Let’s join forces, good fellows!

Hell hath no fury like Duterte scorned. His is like what the phony Code of Kalantiaw, said to be the country’s oldest record of law, ruled. This year, we hark back to the times of Duterte administration’s abuses, incredible laws and punishments for the last five years, alike Kalantiaw code of yore.

Imagine Duterte executing 100,000 drug-criminals himself and dumping their bodies in Manila Bay as fish food, his 2016-campaign tip-off;

Remember Duterte tossing off to policemen: “Do not bulls**t with me but do your duty and if in the process, you will kill 1,000 persons…I will protect you;”

Recall Duterte digging up dirt and gossiping on Sen. Leila de Lima – his drug-war first-big collateral victim – to derail de Lima’s Senate inquiry on Rodrigo Duterte’s EJKs as then-mayor of Davao. “De Lima you are finished!” he went on, and put her in jail for over three years, in spite of the court’s insufficiency to warrant de Lima’s drug-trade complicity;

Hear Duterte earlier on, admitting his direct link to the Davao death squad live on TV talk-show: “Am I the death squad? True. That’s true.” Another official Duterte’s transcript from the Presidential Communications Operations Office, reads: “My only sin is the extrajudicial killings.” All the above disregard human life, dignity, justice and due process.

Listen to Duterte cursing laced with profanities – God, pope, former US-president Obama, UN Secretary General, European Union, women, critics – all by himself showing off a rowdy, godless bigot.

(Letting the young learn from Duterte’s show-and-tell ways and act out his mindset is quite dreading).

Watch Duterte warming up relations with China and Russia, pulling against USA and other Western powers highly-critical of his war on drugs – as his lofty-perched sovereign superiority game which may end up with Philippine foreign-relations’ isolation and perdition.

Duterte is clearly turning our country into a topsy-turvy rule – defined by culture of violence,lawlessness, extrajudicial killings, human rights abuses; people’s crisis of confidence over the Executive control of the Supreme Court, Senate, Congress, Comelec and LGUs; violation of the Constitution and democratic system, suppression of freedom of speech, press and assembly, historical-revisionism; political patronage, militarization, politicking, vote-buying and tampering; jarring mass poverty, widespread corruption, unaccomplished benefits for teachers and the poor, inferior health programs, sick and dying economy; consolidation of the military and the police to further political influence and criminal impunity; complaisant subservience to China; and betrayal of the country and people with divisive incompetent-autocratic leadership overall.

They must not describe the next presidency. We have a chance at real change. Let’s not elect/re-elect the self-advancing-wreckers of the nation’s hard-earned democratic institutions – those mutilators of our political-social-moral-economic fabric!

Miriam Defensor-Santiago required then, that academic, professional and moral excellence are needed fundamentally to be president, while many critic-columnists today suggest:

“A Leni presidency: Fulfilling the EDSA dream” (Richard Heydarian); “Robredo – the new Joan of Arc of the Philippines” (Sara Soliven-de Guzman); “Servant leader: Leni Robredo” (Danton Remoto)

“Why not Leni as president? She has fortitude amid relentless persecution, deprivation of resources and attacks to her person…impeccable work ethic and old-fashioned hard work…above all, simplicity and clean records as far as corruption is concerned.” (Andrew J. Masigan)

“Vice President Robredo’s comprehensive, incisive report as co-chair of ICAD proves beyond the shadow of doubt that her deliberate, impartial, analytical, evidenced-based approach to problems qualifies her as a presidential material.” (Solita Collas-Monsod)

“The mettle of Vice President Robredo is manifest. She is courageous and ready to take on the task of a president despite the limitations and constraints. She’s a presidential timber. This is the time for all the Filipino people of whatever persuasion to rally behind this brave and inspiring lady. There is no other choice. She gives us hope.” (Mel Sta. Maria)

“Are you ready for me?” Vice President Leni Robredo asks.

We, the 1,000 plus-members, the families and friends of Mga Apo’ Ni Tomas are ready for Leni’s presidency! Let’s join forces, good fellows! – Pit M. Maliksi, [email protected]