DUTERTE has a way with words. He says one thing and it gets interpreted and misinterpreted. How the debates, defense and divisiveness fly all over.
So in his first 12 months in the presidency, there are many words that comes from his mouth.
Here is an effort to parse it down into 12.
Kill. Perhaps his most favorite word. Everyday his speech is about killing criminals, addicts, pushers, and now Maute. If only words could kill, Pasig River is not enough to contain a sea of red.
Drugs. Since day one, everything is centered on this vice. From terrorists to corrupt politicians, this is the root of evil in the country. Mygad, I hate drugs. Kaya word number 1 is the solution.
Martial law. It's two words, but it means one thing, and that one thing is the cause of our divisiveness. Will it bring peace, will it solve terror? One this is clear, by trying to kill a microbe surgically, a limb is amputated and a body is hemorrhaging.
Mining. Gina Lopez could have been the change that Duterte means with the closure of mines that plundered the land. But in the end, she got closed out. Change has stopped.
Endo. He'll end it or not? Workers complain that endo is still around. It's still a class war going on.
Oligarch. He said he'll end it. Luisita and Lapanday, the symbols of land monopoly are broken down for agrarian beneficiaries. But the threats remain, and plantations are growing elsewhere. There are more lands to break free.
Ceasefire. I could have chosen peace talks. But ceasefire has been the operant word that seems to be the stumbling block to discuss fully the agenda of peace and economic reforms with the Reds.
Independence. Short for independent foreign policy. Yes, we cheered Digong for giving Obama a history lesson of US atrocities. But wait, why is he talking friendly with Trump now? And what's this US troops and drones in Marawi? We have yet to define what he means by independence.
Coup. With about six generals in the Cabinet, the latest being General Año, Digong told them "Kompleto na ang coup ninyo." A month later, Marawi and Martial Law happened.
Human Rights. Another two-word thing that is constantly whipped by Duterte and his diehard supporters as a useless piece of propaganda, distorting this essence of democracy that is swallowed up by fiery rhetoric.
Marcos. How Duterte woke the dead, stirred a debate between history and revisionism, and sparked cellphone lights in lieu of torches in the rallies of Martial Law survivors and millennials that say never forget and never again.
Pagod. Duterte keeps saying he is tired. Tired of state visits, tired of going to the battlefields and fallen soldiers. It seems the public is tired too of his wars with no end.
It's a year of words and word wars. But are we near that one word he promised, which is "change." There's still five years coming. Hope some of these words may not be repeated.
