Two things clearly tell us that we need a leader who can get things done with firmness and decisiveness. One is our recent hosting of the Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (Apec) summit where the theme is “inclusive economies,” or economies where the poor directly benefit from economic development by getting access to jobs and income opportunities. The other is the recent coordinated attacks by members of the Islamic State (IS) in Paris, France, that killed 129 people and wounded more than 350 others.
To achieve an inclusive economy, we need a president who will accelerate infrastructure development, implement effective antipoverty programs and ensure the prompt delivery of vital social services, such as education and health, to the citizenry. The leader should also deal firmly with greedy capitalists, smugglers, price manipulators and other economic saboteurs.
The Apec summit, staged under the shadow of the Paris tragedy, raises the question: Can a similar terrorist attack take place here, as well?
That is not a far-fetched possibility, considering that we have the homegrown Abu Sayyaf, which allegedly declared support to the IS—which claimed responsibility for the carnage in Paris. The Abu Sayyaf terrorist group has been engaged in kidnapping for ransom, especially of foreigners, since the 1990s, and has gained notoriety for their barbarity, including the recent beheading of a kidnap victim.
But the Abu Sayyaf is not our only security problem.
Organized crime is just as much a serious peace and order concern, with the Philippine National Police having its hands full going after kidnapping gangs, drug-trafficking syndicates and robbery groups.
Adding to the breakdown of law and order is street crime, such as theft, burglary and snatching of cellphones and other valuables, usually perpetrated by motorcycle-riding criminals in city streets. Amid all this, the citizenry is left wondering whether the government has been rendered helpless in dealing with widespread criminality.
Thus, there is now a strong clamor for a leader who can stop criminality using an iron hand, impose discipline in our society and restore the people’s trust and confidence in their government.
The demand is for a leader who can really be on top of the situation and take decisive action against those intent on murder and mayhem. And the urgent need is for a leader who will not hesitate to unleash the full force of the law against those who want to tear the nation apart with their criminal activities.
With the 2016 elections barely five months away, right-thinking citizens want to elect a leader who is firm and decisive in coping with the breakdown of law and order, and in ensuring that in the march to economic growth and social progress, no one is left behind.
Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte managed to get double-digit approval ratings in popularity surveys of possible presidential bets, mainly because of his tough stance against crime in his home turf.
If he can send the criminals in Davao City fleeing to parts unknown, he can do the same in the entire country and let the citizenry go about their daily lives without worrying for their safety and security. That’s why many of his supporters are elated to hear him declare his availability to run for president.
Among the declared presidential bets, no one apparently has the political will needed to stamp out crime and corruption in this country and lead us to sustained economic growth. We believe Duterte can lead the Philippines to greatness.