HE CERTAINLY is no Nostradamus, the astrologer, physician and reputed seer, who is best known for his book Les Propheties, a collection of 942 poetic quatrains allegedly predicting future events. The book was first published in 1555 and has rarely been out of print since his death.
“Itong Katoliko na ito will disappear. In almost 25 years wala na ‘yan,” predicted Rodrigo Duterte at the first National Assembly of the Liga ng mga Barangay sa Pilipinas.
Can we believe his words and timeline?
“I’ll behave when I’m President.” He did behave—for the worse.
Two years later, Duterte rarely gives a speech without several curse words. He is more known with his “P_ng ina.”
Then there’s his promise, “let’s begin to forget and start healing. I would like to reach the hands of my opponents. Let us be friends. Forget about the travails of elections.” Think Senator Leila de Lima, Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno. That’s healing—sending a senator to prison and stay there for two years, beyond the timeline set of the continuous trial policy of the Supreme Court.
Spare no one in the drug war. “If I fail in three months, I better leave the country or I will step down and give the presidency to Bongbong,” Duterte said in February 2016. It has been nearly three years, and none of his predictions happened.
If anything, Duterte admitted two years ago that he underestimated the gravity of the drug problem, as he only benchmarked his approach to that of Davao. “Tama ‘yan silang mga kritiko ko. ‘Eh sabi mo, nung nag-Presidente ka, three to six months.’”
And yes, Leni Robredo remains Vice President of the Republic.
Then there’s Gwen Garcia who faced graft charges before the Sandiganbayan and the Office of the Ombudsman. The Ombudsman ordered her dismissal from service in February 2018.
Despite the Ombudsman decision, we get this from his recent statement.
“But diri sa Cebu initially wa jud, but of course, pag abot sa critical hours, ang mga Garcia, ni supportar nako.” (Here in Cebu, there was initially [no supporters], but when the critical hours came, the Garcias supported me.)
Oh, there are so many predictions. One thing, for sure. His timeline on the demise of the Catholic Church is very much exaggerated.
(bqsanc@yahoomail.com)