‘Slaying the father’

I remember the late Raul Mang-lapus best for what he once said. I was just out of school and looked to a happy domestic life – wife, mother and all that I was not interested in politics or politicians.

I was not prepared for the shocking Manglapus statement “we need to slay the father.” What did he mean? He meant that we should not only separate from America as our colonizer but slay it as we would a “father “in the tradition of the myth from the Greek legends. Then only could we be free. It took more than a hundred years to fulfill with Duterte as our new leader in precarious times.

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The myth comes from a Greek legend that has become themes of books through the ages. To me “slaying the father’ means getting rid of the past” if that past is domineering.

 “It is about the king of Thebes who unwittingly killed his father and married his mother. Homer related that Oedipus’s wife and mother hanged herself when the truth of their relationship became known, though Oedipus apparently continued to rule at Thebes until his death.

King Polybus of Corinth and his wife brought him up as their son. In early manhood Oedipus visited Delphi and upon learning that he was fated to kill his father and marry his mother.

Traveling toward Thebes, he encountered Laius, who provoked a quarrel in which Oedipus killed him. Continuing on his way, Oedipus found Thebes plagued by the Sphinx, who put a riddle to all passersby and destroyed those who could not answer. Oedipus solved the riddle, and the Sphinx killed herself. In reward, he received the throne of Thebes and the hand of the widowed queen, his mother, Jocasta. Later, when the truth became known, Jocasta committed suicide, and Oedipus (according to another version), after blinding himself, went into exile. Oedipus died at Colonus near Athens, where he was swallowed into the earth and became a guardian hero of the land.

Oedipus the theme was transmitted to a long succession of playwrights, including Pierre Corneille, John Dryden, and Voltaire. It had a special attraction in the 20th century, motivating among other artists Russian-born composer Igor Stravinsky’s secular oratorio Oedipus Rex, French writer André Gide’s Oedipe, and French novelist Jean Cocteau’s La Machine infernale. Austrian psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud chose the term Oedipus complex to designate a son’s feeling of love toward his mother and of jealousy and hate toward his father.

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Social media has compared the Duterte and Trump election victories as so similar to be uncanny. Their personalities are the same, cussing and generally out of the political mainstream. There is even a story that Trump had said he wants to be like Duterte.

Netizen Joseph Quino shared a list of what Duterte has achieved in his first 100 days as President of the Philippines. I have shortened the list to fit the space I am given for my column.

• The most important to me is the indefinite ceasefire between the MNLF, MILF, CPP NDF and the government (held in Norway).

• The centralized action and complaint hotlines – 911 and 8888

• The one stop shop for OFWs in the POEA which is way better than before

• The opening of the DAR gates which were closed for 18 years

• The distribution of the long overdue – Hacienda Luisita to the farmers

• The distribution of agricultural equipment that were purchased by the previous government but were not distributed for some political reasons

• The services in the government agencies are much faster and employees have started to treat the people with some respect and even with a smile. The transactions are much better these days.

• The irrigation projects for the farmers have already started nationwide.

• The removal of processing fee on travel tax exemption

• The much empowered servicemen who are now willing to serve the country with pride and higher self esteem

• The removal of the fishing pens in Laguna Lake to give other small fishermen a fair chance to use it for their livelihood

• The new buses from the airport to many major hubs in nearby cities

• The immediate signing of the Freedom of Information.

• The exposes against local executives, police generals, judges and other top officials in government

• The employment increase and unemployment decrease

• The exposes against oligarchs who have been evading to pay taxes.

•The bilateral talks with China over the West Philippine Sea dispute.

The cooperation and openness of fenced subdivisions for elite Oplan TokHang as they show support to the war on drugs campaign. The billions worth of drugs seized in the operation. The closure of so many drug labs all over the country, including the floating shabu laboratories operated by Chinese drug lords

Donald Trump won the presidency in a historic upset, and with Republican majorities in Congress. It is expected that his agenda will be passed.

Like Duterte Trump also campaigned with fiery rhetoric on immigration, national security and global trade, among other things. Like Duterte, he’s repeatedly promised to deliver, outlining specifics for his first 100 days.

“On Nov. 8, Americans will be voting for this 100-day plan to restore prosperity to our country, secure our communities and honesty to our government,” Trump said in an October speech in Gettysburg, Pa. “This is my pledge to you. And if we follow these steps, we will once more have a government of, by and for the people. And importantly, we will make America great again. Believe me.”

Trump also placed great emphasis on the influx of illegal Mexicans vowed during his campaign to “build a great, great wall on our southern border” and “have Mexico pay for that wall.”