HOW would you describe the Duterte presidency in its first 100 days?
Perhaps we have read every analyst and news coverage now. Duterte is dissected on his profanity-laden remarks against the United States, the United Nations, and the European Union; or pilloried for his war on drugs spiraling out of control with a rising body count.
But knowing Duterte since his tenure as mayor in Davao, he is beyond his loud mouth and he is one leader that seeks solutions. I would like to look at the first 100 days and see a marked difference than his predecessor who has done nothing much than Noynoying and more on blabbering. So here are ten things remarkable and not fully covered by the media about Duterte’s accomplishments in 100 days.
1 – During his first cabinet meeting, he proposed to Health Secretary Paulyn Ubial to go to Cuba to study its public health system. It’s a sign of acknowledging Cuba’s socialist-oriented health service, worth emulating for this country.
2 – He appointed activists and leftists in cabinet positions in labor, social welfare, agrarian reform, and anti-poverty portfolio. This is also an acknowledgment that activists can get into action and make no compromise for the greater good of the poor. So far, we have seen that in the distribution of lands from Hacienda Luisita, the calls for control of the DSWD budget without the pork and better services beyond 4 Ps, and the moves to stop "endo" or labor-contractualization.
3 – Passed the Freedom of Information (FOI) Act covering executive offices. It took Duterte less than a month to sign this act for government transparency, while President Aquino sat on the FOI Bill signed by Congress.
4 – Suspended mining operations through a real environmentalist Environment Secretary Gina Lopez.
5 – Distributed 358 hectares of Hacienda Luisita through the efforts of Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael ‘Ka Paeng’ Mariano. Finally, change is coming on the Cojuangco-Aquino’s fiefdom.
6 – Resumed peace talks with the NDFP, released political prisoners as goodwill and declared a joint indefinite ceasefire. All these in three months, through the hard work of its improved and sensible peace panel. Compared that to former peace adviser Ging Deles yakking for five years about the “perpetual divisions” of this talks.
7 – Facilitated the lumads’ return to their communities through the ceasefire. This happened in Lianga, Surigao del Sur and Talaingod. But there are still lumad evacuees from Kapalong who had not return because of the paramilitary. But I hope Duterte’s order to the AFP to rein in the paramilitary may bring good news to the Kapalong lumads.
8 – Called out US for its past sins against the Muslim people. That’s knowing your history, and knowing where to stand in history.
9 – Called for an independent foreign policy. His call to end the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (Edca) or the joint exercises and landing of US forces all over the country is a sign that the president wants a cooperation not based in arms.
10 – United the Moro Islamic Liberation Front and Moro National Liberation Front to work out the government’s new peace roadmap for the Moro people.
A plus-one, the 911 emergency hotline and 8888 is now operational nationwide.
So how to define Duterte’s first 100 days? To nail him or to picture our country as a bloodbath doesn’t show what is happening and that is the Duterte presidency is working along with good people to bring the reforms for the people, most especially the marginzalized.
So how to define Duterte’s presidency? He said he wants change, and it’s being worked on.
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