MY TOURISM staff in Silay City with Mayor Mark Golez is given the opportunity to welcome the two top leaders of the country at Silay airport – President Rodrigo Duterte, and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez, also the secretary-general of the ruling Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas Ng Bayan (PDP-Laban).
The late Senator Miriam Defensor-Santiago is correct when she said that there are no official political parties in the Philippines... only the party of the president. It did happen during the time of Marcos, PGMA and PNoy. Now, everybody wants to be identified with PDP-Laban. A wizard whispered to me, “If something wrong happens to President Digong, Vice President Robredo of the Liberal Party will become president, and the possible chairman of LP in the province is a young councilor (less than 30).
That is possible because the old guards of the LP in Negros Occidental are already in the ship of the administration. Political leaders from different fences are now bed partners and the bed partners appear to be strangers. Bed fellows have no choice but to embrace each other to feel the comfort of the bed. That is fun in politics and more is expected. Let us wait and enjoy.
During the oath-taking ceremony, United Negros Alliance (Unega) and Love Negros members seem to enjoy their new-felt partnership for political convenience with a silent prayer that a miracle will happen… a budget for NIR in 2017. So, help us God! President Digong might ask again, “Where is God during the budget preparation?” That could have been touched during the indoctrination and everyone is expected to understand the content of the oath.
To be with President Digong’s party is to get into the wormhole and follow his thoughts and emotion. One has to master the “Duterte Manifesto.” Do you have a copy of that? Buy a copy and help Davao Children’s Cancer Foundation Inc. – House of Hope. The manifesto contains 10 points (as of now). This was written before his lamentation with the US government, United Nations, and the European Union.
New disciples should understand this… I cannot do this alone. This is our country. We must love our country. By loving your country and my country, we have to enlist ourselves in a war against illegal drugs… killing included. We are Filipinos before anything else. Don’t pretend to be Americans because we will never become Americans. (Try to consider China as an option, if chocolate love and red roses fail.)
We must be a peaceful nation. Don’t speak bad words if you are not president yet. You always complain. Learn how to follow but do not use masking tape. You follow or else, I will kill you. I will really kill you. That is not a threat. If I say it, I will do it. I love my friends and relatives but you can’t ask any favor from me. (That could be the reason why President Digong loves Negros.) Don’t use me as leverage.
I believe in love, yes! (Love Negros?) Don’t f_ck with my team. If you say it, do it. Stand with your words. If you don’t do it, you are dead. Slash it anywhere you like. I don’t care. I will only do my job. I hope that the manifesto is clear to all new members. If you want to have a covenant with President Digong, internalize his manifesto.
President Digong made a commitment, “If I don’t do this, shoot me!” Can our Negros leaders say the same? Before you allow yourselves to be shot, know first the president’s commitment: fight corruption, stop criminality and illegal drugs, reduce poverty, solve hunger, decongest traffic, improve healthcare, manage climate change, beef up employment, strengthen foreign relations, make things right in Mindanao.
Could this be fun? Following President Digong’s commitment is following him while he passes his own hole in his own needle. If every Negros leader can pass the hole of the needle, then… let us all celebrate. Even our armed brothers in the hills will go down to see how a camel passes the hole of the needle. Our leaders are not camels. They will all make it. We love Negros and we want a united Negrosanon. Join the fun. Follow President Digong. Find your hole.