We are at war

“I will not allow the ruin of the youth, the disintegration of families and the retrogression of communities, forced by criminals whose greed for money is as insatiable as it is devoid of moral purpose. Neither will I be immobilized into inaction by the fear that I will commit an act that will expose me to public condemnation or legal prosecution. You harm the children in whose hands the future of this Republic is entrusted, and I will hound you to the very gates of hell.” – President Rodrigo Duterte

One of the things we love about President Duterte is his innate nature to protect his country and his people; we have been witness to this especially in his decision to declare Martial Law to protect the people of Mindanao and his continuous war with drug lords to build a better future for Filipinos. A Philippines without crime, violence, and illegal drugs; I believe this is the vision of the President. Now, imagine, wouldn’t that be a better future for our children? And if you are in the position of the President who stands as the father of this nation, wouldn’t you do everything you can to protect your people and achieve a much better future?

Last Sunday, Ozamiz City Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog was one of the casualties in a raid conducted by Region 10 Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) in cooperation with Misamis Occidental Police Provincial Office and Ozamiz City Police Station. The group of Mayor Parojinog reportedly exchanged gunfire with the police that caused the death of 15 individual including the mayor himself and his wife. Last year, President Rodrigo Duterte revealed that Mayor Reynaldo Parojinog and his daughter Vice Mayor Nova Parojinog – who was also arrested in a raid in her house – was part of his list of narcopoliticians. However, instead of changing their ways and giving up their illegal activities, it seems that their greed got the better of them; and maybe the power that they hold also created the illusion that they’re above the law. However, knowing President Duterte, no amount of power could hide you or save you from a man who is the father of our nation; a man who promises to protect the people, especially the youth, from the destructive effects of illegal drugs. No number of securities or private army will protect you from retribution for all the lives you helped destroy by dealing illegal drugs. All the drug lords and narcopoliticians must understand by now that President Duterte is not joking in this fight against illegal drugs. All narcopoliticians, drug lords, dealers, and addicts must also take in by heart what the President said in his State of the Nation Address (SONA):

“Despite international and local pressures, the fight will not stop until those who deal in it understand that they have to cease, they have to stop because the alternatives are either jail or hell.”

Now, as a law-abiding citizen, our duty is to support the fight against the illegal drugs and the criminals who dabble in it. As much as it is the duty of the President, it is also our duty to protect our loved ones and our country against the proliferation of illegal drugs. Everyone must also understand that we are at war not because we want blood on our streets, nor do we take pleasure on the deaths related to drugs; we are at war because we must save and protect our beloved homeland; we are at war because we must continue to fight for the young Filipinos who will lead the next generations.