There are countless posts on various social
media websites regarding negative issues concerning Rodrigo Duterte. He is
criticized as biased when he selects members of his cabinet. He is suspected of
being a puppet of the communists. He is
scorned because of his unreserved and indiscreet manners which he outwardly
flaunts in public; et cetera, et cetera, et cetera. Much emphasis is placed on
what the public consider as contemptuous or questionable with regards to his
person and actions.
Supporters of Mar Roxas, Grace Poe, Jejomar
Binay, or Mariam Defensor Santiago air their protests and disfavor concerning
the Davao City mayor-turned president elect of the Philippines. They ingest the
ideals and visions of their individually favored candidates; compare these to
Rodrigo Duterte’s; and condemn the latter based on their biased opinions. If
the die-hard supporters of Rodrigo Duterte obstinately defend their designated
‘messiah’; his detractors must realize their own fault as well. And that is the
fact that they were too centered on themselves, and forgot who the ‘real enemy’
is. The question is: do they realize this now?
I came across a post on Facebook which
claims Duterte gained sixteen thousand votes which allowed him a huge margin,
and eventually, the victory over his other rivals; and that there existed a
majority of votes-against him-which totalled to twenty-five million. Whether or
not the post was based on a reliable source; there is the reality that the
collective votes for Roxas, Poe, Santiago and Binay would have considerably
hindered Duterte from acquiring the presidency. Unfortunately every party
leader, AND THEIR FOLLOWERS, wanted their faction to turn out triumphant. Everyone
was against Duterte AND the candidates of other parties.
There was an incident when Mar Roxas
proposed some form of ‘alliance’ with Grace Poe; but the latter refused;
perhaps due to misgvings or self-interest (?) And then there was the irony of
Miriam Defensor-Santiago stating that Rodrigo Duterte was ‘dangerous’; while
her running mate for the vice-presidential slot-Ferdinand ‘BongBong’
Marcos-happened to be a personal friend of the man she was defaming. Jejomar
Binay, by his own marred reputation, could not (would not?) acquire the trust
of his fellow candidates against the rising Davao mayor. None of them cared to
do so, anyway. And then at present, supporters of individual party candidates
air their censures against Rodrigo Duterte without realizing that they
overlooked the potential opportunity to have defeated him.
These people cannot afford to point fingers
like students in a class who incurred the wrath of their teacher. Not every
student in is accountable for the overall punishment inflicted on every one of
them. But those under the individual political parties of Roxas, Poe, Binay,
and Defensor-Santiago who are harrowed by Duterte’s apparently omnipotent
stature are all guilty of this, and can only (if they want to/if they will) bow
their heads; beg the Lord’s forgiveness; and say “Save us from the fires of
hell”.
The same may condemn non-voters for their
‘indifference’ or lack of patriotism. Unarguably, those votes would have had
some potential to change the outcome. However, there is also the possibility
that non-voters may have picked Duterte; or spread their votes among the four
parties as well. So, there is not much difference.
From historical accounts, I have seen
divided people-tribes, gangs, social groups, et al.-stand together for one
cause and eventually fall divided because of their self-interests. In the
situation of the Filipinos; they did not have one figure to convince them of a
common threat. That was why they stood divided; and fell divided.
