WE NOW understand why President Rodrigo Duterte and his Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez rejected the multi-million dollar aid from the European nations. These grants, by the mandate of the donor countries, were sent direct to NGOs for alleged humanitarian reasons. Obviously Duterte and Dominguez absorbed lessons from the experience of Sri Lanka. By rejecting the offer the government must have crippled the enemies. Sri Lanka effectively addressed its protracted conflicts with the insurgents and separatist forces by shutting off the spigots of foreign aid.
The Duterte government is starting the first chapter of his regime. He started off with radical surgical procedures to remove what he thought was a benign drug tumor but this turned out to be malignant. He curbed corruption by expelling the insatiable hungry detergents in the government bureaucracy including those of his own. He appointed nominees of the leftist organizations in the hope that their participation in governance will bring closure to insurgency and endless bickering.
Duterte wants change but sadly there are elements who desire the status quo afraid they become irrelevant in an environment that shuns shenanigans and warped ideologies. As he prepares for his 2nd State of the Nation Address, his detractors are also preparing to sow disorder and dissent.
Duterte has waged and is still fighting drug syndicates that refuse to give up on the trade. On the Marawi siege, he sought forgiveness from the Moro people for the wreck and the horrors that the military and police operations had inflicted in the process of ferreting out and neutralizing Mautes ISIS and their foreign confederates whose agenda is to establish a caliphate in the Islamic city. Duterte wants to eliminate the last of the vestiges of ISIS and promises to rebuild Marawi back to its glory and more.
What is absurd however is that while President Duterte is fighting his war against drugs, corruption and terrorism the leaders of the Communist Party of the Philippines issued an order to its military arm, the New People's Army, to intensify its attack on government forces. The order effectively withdrew the CPP/NPA/NDF from the ceasefire covenant from unsuspecting Duterte, OPPAP Secretary Jesus Dureza and Chief Peace negotiator Secretary Silvestre Bello III. What happened evoked the Tamils commitment to treaties.
In the meantime, the political opposition had locked arms with the leftist organization to denounce Duterte’s declaration of Martial Law and the war he launched against the terrorist elements. It is clear that the cabal wants to weaken the leadership they threw away patriotism, decency and principles to bring their common enemy – Digong – to his knees and submission. That is too farfetched. It is a drooling fool’s dream.
Really, if Duterte is looking for enemies aside from the Maute ISIS he need not look far. Some are lurking just around him disguised as rebels and legitimate opposition, while others had armed themselves during the hiatus of a farcical peace accord.
