FORMER British Prime Minister Winston Churchill said: “No human in history has ever held power that for which he never asked.” The most powerful person in this country is delivering his State of the Nation Address (Sona) today.
Weeks passed and the frequently asked question had something to do with the ratings of President Rodrigo Duterte. In his Sona today he is expected to talk about his accomplishments, achievements and plans. It is then all about his leadership.
Writer William Barkley wrote about history records showing how genuine a leader was Alexander the Great. An anecdote tells us about an incident wherein Alexander the Great refused a helmet full of water to quench his thirst simply because his army could not satisfy the same need. Barkley then deduced that a good leader never demands of his men what he will not bear himself. Duterte as Commander-in-Chief decides and gives the orders. The Philippine National Police and the Armed Forces of the Philippines make it work.
Aside from his achievements, accomplishments and plans, will President Rodrigo Duterte’s second Sona reveal the cost of war in Marawi waged by the government against the Maute rebels? According to Duterte, he decided to place the entire Mindanao under martial law to secure and make the Philippines safe for everybody.
I hope that with regard to the Marawi siege, the President’s Sona will be straightforward and honest in its report, since it has been the observation of many that the government officials were somehow ambiguous with their responses, not to mention the disparity in numbers. How many foreign Islamic extremists were really involved in the initial siege, if there were? Is one Maute brother dead in the encounter?
Exactly how many rebels were involved in the initial battle? Is the military winning the war against terrorism? Floating around information that has not been validated, is tantamount to delivering fake news and does not help in assessing the real situation.
To date, Duterte has appointed several retired generals in his cabinet. There has been so much talk about martial law and its extension. Well, with that number of generals holding key government positions, military rule was forthcoming.
United States General Dwight “Ike” Eisenhower, who was also the 34th President of the United States and promoted atoms for peace at the United Nations General Assembly, was quoted to have said: “If I do God’s work, He will be at my side then I cannot fail.” Can our President say the same?