Aguilar: Dutertardism

A LOT of Duterte's calls don't sit quite well with people who see how he flip flops on major issues. I mean any person who has a critical mind cannot miss the glaring inconsistencies of his take on crucial things.

For instance, there was his battlecry of ending contractualization to make sure that employees enjoy the full benefit of tenure only to veto the bill when it was already on his table. There was also this desire to claim the islands in the West Philippine Sea with the promise that he will ride on a speedboat and plant our flag there himself only to retract everything.

Recently, we have seen the effect of his decision to liberalize rice importation to the detriment of our own local farmers. There was also this Dengvaxia issue turned into political war but when the necessity of the medicine was established due to dengue epidemic, he changed his tone on the matter. It is also quite interesting on who he is establishing allies with in forging a stronger hold of political power. We see the comeback of Gloria Arroyo and the Marcoses on his side.

The list of inconsistencies from minor calls to major decisions can go on and on, and yet the trust and confidence of the greater majority to Duterte are unwavering, hitting a record high no other presidents before him ever achieved. The support is not much of reason but of sentiment. The diehard majority are the very people themselves who find ways to justify all the seeming inconsistencies of the administration. One cannot help but ask why?

If we dig in deep we see the answer. You see, Duterte represents our winning chance against the corrupt elite who ruled this country with all finesse and all propriety backed by the highest ideals of law and order yet for years and years the poor never really stand a chance in the three branches of the government. In legislation, there was hardly genuine law crafted to promote the welfare of the majority, in judiciary the rich can always buy their way out of legal battles and prison, and in the executive department, the programs of the different departments have always been colored by corruption and strong favor for the capitalists.

While Duterte flip flops and make a joke out of what were established in the system for years with little respect for formality, the anger of the corrupt elites have grown worse but the greater majority is in jubilation simply because for the first time someone finally had the balls to touch the untouchables.

Come to think of it, the war was waged right from the start. These corrupt elites have connived to make sure Duterte will not stand a chance at winning. A certain TV station did not air his paid ads giving due advantage to the other party and even allowed the rival to air a black propaganda against him. So how can we expect Duterte to be cordial and prim in their faces after his winning?

The greatest injustices were and are committed by these corrupt elites on a daily basis.

To the dutertards, this is a war, it has always been. Because the enemies are not really China or the US. The true enemies are the corrupt elites who made the majority poor all these years by depriving real access to law, justice, and social services. The corrupt elites are good in paper, they graduated from elite universities after all, but on the ground the majority is left starving and bullied.

I don't even blame if Duterte labels the church as one of the enemies, because come to think of it, some of the church orders (not all) are the most landed groups holding stocks at big corporations yet even them could not genuinely provide service to their faithful. I dare them, if they can distribute their lands to the poor, no one will surely be homeless in their communities. Hoarding resources such as land while their flock of followers are homeless and hungry is outright hypocrisy. Only Duterte was able to point that out.

So for as long as Duterte rules this country, I think no poor decision he will ever commit can persuade a true dutertard to jump ship. A dutertard will hold on to his champion.

The only danger is, when all things settle and power sinks in, he will also become one of these elites. That will be the biggest twist.