The Duterte Doctrine

By Ermin Garcia Jr.

 

THIS early, President-elect Rody Duterte already gave mayors, police chiefs and barangay kapitans the ‘heads-up’ on what he wants them to be accountable for, or ship out! And in extreme cases, he warns that they could be killed if found involved in illegal drug trade and resist arrest.

How’s that for the start of a real change, doing it the Duterte way?

For the first time since, we finally have a President that talks turkey, and none of the usual trite motherhood statements that we have been fed and little else by our past national leaders. (The only exception was President FVR who by being a micro-manager to a fault in some instances ensured that results were immediately delivered to the people).

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SHOPPING LIST. The immediate concerns of PRRD (President Rodrigo R. Duterte to you) are gut issues that have made inclusive growth for the poor difficult to achieve, namely, criminality, illegal drug trade, corruption in all levels and inept government service that everyone is familiar with. More importantly, these are the issues actionable at the lowest level of governance and bureaucracy.

At the risk of being redundant, below is Mr. Duterte’s ‘wish list’ that shows unmistakably clear where accountabilities in the local level lie (going by Duterte’s doctrine in governance):

1. Making barangays, towns/cities /province drug-free by arresting all drug personalities in the communities.
2. Eliminating corruption in all levels, particularly, transactions of Bids and Awards Committees, special privileges for government service, etc.
3. Prohibition of drinking liquor in public (roadside, fronting sari-sari stores, near schools and churches and government offices).
4. Enforcement of restrictions in operations of nightclubs and karaoke bars.
5. Enforcement of ordinances on curfew of minors and making parents and guardians accountable.
6. Cutting of red tapes in government offices requiring approval of applications and requests for government action, etc.
7. Strict enforcement of traffic rules.
8. Requiring government employees to extend utmost courtesy to public.

For all intents and purposes, all the above could have very well been the campaign promises of all the newly elected public servants. (Note: PRRD requires all elected officials and employees to imbibe the title “public servant” to describe themselves, not as a government official or employee).

So the newly elected public servants who doubt that Mr. Duterte can deliver on his campaign promise to drastically reduce crime rate and improve lives in communities, better decide for themselves whether they want to be part of the solution and changes or be part of the problem and be set aside as serious liabilities!

That’s for our local public servants to digest.

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PASAWAY AND POLITICAL WILL. Still going by Duterte’s doctrine, we are asked to look at ourselves whether we want to be part of the solution as well or suffer the consequences of being the incorrigible pasaway!

There is only one way to look at it. As PRRD correctly pointed out during the campaign, our basic problem as a people and as a nation is that enforcement of and compliance with the law has always been deemed optional. We forget that our laws and ordinances have prescribed penalties, from fines to imprisonment because we have embraced the culture of palakasan as a way of life. Indeed, there is the sense of futility in enforcing an ordinance when we have public servants who decide who are exempt from the coverage of the law, and who are not.

Take the case of Ordinance N0. 1771-2003 in Dagupan City – “An ordinance imposing upon parents, guardians and overseer/managers of student lodging homes, to require minors below 18 years and under their ward residing in the barangays, to stay under their care in their respective homes or lodging houses, between the hours of 10:00 p.m. to 4:00 a.m. of the following day, prescribing fines and penalties therefor, and other purposes.”

Authored by then and still Councilor Jose Netu Tamayo, this is one typical ordinance that has all the best of intention but was never enforced. No one had the political will to enforce it.

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ENDLESS WARNINGS AGAIN? Now, let’s see how Mayor Belen Fernandez and the kapitans will enforce this ordinance that places the burden and responsibility on the parents, guardians and owners of boarding houses. Will the penalties be imposed strictly regardless of status of parents and businessmen in the city? Or will we see another case of endless warnings to the negligent parents, guardians etc.?

I certainly hope the enforcement of the curfew ordinance will not meet the same fate as the enforcement of the ordinance banning illegal fish pens where endless grace periods were granted to unscrupulous and opportunistic operators of the illegal fish pens.

If the Fernandez administration fails in this effort, I don’t see how the rest of the shopping list of PRRD can be accomplished as well!

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WHERE IS GUV POGI? While the nation is all agog over the anticipated takeover of the Duterte administration, nothing is heard of and from incoming-Guv Pogi Espino.

Many are beginning to wonder if he has a new vision for Pangasinan in addition to what his father, Guv Spines has initiated. Or will it be just a continuation of his father’s reign literally, meaning Guv Spines giving the vision?

And what are Guv Pogi’s thoughts given the plans that incoming-President Duterte has in mind for implementation by local government units? Will he finally go hammer and tongs against barangay kapitans known to be protecting and coddling drug (and illegal gambling) syndicates?

This question has to be asked of him because he was never seen nor heard to have led the Federation of Liga ng mga Barangay in a no-nonsense campaign against illegal drugs while his father, Guv Spines was at it. Now as governor, he finally has to take the lead and compel the barangay kapitans to cooperate with his administration and the police!

Guv Pogi got the mandate that he wished for, now his constituents are hoping they’ll get an even better deal from him.

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MAGIC VS. CSI. Expect political fireworks to usher in the next term of the 2016 administration in Dagupan City.

Vice Mayor Brian Lim reportedly replied last week to Mayor Belen Fernandez’s request for a special session. He effectively told her off! He said not to request ever for a special session to approve the proposed Comprehensive Land Use Plan unless she complies with one requirement – to list names of persons to be affected negatively and those who stand to benefit from the plan.

What he’s implying in his two-paged letter is that the CLUP has been developed to benefit the CSI principally (and nothing for Magic)! Tsk-tsk. And get this – he had the temerity to tell the mayor not even to bother to call for a special session.

It appears the stage has been set for a confrontation to lead to 2019 election!

(For your comments and reactions, please email to: punch.sunday@gmail.com)

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