The good and bad things in the Duterte government
There are no perfect presidents and no perfect presidential administrations. There are always some areas for criticisms and concerns.
Even the so-called most beloved president Magsaysay had been accused of being a puppet of the Americans. Aguinaldo was accused of ordering the liquidation of the Katipunan Supremo, Gat Andres Bonifacio, driven supposedly by political intrigues and jealousy. Quezon was criticized as a hot-heated, cursing womanizer who never gave his vice president enough chance to shine. Osmeña Sr. was disparaged for his subservience to Quezon, even as he was more brainy and more honest. Roxas was accused of being the first political butterfly who founded the LP when he was defeated by Don Sergio in a clean and honest NP convention.
Quirino's administration was the first that became notorious for corruptions. Magsaysay was known to be an “Amboy” or a US puppet. Garcia, the Visayan poet from Bohol, was criticized for his provinciano naivete and lack of sophistication. Macapagal's administration was known for the sudden rise of the prices of rice and other commodities, and he was again called too liberal to the US. Marcos is perhaps the most maligned although the most brilliant among the Philippine presidents. Corazon Aquino was the most unprepared among them all, and she was manipulated by the rascals and scoundrels around her. Fidel V. Ramos was the truly most pro-American president who sold the Fort Bonifacio, the Villamor Airbase and privatized the Clark and the Subic bases. Erap ? Never mind Erap. GMA's ten-year governance was the most controversial and graft-ridden after Marcos. PNoy is the most pretentious, inept, and coward president whom the soldiers hated and the police abhorred. He was famous for finger-pointing and never accepting command responsibility for many debacles.
President Duterte is the most beloved by the Armed Forces and the police officers and men. What I admire in him is his hands-on care for the military and the police, the veterans, the retirees and the lowest civil servants. I also applaud him for his care for and concern with the environment. I also approve of the president's war on drugs. This is war and some people are bound to die.
I also like Duterte's decisive firing of corrupt and incompetent officials. I applaud him for standing up to the big bullies, like the US, the UN, the so-called human rights advocates who only think of the criminals' welfare but are recklessly unmindful of the thousands of victims of addicts who murder, rape and destroy peoples' lives and properties like crazy. President Duterte ordered that passports shall be valid for ten years and drivers' licenses for five years. He ordered free college education and free water for irrigation. He embarks on ''build, build, build'' and warned those who make money out of water and electricity and telecom that their monopoly days are numbered.
But what I do not like in his government is too much DOLE inspections and government interference in management of private business is driving investors away and ''killing'' jobs. I do not like when the president badmouths the bishops and the priests. I hate it when our head of state curses and utters expletives and says bad words in public. Apart from all these, I still support President Duterte because the bad things that he does are too small compared to all the draconian and strategic initiatives which are all good for the people and for the nation.
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