SECOND OPINION by Arvin Ferdinand M. Cabalu
DURING the time of Digong Duterte as president and mayor, the country was placed in the world map – world map of shame if I may say so.
Digong ruled with an iron fist. He bent the law, he instituted a war on drugs that claimed the lives of thousands through extra judicial means, he insulted and threatened people, he disrespected women and government institutions, etc. etc.
Who can forget what he said during his visit to Beijing in 2016 when he uttered, “There are three of us against the world – China Philippines and Russia.” How about during a presidential town hall debate in Pangasinan when he stated he would ride a jet ski to the Spratly Islands and plant the Philippine Flag – it was a “pure joke” according to him and called on anyone who believed it as “stupid.”
I am sure that you vividly remember when he cursed our Almighty God in a speech he delivered in Davao City in June of 2018 – “Who is this stupid God? You created something perfect and then you think of an event that would tempt and destroy the quality of your work.” Another was his criticism of Jesus Christ in a speech in Kidapawan City in December 29, 2018, calling his crucifixion as “nakakawala ng bilib” and how powerful God could allow Himself to be crucified. In that same gathering, he also labelled the Christian doctrine of the Holy Trinity as “silly”.
Also during the presidential campaign, Duterte cursed Pope Francis due to heavy traffic saying, “Itong pope, ‘tang ina, lumayas kana.” In August 2018, he commented on the high rape cases in Davao City, “For as long as there are many beautiful women, there are plenty of rape cases as well.” The 1989 Australian missionary rape joke where Digong remarked, “The victim is beautiful and the mayor (he) should have been first.”
He threatened to kidnap and torture Commission of Audit auditors in January 2019 as he accused them of hampering the work of the administration. In September 2016, he called then US President Barrack Obama “son of a whore” (pu&#%ng i*a) warning him not to raise human rights concerns with him. He maligned the thousands of victims of his war on drugs, asked China to adopt the Philippines as its own province, condemned to the highest form the country’s Commission on Human Rights, threatened all his political opponents, jailed those who criticized him and many more atrocities he had done during his term as Mayor, Congressman and most specially as president.
Even after his presidential days were over, he continued his troubling ways. He called PBBM “bangag” in a rally back in 2024, intimidated members of the House of Representatives and Senators in committee hearings, called on the PNP and the military to revolt against the government.
Why am I enumerating all his alleged cruelties, to think he is already incarcerated in the Netherlands for his alleged crimes against humanity, and he is about to be tried by the International Criminal Court? My answer is plain and simple – he remains, until now, at least as per his children who visit him in his cell, still defiant and did not in any way, show remorse for his past deeds.
It was not only Digong who was king and ruler with an iron fist during his time. His children too were on top of it. Sara, Pulong, Baste and Kitty were also lording it over… but just like their father, their time with the law will come. Their father will be judged by the laws that humans created and he will also face the laws that the Almighty has imposed upon all of us.
What goes around comes around – meaning, that your actions, whether good or bad, will eventually return to affect you. Good and bad karma it is.
After Digong, now comes Sara.
