For honor, for country and for God!

Today is your day President Rodrigo “Rody” Duterte! You are the 16th President of the Philippines. You may be the “one,” the savior who will free this country from anarchy.

I pray for you dear President and for the people who work for you and by you. I pray for the Filipinos who have suffered and sacrificed long enough from too much oppression. I pray that you will march forward with the Filipino people to bask in the glory of a new day.

I hope that you are a man with a loyal heart. You love our country as dearly as you love your family. You have dedicated yourself to serve our fellowmen for many years now. Your leadership has been a shining star in the south of the Philippines, a bastion of respectability. That pure love and dedication you have for this country may be the beacon for everyone to follow suit. I hope this is all “real.”

Many presidents in the history of our country have let the Filipinos down. The beginnings are always alluring, charming, wonderful and ideal. But after a year or two twists and turns happen and they forget their oath to the country. They turn this noble task of leading and shaping the country into a ‘business entity’ for self-gain and glory.

Our nation’s history has always been about the Filipinos’ quest for freedom. The Philippine revolution that began in August 1896 was a fight to gain independence from Spain. The Battle of Manila signaled the Philippine-American war. Then there was the Japanese occupation between 1942 and 1945, when the Empire of Japan occupied the Commonwealth of the Philippines during World War II. We finally gained our independence in 1946. But are we really free?

After the foreign colonizers, the battle persisted between the “haves” and the “have nots.” The gap between the rich and poor has worsened over the years. Of course, this is also happening in different countries but the stark difference is that government service in most countries have always catered to the general public – a far cry from the services rendered in this country. What’s inconceivable is that government seems to be working only for the “haves,” yes for the biggies. And this is where our problem lies.

Mr. President, “Tapang at Malasakit” was your battlecry during the campaign. With your bold pronouncements on putting an end to illegal drugs, criminality and corruption, the ‘masa’ warmed up to you. It was the angry voice of the Filipino people, disappointed with the current system and clamoring for change for decades past that brought you to the presidency, never mind your unorthodox ways. They saw in you the possibility of real change.

Political analysts say that you won because you are seen as a politician who challenged authority; a candidate who articulated what ordinary folks always wanted to blurt out but were too afraid to do so; a public servant who emphasizes actions rather than words; a maverick determined to get the job done no matter what the cost may be. Clarita Carlos, a political analyst at the University of the Philippines, said that you won because you promised change and did not campaign like a traditional politician. She said that you are a “game changer” who “does not care about PR (public relations).” “His blunt, frank style is what we need, not some flowery words. We need results. We are in for some exciting and challenging times,” Carlos added. But most of all, it was your track record in Davao City that served as your advantage during the election.

And now that you are the chosen “one” please, Mr. President, I beg you, don’t let us down.

Historian Michael Beschloss said, “You want Presidents to have sound judgment, modesty, personal self-assurance, an understanding of the constitutional and historical constraints and the potential of the presidency, as well as the ability to decide who can give them the expertise and advice they need. You need to have the confidence that when they are making a decision that you may never hear about, they will be doing so with intelligence, skill and a temperament and set of basic values you feel comfortable with.”

Are you of this kind President Duterte? Today, the Filipinos are all ears waiting for you to discuss your roadmap for the country. You’ve already given us a taste of your leadership in the past weeks: faster processing of government transactions; serious campaign against illegal drugs with hundreds surrendering to the government; resumption of formal peace talks between the Philippine government and the CPP-NPA-NDF (Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National Democratic Front); an end to ‘online gambling’ given in a directive to Philippine Amusement and Gaming Corporation (PAGCOR) chief Andrea Domingo to revoke licenses given to online gaming operators; Executive Order on Freedom of Information that will require government offices under the executive branch to release details of their transactions; a task force versus media killings despite your seemingly love-hate relationship with the media; no VIP treatment for government officials in airports with you saying, “We should treat ourselves just like any other Filipino traveling;” establishing complaints and emergency action centers and hotlines; no more laglag-bala instead those caught with bullets will undergo profiling to clear them of criminal intention and links to any terrorist or criminal groups; the Agrarian Reform office has finally opened its doors to productive dialogues between officials and employees and other stakeholders especially farmers, agricultural workers, and advocates; and many more. Wow!

I know that this is a period of much purging. Our government needs to clean house; public officials need to cleanse themselves; and public services need to return to its core responsibility for the nation. We need to remove all the bad habits; modify our grand illusions and expensive ways; stop making public service an avenue to make money (by imposing unnecessary local government and national permits, licenses, taxes and other fees) and return to the raw intentions and functions of public service.

Today, sans the pomp and glamour of the past SONA of presidents that came before you, in a show of simplicity and humility, you shall make your first report to the Filipino people to show that indeed change has come.

Mabuhay! Mabalos! Dios ti agngina! Ang ginoo ma-anaa kanimo! Viva el presidente! Do your very best Mr. President – for honor, for country and for God!

Oh, aid us with Thy Power! We lift this silent prayer. Oh, the Saviour who has power over distance, might and air, deign to grant us but the power and the will to do and dare. Our faith is marching on! – Maximo V. Soliven