Calculated risk

Letter to the Editor

IT was a calculated risk on the part of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to admit that he is behind the Davao Death Squad (DDS) and his statement that if ever he wins the presidency, he would kill all criminals which he claimed make the lives of Filipinos miserable.
While his bold statement was annoying to the Commission on Human Rights, and Justice Secretary Leila de Lima, public reaction seemed to favor Duterte.
Public reaction was not surprising. A big majority of radio listeners are apparently scared and disturbed with the deteriorating peace and order situation in the country whether in the urban areas or country sides. They want drastic action against crime and corruption and this is perhaps the reason they still support Mayor Duterte’s tough stance though his statement sounds scary and alarming to human rights groups.
This is the result when hapless and hopeless citizens see the government’s weakness in addressing the issue of criminality and peace and order.
The public looked up to somebody, like Duterte, to change the situation, the status quo, where heinous crimes like rape, murder, drug trafficking, unabated smuggling are the normal occurrence in our midst.
The tough talking mayor may have provoked human rights groups but the public appeared to be titillated by Duterte’s statements.
For Secretary de Lima, Duterte may be held liable for confessing he has links to the Davao Death Squad. And this could be de Lima’s “revenge” after she failed to substantiate the alleged “killing fields” in Davao when she was the CHR chair during the time of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.
De Lima is saying it is “simply unacceptable” because it would send a wrong signal to the international human rights community.
As a presidential hopeful, Mayor Duterte knows full well the consequences of his public pronouncements. And gauging by his hairaising statements, it seems he is ready to face the issue squarely when challenged by anyone.
Duterte is a result-oriented public official and not a kind of politician with many promises unfulfilled. His no-nonsense performance in Davao City as mayor for nearly three decades is a clear proof that he really means business in helping our country to get rid of corruption and heinous crimes.