This order looks like propaganda

President Rodrigo Duterte ordered the Armed Forces of the Philippines to put and end to the rebellion of the Communist Party of the Philippines and crush the New Peoples’ Army, its armed component. This presidential directive which I heard from social media actually galvanizes our collective national hope. I can say without fear of contradiction that not only those of our countrymen composing the 91% who have given Duterte positive trust rating, the highest ever accorded to any president, agree to the need to terminate the communists in our midst, the rest of the nation also want to see the end of this uprising. After all, Jose Maria Sison and his ilk have, in all these years, wrought incalculable damage to our country and people.

I am not one among the 91% who trust our president. I belong to the 9%. Even then, I wholeheartedly agree with him that it is about time the communists either lay down their arms completely and forever abandon their flawed cause or perish. I entertain the hope that the announced presidential declaration to terminate the rebellion does not fall into the category of a joke that he usually cracks. Many times the president made apparent policies only to be clarified by his trumpeters, like Sec Harry Roque and Sec Salvador Panelo, as jokes. I really hope this is not another presidential jest.

My distrust in the president compels me to lump his latest declaration among his failed commitments. I still remember that he promised to end the illegal drug trade within three months after becoming our president. We are now in the fourth year of his term and it looks like the narcotic business is still there. Duterte also said he would end the oppressive practice of hiring workers on contractual basis but he has not honored his word despite the lapse of two thirds of his term. The president also vowed to end corruption even to the point of putting his presidency at stake should he fail. Sad to say, his vow is worthless.

Let me share with you some fear of the worst order. I am afraid that the president gave this marching order to the army in order to keep his 91% trust rating. In other words, it is plain propaganda. There is no meat to it. I say this because the subject of ending the communist rebellion is undoubtedly most popular. People of all walks of life want to stop the communists from wrecking more havoc to our land. If the popular president sounds this renewed battle cry, he will endear himself even more to the citizenry. That is the objective. Considering his failed promises and pronouncements, however, i surmise that this new presidential directive to slay the commies is but designed to prop up his image.

An army and police, pampered no end by the president, might take Duterte’s order as a chance to prove their loyalty. They might overachieve, without really meaning to go over the bounds. This is my take on the case of the reported CPP consultants Agaton Topacio and Eugenia Magpantay. Both senior citizens and reportedly suffering from physical infirmities, they died at the hands of a raiding police team in a dawn last week. The justification made by Gen Denold Sinas of the assault in a residential subdivision speaks volumes “Wala sa tanda 'yan... Sila ay matagal na sa underground movement, so properly trained din ang mga 'yan. Hindi naman gagawa ang mga pulis natin ng labag sa batas unless their lives are threatened,". If such words are compliant of the president’s directive, anything unworthy of any honor can happen.