Trillanes sees Duterte's first year as a 'massive failure'

MANILA, Philippines —  “Massive failure.”

This was the grade that Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV of the Senate minority bloc said he would give President Rodrigo Duterte, who marks his first year in office this month.  The opposition senator claimed that the government has yet to improve the lives of ordinary Filipinos.

Trillanes, one of the fiercest critics of the Philippines’ firebrand leader, described Duterte’s first year as president an “epic failure” as he failed to fulfill many of his campaign promises that propelled his improbable campaign to Malacañang.

The senator said that from the traffic situation in Manila’s notoriously choking thoroughfares to the president’s flagship campaign on illegal drugs Duterte has “massively failed.”

“Lagpak. Talagang massive failure ito, epic failure itong administrasyon ni Duterte on all fronts ah. Lahat ng pinangako ah. Kahit objectively. Kayo dumadaan naman kayo diyan sa EDSA o sa streets ng Metro Manila. Nag-improve ba yung traffic? Hindi diba lumala? Yung MRT nag-improve ba? Hindi, lumala. Ito yung mga pinangako nila ah,” the senator answered when asked about his assessment of Duterte’s administration.

Duterte, in his State of the Nation Address in July 2016, argued for emergency powers to help solve the traffic problem in Manila and in other urban centers. Congress has yet to pass bills to grant these powers.

“Ngayon, sa Malacañang wala naman ginagawa e. How will life change? How will life improve? Wala naman e,” Trillanes said.

Trillanes is one of a handful of lawmakers fiercely critical of Duterte, who won the presidency last year on the back of a strong anti-crime and anti-drugs campaign.

Despite his tough on security image, Duterte faces a serious security problem in Mindanao, where the military and police are currently engaged in street-to-street fighting with Islamist militants who have pledged allegiance to the Islamic State of Iraq and Syria (ISIS).

Attacks by the New People's Army also marred the president’s first year as his negotiating panel tries to forge a peace deal to end the decades-long Maoist rebellion, already one of the longest in the world.

The president is also leading a brutal campaign against illegal drugs which has been widely criticized by both international and local rights groups but that has remained popular among his supporters.

Despite the barrage of criticisms, Duterte is still massively popular among Filipinos tired of government dysfunction and who see in the president a glimmer of hope that he could move things forward. Duterte’s folksy style and no-nonsense persona have also endeared him to many.

Just like Singapore?

Trillanes however did not buy any of this as he claimed that many Filipinos were just duped into voting the former mayor of Davao City.

He also mocked Alan Cayetano, the Foreign Affairs secretary and former senator, for his claim that the Philippines under Duterte was already comparable to Singapore.

“In fact, maraming nalinlang na mga kababayan natin. Na ito daw si Duterte may political will. Ito yung mag-aayos ng mga basic na problema. Hindi, pinalala niya. Sabi niya noon mag-restore siya ng law and order o peace and order. Ngayon ba ay peaceful sa bansa?” the senator said.

He added: “Sabi nga ni Secretary Cayetano para na tayong Singapore. Para na ba tayong Singapore? Ginulo niya e. Ginulo niya yung bansa.”

Trillanes said, without citing figures, that unemployment and the prices of basic goods have gone up since Duterte came to power.

According to the Philippine Statistics Authority, the employment rate in April was 94.3 percent, higher than 93.4 percent recorded in January. It was only slightly higher than the 94.2 percent employment rate in April 2016. 

'Drug trade still alive'

The senator was particularly scathing in his critique of the president’s war on drugs.

He claimed that despite the tough talk on the issue illegal drugs were still proliferating as shown by the alleged entry of illicit narcotics worth billions through Customs. In May, law enforcement agents seized around 604 kilos of shabu in a warehouse in Barangay Paso de Blas and some 100 kilos of the same drug at another warehouse in Barangay Ugong, both in Valenzuela City. The seizures were the result of cooperation between Philippine and Chinese Customs authorities.

Trillanes said that Duterte should take care and protect the victims of illegal narcotics instead of killing them.

“Definitely, simula nung nagpapatay siya ng mga Pilipino. Doon pa lang zero na sila. Hindi puwede yun e. Presidente ka ng bansa, dapat pinoproteksyunan mo sila e. Nalihis man sila ng landas dapat ikaw nagtutuwid e. Aalagaan mo sila dapat e. Hindi mo sila papatayin,” he said.