The myth

Bencyrus Ellorin

YES, he apologized. On national TV, one of his raunchiest political operators admitted he was the one who suggested the Davao City mayor apologize for the rape joke that exposes what kind of timber he is made of.

It would seem there is no stopping the bandwagon. Good luck. But despite his initial belligerence, people around presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte felt the damage it has done. The recent Pulse Asia survey showing him maintain his lead may not be of help, it was done before he made that sick rape joke.

There may have been panic in his camp. No less that her daughter, former Davao City mayor and now mayoral bet admitted that she, too, is rape victim. And yet she did not take offense with her dad’s rape joke. Understandable, but obviously a desperate damage control taken hook-line-and-sinker by primetime news.

If at all this admission reinforces something, it is the Duterte myth. If true, it shows how the gun-slinging, trigger happy mayor failed to protect his own daughter. And if so, how can he protect the poor and vulnerable?

I love Davao City. It is orderly. People follow the law, although a little chilled.

But to say the city is safe because of its mayor is something to ponder upon. How can a city be safe when summary executions have sort of become a norm? Public safety cannot be detached to the rule of law and observing to the letter statutory and constitutional rights of the accused is a must. There is no place for extrajudicial punishment in the rule of law.

Furthermore, Davao City, until the infamous Ampatuan massacre, has been the sanctuary of the power warlord of Maguindanao.

Too, Davao City under the watch of Duterte saw some of the bloodiest bombings in recent times.  Lest we forget the Bangoy Airport bombing on March 4, 2003 that resulted in 22 deaths and 143 injured; the Sasa Wharf bombing that claimed 17 lives and 56 injured on April 2, 2003. And how about the assassination of billionaire Cebuano businessman Richard King on June 12, 2014? The list is long.

A college friend told me he is discouraged seeing me not supporting Duterte, who he said, is an activist and would bring in change. He further said, “Sayang to inyong rallyally sa college.”

I answered that Duterte’s activism is just a fashion statement. I dare anyone to analyse this man’s class standpoint and viewpoint. My analysis is that he is no different from any bureaucrat capitalist. Starting from his elite class origin (Duterte-Durano of Cebu/ Roa of Misamis Oriental). The Duterte political dynasty. His father was a governor of Davao. When his three terms ended, his daughter was mayor. He was vice mayor and his a son, a city councilor. Then now he is mayor, his son is vice mayor. His daughter is running for mayor and a son, running for vice mayor.

And finally, how can the mayor be the representative of the oppressed when he is not peasant nor a proletariat in form and essence. Although he justifies his foul language saying he is not a son of a cono (conyo).  But even that does not stand. If at all his behavior is that of a lumpen. According to the Encyclopedia of Marxism, Lumpenproletariat refers to “all sorts of declassed, degraded and degenerated elements” of society.

And now, what can be expected of this man to lead change? By his own words, bloody. Mayhem.

The Philippines has been hailed all over the world for its bloodless revolution in 1986. It became a model of social protest that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall and the dictatorships in Eastern Europe. Now, the alarming trend is that we may repudiate that peaceful means with the cry for blood and the crowd seemingly saying yes.

What is funny is that a lot of rent-seekers surround the man who many consider as the messiah, starting from Banayo, who as National Food Authority administrator, has been linked to rice smuggling.

Now what? If this man wins, his first act will be to shoot people in his round table?