By: Atty. Marlo T. Cristobal
On one occasion during the last national elections, former President Duterte made a public revelation — a telling one, a bluster bull’s-eye — that one presidential candidate, Marcos, is weak and allegedly a user of an illegal drug. A lawyer and a longtime legal practitioner as a government prosecutor and a longer time as lord of a premier political domain in the country, and, whoppingly, a former president of a republic, he clearly knew whereof he spoke. With his wealth of experience that no one can easily match, the ways of life turned up at his fingertips, and an excellent judge of character driven into his psyche. But the voters did not listen to him, like the proverbial story of a people of hardened heart rejecting their own prophet. The voters ignored a word of wisdom and proceeded to install a weak leader for the nation, who now has ushered in political turmoil and unbearable economic hardship for the people — within some only 2 years tenure of his administration.
The issues of People’s Initiative, persecution of public officials by their denial of due process, PEDEA leaks, importation of rice and other basic food items prejudicial to our own farmers, unabated rising of prices of basic necessities, invertebrate drug war, killing of press people, clamping down on rallies for the redress of grievances and the consequential suspending from office public officials who opted to tolerate or support them, the issuance of warrant of arrest against Pastor Quiboloy out of his revived dead case to justify the suspension of his TV network franchise, the ICC warrant of arrest sought for execution, appointments to key government positions through dictation of utter interlopers in government affairs, and recently the violent and destructive service of a warrant of arrest on a holy and harmless man in a holy ground of worship and of innocent youngsters, are but some of the few current troubling controversies . And certainly more other similar issues will persist in the days ahead considering the style of leadership of Marcos.
All the issues aforementioned,
we ought to take note, sprung up out of sheer baneful motivations, the sole driving force behind them — politicking or corruption. Or both!
And here comes the resulting grievous tragedy of it all, they mercilessly run over the basic rights enshrined in our Constitution and in the Constitutions of democratic and decent countries all over the world — freedom of speech and expression and peaceable assembly, the sacred rights of religion and human rights of every citizen against denial of his life, liberty and property without due process of law (hearing before judgment or compliance with the requirements of the law before condemnation).
As the people watch above issues to fester, they get intensely polarized and divided and reduced to a point of bashing each other tooth and nail, a specter that may well serve as a flashpoint of national scope.
Vis-a-viz these turbulent developments, what is Pres. Marcos doing? One, he appears to be merely watching on the sideline. He appears to have no political will or to have the timidity to actively address the heat and the threats the issues are furiously unleashing, in a manner appropriate and satisfactory. Two, or he may just be under the control and dictation of the influential or irresistible people around him. Three, or worst, he is actually the silent operator or mastermind of the controversial actions and, as usual, maintains for himself what apparently he believes as wisdom — silence.
Nonetheless, each one of the 3 scenarios accurately reflects what former President Duterte accused him of — a weak leader. This type of leadership is utterly dangerous. It will eventually bring chaos and disorder to our people and country.
If we may venture an unsolicited advice: Pres. Marcos must grab and wield the whip and crack the whiplash of terror and discipline on the people around him, under him and working for him, keeping them under his control and committed to the resolution to toe the line of the law and training his focus on and pursuing a singular direction towards the time-honored doctrine that ours is a government of laws, not of men.
But we are afraid, Mr. Marcos, at this point might have already crossed the Rubicon River, when he sanctioned his 2 battalions! of uniformed men unleash an excessive force in a holy place ala Clint Eastwood, a disposition which could make sense only to the fantasy of a delusional personality. A horrible spectacle now the world beholds.
The attempt to romanticize Hollywood thrills in executing a serious official government mission in the KOJC holy compound, spawned emotions that sent a nation in righteous rage over the police spotless lawlessness that was so brutal and brutalizing. Political leaders came out quick with condemnation of this blunder in governance, that minced no words calling for blood.
As we said in our previous piece, the drama now unfolds, perhaps with a prologue forebodingly supplied by former President Duterte when he publicly expressed as his prophecy, Marcos will be thrown out also of the Palace!
Will Marcos, Jr. really replicate his father’s fate?
As the usual teaser in Pilipino drama series runs, Abangan Ang Susunod na Kabanata!
