One last look at Duterte

The UN Human Rights Chief Zeid Ra'ad Al Hussein with air of arrogance and hopeless ignorance brands the Duterte government successful campaign against the vicious drug syndicate and criminal elements a murderous act. It is obvious that this nincompoop based his assessment on the reports of New York Based Human Rights Watch who in turn relied from what they culled from inferred reports handed to them by the local pan-handling human rights non-government organizations in Davao.

I would sound redundant to some who had read my previous columns on this issue, but with the oft-repeated allegations of human rights abuses and extrajudicial killings hurled by the Commission on Human Rights and the UNCHR against then Davao city Mayor now President Rodrigo Duterte I deemed it my personal obligation to correct the distortions that are being stoked by Senator Leila De Lima, the Catholic Bishops of the Philippines, HRW-NYC and UNCHR, Loida N. Lewis, and the leader of the dying yellow cult -- Vice President Leni Robredo.

Six against one does not a truth make. All these allegations stemmed from one source — De Lima who as Chairperson of CHR conducted a 4-month probe on alleged EJK in Davao City. The investigation was prodded by the political nemesis of Duterte who extrapolated reports of killings in Davao City and passed a resolution in Congress to have Duterte investigated for human rights violations. The objective was to discredit Duterte for the power grab. Unfortunately for De Lima and the political adversaries of Duterte none of their devious attempts succeeded.

When charges are based on trumped-up issues no evidence can be extracted except if you plant it which is what CHR did during their probe in Davao. De Lima, as Chairperson of CHR, submitted a badly deteriorated skeletal remain of a man, or maybe a woman, who must have died before world war II. They exhumed this along with two pairs of 2009 car license plates after having dug several suspected gravesite of what she claimed were victims of EJK.

I must say I admire De Lima's dogged determination to pin Duterte but she has this penchant of believing her prevaricated stories. With her inventiveness comes an admirable strategy which makes the Presidential Communications Office pales in comparison. Think of this. Before she submitted her perjured witness, Edgar Matobato, in the senate witness stand, nobody from Malacanang ever had an inkling the serial killer who claimed to be a member of the Davao Death Squad, already related his murderous saga before New York Times. His delivery was almost flawless.

DDS according to De Lima and her witness Matobato was a creation of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. It is a blatant lie. DDS was a ghost force conceptualize by INP Gen. Dionisio Tan-gatue Jr. Duterte was still studying law in San Beda when DDS was 'created' by the police general to counter the Sparrows which were the vicious liquidation squads of the New Peoples Army at the time when CPP/NPA was in control of Davao, the city included.

UN Human Rights Head Hussein is foolish to judge and declare that President Duterte is a murderer because of the latter's claim that he kills criminals. There were only three occasions Duterte, as mayor, probably killed suspects: the shoot-out with kidnap-for-ransom gang to save a child victim and the raid of a shabu laboratory in Daliao, Toril. Duterte led a composite team that assaulted the laboratory resulting in the death of four chemists who are members of a drug syndicate from Taiwan.

In all incidents, the suspects fought it out with the law enforcers. I cannot understand why the Human Rights activists call it murder.

I would not hasten to judge whether it was Duterte's gun who killed the suspects. Assuming it was his, still you cannot fault him. In dealing with the devil you either kill or be killed.

The bishops, like Socrates Villegas and that priests who runs away from criminals (but not from publicity) ought to discern deeply on the role of an elected leader like Duterte. Even the bible is replete with this. De Lima should stop sermonizing as if she is lily white. We all know now that the center of drug distribution in the country is the New Bilibid Prison which is right under her nose. She cannot escape that fact since testimonies of inmates and videos were taken of her singing and dancing with the jailbirds. These are foolproof.

Because of the advent of the New Year, I have some pieces of advice to those who are yet confused about our President.

Duterte, as a leader, has a sworn mission. He puts his life at stake for his people to live in peace. As city mayor he has the habit of sneaking out of his house in the wee hour of the evening, ride his big bike or drive his taxi to patrol the nooks and corner of the city. He would surprise police stations during unholy hours to check whether they are sleeping on their job or not. So don't be surprise why even as President he surfaced somewhere in Cavite while everyone else was fast asleep. Now do not be surprise too why the President is most active at 9:00 PM to 3:00 AM. He developed that habit in his 23 years of servitude as Mayor of Davao City.

Duterte lives a frugal life. As a government official he abhors corruption. He cusses the likes of US Pres. Barack Obama and UN Sec. Gen. Ban-Kimoon because they insult and have no regard for sovereignty and culture of nations and dignity of their leaders and people.

He will pursue relentlessly his campaign against drug syndicates and will not lift the order to shoot to kill if the suspects fight it out with the law. No amount of pontificating can stop Duterte in that. Make no mistake about it.

Rather than condemn President Duterte for the 5,000 over who manufacture or peddle the killer drugs, think seriously about the impact of this unrelenting campaign as close to 1-million people who are peddling and users of shabu have surrendered. It is unfortunate that the religious would rather protect the lives of the members of the syndicates than help in the rehabilitation of drug users and pushers, even as it is lacking in funds, the Duterte government is scrambling from whatever sources to put up rehabilitation centers.

While critics picture Duterte as a murderer and one who is prone to expletives, he is the most compassionate man who takes care of children stricken with cancer. Those who insist to give monetary gift to Duterte are directed to donate instead to the House of Hope which is home to his cancer patients.

None of his critics talks about 'Lingap' an institution in Davao City that helps indigent patients get proper medical attention and hospital care.

VP Leni Robredo and her foreign supporter Loida Lewis spread their cult's gospel denigrating Duterte as power hungry and one who contemplates of imposing martial law. The opposite is in fact true. As Mayor, Duterte shares his power to leaders of tribal communities by appointing them deputy mayors and having a tribal leader to represent the indigenous people in the Sangguniang Panglungsod. During the season of Ramadan, he sends Muslim pilgrims to Mecca. Stories about these are seldom written or heard because he does not speak about it. These acts of empathy spread in the Moro land and Lumad communities all over Mindanao. That is why his name has become a virtual legend, a star.

If you hear him cuss listen with your left ear and let it out on the right. I would rather that you and I concentrate on what he does. He is about to end the year with his six-month tour of duty and let us look at what he had accomplish so far:

1. He has broken the backbone of the drug syndicate. There are still adventurers but eventually they will fall. I mean that literally.

2. His diplomatic foray has open new doors for trade partnerships and exports markets.

3. Except for the unrelenting campaign against terrorist groups in Sulu and in Lanao, the guns of secessionist fronts and the CPP/NPA/NDF have quieted down. The peace process, steered by Sec. Jesus Dureza is moving steadily and successfully towards permanent solution.

4. By approaching conflicts via bilateral talks, President Duterte has embarked on an unprecedented journey bridging the gap with China, Russia and other Southeast Asian countries. Duterte added a new momentum and strategy in this foreign affairs, economic and defense route. Starting 2017, the roll out of the most massive infrastructure development and implementation will start. Soon those MRT trains will run smoothly. New railways for commuters and cargoes will be constructed, roads, bridges and airports will be built or rehabilitated.

5. More environment-friendly power generating plants will be put up as new investors find the Duterte government transparent.

Indeed 2017 will be a new era for the Philippines. Performance, efficiency and coherent implementation of projects will overwhelm the sound and fury of Duterte's critics as well as his own expletives.

(Mr. Jun Ledesma is a community journalist who writes from Davao City comments from the perspective of a Mindanaoan)