THE fury and passion exhibited by President Rodrigo Duterte in the war against illegal drugs could be used as well in the new battleground, the economy.
The need to maintain, even grow, the economy is becoming as urgent and imperative as fighting the drug menace.
What energy Duterte had exerted should now be directed at addressing concerns of investors, business, industry and credit-rating agencies.
The war against drugs has had an immediate impact in the number of surrenders, arrests, and in the deaths of suspects. There are people who said they feel safer now than before Duterte came to power three months ago, while others express fears the killing of drug suspects and the disregard of treaties would continue.
In almost every speech of Duterte, he emphasized the need to combat the spread of illegal drugs as a threat to the coming generations of Filipinos. He used colorful, at times controversial, words to dramatize this point.
But the next battleground for our President is the economy, with the recent downward movement of the peso and the uncertainty at the stock exchange.
The price of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) was the first to move after the exchange rate of the Philippine peso against the United States dollar reached P1:US$48.50 last Friday. When the price of this basic fuel used in households and public transportation moves, you may expect other expense items to go up.
The household budget would increase and prices of basic commodities that use this fuel as a vital production ingredient would climb as well. When production costs rise, jobs would be at risk as employers eye the letting go of personnel as a way to be sustainable in the face of rising expenses.
There are internal and external reasons for the current instabilities in the economy and these are best addressed with focus, openness to criticism, and the ability to communicate the country’s position clearly, without possibility of being misunderstood. What he is using to battle drugs he can employ to tackle uncertainties in the economy.
People are asking what is in store for them in the coming months in terms of jobs security and stability in the prices of fuel and basic commodities. Promise of action on the economy would be reassuring.
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My late father Amado F. Cabaero Sr., before he died on Dec. 8, 2015, said his choice to be the next President of the country was Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago. It was months before the May 2016 elections and Santiago was an early contender for the top post. My father let it known through a letter-to-the-editor to Sun.Star and a national newspaper that Santiago was the leader the country needed in these trying times of territorial disputes with China.
He said that, in the event of a shooting war involving the Philippines, it would be best if Santiago were in command.
With Santiago’s passing last September 29, they both must be having an interesting conversation about it in the afterlife.
(ninicab@sunstar.com.ph)