is only fitting that the cap to the bomb he wields gets highlighted.

Proceeding from that much-awaited reassurance on legal adherence, Duterte did not waste any time on ceremonial double-talk that often confounded journalists on where to angle their stories. The president immediately gave everyone a taste of his leadership style by hitting the ground running. He right then and there issued a couple of direct orders to all the members of his Cabinet.

He directed his Cabinet secretaries to at once cut red tape in dealing with the public. And then he ordered them not to tinker and tamper with contracts that are already in place. With these two directives, he showed both the public and the business sector the direction his administration was headed. And with the two orders came a warning to his men - if they cannot be with him, then their time with him may be shorter than they expected.

The red tape directive involves shortening the length of time of all government transactions and the minimization and avoidance of duplication of requirements, which as the public knows is what bedevils people doing business with government. Red tape is also the primary cause and excuse for corruption. Thus, even those who do not come across to hasten processes, the dismantling of red tape results in real efficiency and savings at every step of the way.

The order to avoid tinkering and tampering with contracts for projects that are already underway will also result in tremendous savings for government, better business confidence in undertaking government contracts and, most important of all, do away with shamefully vengeful political practices that are detrimental to the public good.

How many times has the public seen ongoing projects unceremoniously halted and abandoned by whoever is new in power simply because such projects were initiated by rival or unfriendly predecessors? It is indeed about time that this tremendous drain on government resources be stopped and a new political outlook is introduced that is uncompromisingly for the public interest.

Of course, that was just day one of the Duterte administration. Today is just day two. Duterte has still 2,190 days to go. It is a long way off from the finish line. In other words, it is too early to make conclusions.

But if inaugural speeches can really set the tone for an incoming administration, this was one of the few I have witnessed that truly gives a glimmer of hope that change may indeed be coming. Prayers are therefore in order for Duterte's success.