Barrita: Duterte as protector of the nation, people

PRESIDENT Duterte’s threat to declare martial law is based President Rody Duterte once again said on Jan. 14 he would impose martial law if the drug problem became “very virulent.”

Barely a month ago, he dismissed as “nonsense” any suggestion he might do so.

Those who witnessed the dark days of martial law are wary of any talk about declaring another martial law.

Remember he once said he never wanted to become president. They should be more afraid if he’d say he’ll never declare martial law.

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It has been pointed out that the president was addressing a hypothetical situation.

He would declare martial law only if the drug problem becomes “very virulent” to “preserve the nation, protect the Filipino people.”

That’s the problem with a hypothetical situation. As Col. Stonehill said while negotiating with Mattie Ross in the movie, “True Grit” (2010), “I do not entertain hypotheticals. The world itself is vexing enough.”

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President Duterte, once dubbed by Time magazine as “The Punisher,” once blurted he may go down in history as “The Butcher.”

He probably now sees himself as the protector of the Filipino nation and the Filipino people.

Isn’t it comforting that in our abandon, when we come close to falling off the brink, President Duterte will be there to save us, much like J. D. Salinger’s “catcher in the rye”?

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President Rody said no one can stop him from declaring martial law if he wanted to, not even the Supreme Court and Congress.

“My country transcends everything else, even the limitations,” he said.

Opposition lawmakers said a virulent drug problem will never justify the declaration of martial law.

But will the drug problem ever become virulent when the police said they are winning the war against drugs?

Look at police statistics. More than 6,000 drug suspects have been killed in the antidrug campaign. Over one million drug pushers and users have been arrested or have surrendered to authorities.

Let’s hope there’s a better way of saving the Philippines and us Filipinos.

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