To all the moderate supporters of Mr. Duterte, those who have shown both civility and respect when supporting their chosen candidate, this article is not for you. Know well that you still have my respect even if I don’t exactly agree with you. Indeed, I certainly hope that you are correct about Mr. Duterte and that he will indeed bring about the necessary change to improve the Philippines. Unfortunately, some of your peers just had to go and wake the beast in me that was content to have slept through most of the had they at all bothered to be civil and respectful individuals. I am sorry guys, I really am, but I can no longer hold back the demon within…
So Mr. Duterte will supposedly change the country for the better with discipline, eh? Well, that’s nice to hear. It really is. Unfortunately, I can’t bring myself to believe that he will indeed bring about discipline when a good number of his followers can’t even discipline themselves and think like rational human beings. As I have seen so far, quite a few of his followers are really no different from the people who put remarkably inept individuals like President Aquino into power.
After a bit of thought, I have come to think that is it possible that they could be the same people who actually backed President Aquino and his campaign back in 2010? Of course, I’m not saying this without proper grounds, mind you. Here are five things that I can’t help but notice about them:
They Both Revere Their Candidates As “Messiahs”
Back in 2010, I couldn’t help but notice the thousands of people who believed that Noynoy Aquino was the “chosen one” who would lead the Philippines to peace and prosperity. There were even those who claimed that he was somehow holy, being the son of a hero and a saint. To this day, his followers jealously protect him and his image, being quick to attack (both verbally and physically) those who would question his authority. Of course, those of us who are wise enough to see through his illusions know how well that turned out.
Okay, fast forward to today. There are also many who see Mr. Duterte in a similar light. Of course, like I said, there’s a chance he might actually be the real deal. Unfortunately, there are so many who see him as the cure-all panacea for the Philippines’ ills. They seem him not as a leader who will guide them towards progress but as some kind of demigod who will miraculously solve the problem of crime in the Philippines regardless of the consequences it may entail. As powerful as he can become as president, Mr. Duterte cannot change us as only we can change ourselves for the better.
They Both React Immediately Without Really Understanding Anything
When I read some of the comments used by Aquino supporters here at GRP, I can’t help but notice how they almost always attack without ever really understanding anything. More often than not, they react like rabid dogs doused with water when anything negative (real or imagined) is thrown at their “master”. How they love to snarl and snap at us writers even though they haven’t read the full article and considered its message.
The same can be said about the fanatical supporters of Mr. Duterte. You can write an article as respectful and as informative as you can but they will only see the negative aspects of it instead of its overall message. They look at the title and the sample paragraph, take it out of context and immediately assume that it is an attack against Mr. Duterte even though it’s been clearly explained that it isn’t.
They Both Say The Same Things
“Sige na, ikaw na magaling!” (Okay, you’re a know-it-all!)
“Andami mong alam!” (You know too much!)
“Siguro binayaran ka ni Binay/Poe/Roxas!” (Maybe you were paid by Binay/Poe/Roxas!)
“Bakit ano bang nagawa mo?” (Why, what are your achievements?)
“Magkano ang article na ‘to?” (How much did this article cost?)
Really, need I say more?
They Both Use The Same Tactics
Ever heard of the term “logical fallacy”? Well, you see, it’s just another form of insane troll logic. Here, it goes like this: “If you are X, you are Y” which simply boils down to the “with us or against us” concept.
Back in 2010, many of President Aquino’s followers used this tactic to gain more supporters. It was always like: “You are for President Aquino or you’re for former President Arroyo!”, “You are for President Aquino or you’re for Manny Villar!” and “You are for President Aquino or you’re for former President Estrada!” When you sided against President Aquino, his supporters were quick to imply that you must be supporting his enemies who are allegedly more corrupt than he is.
Now, fast forward to today: “If you’re against Duterte you’re pro-crime!”, “If you’re against Duterte you’re pro-Binay!”, “If you’re against Duterte you’re pro-Poe!” and: “If you’re against Duterte you’re pro-Roxas!” They fail to realize that there are actually other options out there aside from what was just mentioned. See a similar pattern with the above?
They Both Have No Respect For Other Factions
Like rowdy children, both Aquino supporters and the more fanatical members of Mr. Duterte’s faction hold on tightly to their “with us or against us” ideas mentioned above. They have utterly no respect for other people’s opinions. They see only what they want to see and hear only what they want to hear and act like their perspective is all that really matters.
They attack the messenger for disagreeing with their “god” instead of trying to understand why there are those who disagree with them. What’s worse is that they all too often resort to personal attacks instead of making an appropriate response for an otherwise relevant question. It never occurs to even reconsider what they are saying and, even for a moment, reflect on the appropriateness of their reaction.
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So there, even if Mr. Duterte is the right man to become president, if the same people never make the proper changes for themselves, we are still hopelessly DOOMED…
Now, will the real supporters of Mr. Duterte stand up and prove me wrong!
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