EDITORIAL - Promised but not delivered

Members of the Duterte Cabinet recently concluded what they called a “Duterte Legacy Summit” at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City.

The apparent aim of the two-day event was to showcase the administration’s achievements and accomplishments that changed the lives of Filipinos.

The summit touted achievements including the Universal Health Care Law and Malasakit Center, Universal Access to Quality Tertiary Education, and the Bangsamoro Organic Law, among others.

“This summit will also serve as a culminating activity of our Duterte Legacy campaign that promotes the landmark programs and achievements of the Duterte administration in all sectors of the community,” said Presidential Communications Operations Office secretary and acting presidential spokesman Martin Andanar.

This legacy summit is the first of its kind. No other administration before this one has done this before; tout its achievements even as it was still office. Perhaps because no other administration needed to do so.

Now there is really nothing wrong with boasting of what you have achieved. But if an administration sees the need to remind people of what it has done, it betrays a sense of insecurity and the need to be perceived that it was somehow important.

Then there are those among us who cannot help but think of this activity as not just a waste of taxpayers’ money but also a smokescreen.

It’s as if this administration wants people to remember what was done and draw attention away from what was not, or specifically what was promised heavily during the campaign period but not achieved.

In case some people have forgotten this was the elimination of the drug problem, the establishment of federalism, the ending of contractualization, and the defense of our national sovereignty against China, cleverly couched as the act of riding a jet ski to plant our flag on a contested island.

Federalism is still a dream, the foundations of which have not even been laid yet. Contractualization still exists, and we appear to be more subservient to China now than ever, thanks to the policies of this administration.

Then there is the drug problem, still raging strong even as this administration is about to end. Of all promises made, it was this promise that most likely won President Duterte the 2016 election.

You can boast all you want of what was done, but people have a tendency to remember what was promised but not delivered.