AT LEAST two punch lines from President Rodrigo Duterte hit the headlines last week. One was his order to kill the bishops because they are bastards and useless, and all they do is criticize. Second was his allegation that ninety percent of the priests in the Philippines are homosexuals.
While many still applaud the President for his guts and bravery to stand up against his opponents, what they don’t admit is that he debased Philippine politics to its lowest level. Let’s make it clear: the President’s statements are crass, and I still don’t know how some supporters could manage to justify such an obvious trash talk.
There are many reasons why the President should not be praised for what he said. Let me begin with what for me is most important. While the president has released all fire and fury against the Catholic clergy, he has not said enough about venal politicians who are practically in his backyard.
Just a few days after he belittled the bishops, Bong Revilla was cleared of plunder in a pork barrel scam case. When asked for a statement, Malacanang simply said that it would bow down to the decision of the court. I don’t need to say anything about Duterte’s silence on Imelda Marcos’ case. Some things are too obvious to complicate.
Under the current administration, so much dirt in Philippine politics has been swept under the rag. Corrupt politicians who were in jail for some time are now back. So he who promised to lessen if not wipe out corruption has now been a sitting duck vis-à-vis what we may call “business as usual.”
So this is what we have: a President who is only good in criticizing those who for him are weak and defenseless. The blind supporters and the mindless defenders of the President are very good in creating a straw man. They would continually depict the church as a powerful rival of the state. This was true in the past but such a depiction is no longer accurate today. Those who insist that the church remains to be that powerful and influential are not paying attention to the data. In short, their research is wanting and problematic, assuming they did one.
Like a school brat, the administration chooses to bully only those it can. Actually, this presidency has not protected the Philippines from its real enemies. “You are as formidable as your opponent” – this is a basic principle in the “art of war.” So the kind of people the administration is harassing, loudly speaks as to what it can handle so far: poor drug addicts, crazy bishops, and gay priests. I am wondering why it can never dare say that China is a land grabber.
Secondly, the President’s statements are unfair and lacking in goodwill. For all their faults and failures, still the clergy in general and the bishops in particular deserve a fair fight. If Duterte has specific issues against the Catholic Church, he must do battle against it fair and square. Don’t tie the hands of your opponents if you want a real boxing. If the bishops and priests have contributed problems to this country then point it out. Dirty tactics simply show that one lacks both facts and courage to seriously confront an opponent.
Duterte’s irreverence is not a surprise. What is disgusting however is to listen to a President whose statements are all sound and fury signifying nothing. He said for example that ninety percent of the clergy are gays. But where did he get the data? Truth to tell it could be less or even more than ninety percent. And assuming that they are gays, so what? Aren’t there closet gays among the police and the military?
I would like to repeat what I have said a lot of times: this is not the first clash between church and state. But currently, the church has difficulty proceeding with any possible dialogue because the administration lacks goodwill. Duterte is waging wars not based on principles but irrationality and hatred. The most depressing part is when people continue to clap their hands and laugh at the President’s statements.
Sad to think that of all the possible alternatives we could have done for this country to change, we would end up with the personification of our repressed evils.