Delusional Robredo

BY ATTY. DODO DULAY      OCTOBER 30, 2018

THE only explanation for Vice President Leni Robredo’s pronouncement that next year’s mid-term elections would be a chance for the people to “correct the mistakes” in the 2016 polls is that she is delusional. The self-proclaimed opposition leader apparently believes that Filipinos are so disgruntled with the administration of President Rodrigo Duterte and his allies that voters would resurrect her discredited and reviled Yellow army in the political arena. If that isn’t a denial of reality, I don’t know what is.

By saying that people made a “mistake” in the last election, the pompous wannabe president not only belittles the intellect and free will of the over 16 million voters who chose to put President Duterte in Malacañang but also makes light of the sentiments of an overwhelming majority of Filipinos who continue to have faith in the current leadership.

The truth is Robredo and her Yellow gang’s opposition to the Duterte administration is not grounded on principle or reason but on politics and their own venal and selfish motive to regain power. Perhaps the biggest frustration of the vice president and her marginalized political allies is that their attacks on Duterte haven’t made a dent on the President’s popularity — or trust rating.

In a survey released by Social Weather Stations (SWS) over the weekend, 74 percent of Filipinos said they still have “much trust” in President Duterte, a five-percentage point increase over his ratings in the second quarter survey last June. This translates to a net trust rating of “very good.” What probably gets the goat of the Yellow army is that the President’s net trust rating since his inauguration has either been excellent or very good, notwithstanding the so-called exposés of Robredo’s newfound ally, Sen. Antonio Trillanes 4th.

The country’s wannabe president also took a veiled swipe at the Duterte administration by telling voters to remember the failed promises of the last elections, and urging them to vote in the upcoming polls for “a chance to clean whatever mess is there.”

Perhaps someone should remind Robredo and her cabal that, to begin with, it was their Yellow administration which left the country a mess: the seemingly unstoppable “tanim-bala” extortion scheme at NAIA; the proliferation of illegal drugs that wreaked havoc on the country’s peace and order; the misuse of P5 billion in government (i.e. Disbursement Acceleration Program ) funds as bribe money to lawmakers to unjustly impeach the late Chief Justice Renato Corona; the selective application of “Daang Matuwid” to political foes; the daily MRT and LRT breakdowns; the Typhoon Yolanda debacle; the massacre of 44 SAF commandos in Mamasapano. The list goes on.

And who really was left “to clean whatever mess is there?” Who else but the Duterte administration.

For instance, it was President Duterte’s common-sense order prohibiting the arrest of passengers with bullets that eradicated “tanim-bala” completely. Although condemned internationally, his war on drugs and crime (and its consequent body count) brought down drug-related and petty crimes to record lows and enjoyed popular public support, with a majority of Filipinos viewing it as the “most important achievement” of the Duterte administration.

The Duterte administration has not been tainted by any corruption scandal. Public officials credibly implicated in a “whiff of corruption” have been given the boot. The President has repeatedly dared his critics to prove that he had ill-gotten wealth but not one of his detractors’ sensationalized charges have stuck.

While the economy encountered an abnormal spike in inflation in recent months due to rising oil prices and a weaker peso, the country is on track to achieve a reduced but still commendable 6.4 percent economic growth this year. Our exports are higher (at P26.9 billion) and our unemployment rate lower (5.1 percent) since the Yellows left the Palace in June 2016.

Fulfilling his vow to prioritize the protection of the environment, President Duterte has remained resolute in restricting open-pit mining operations even at the risk of losing P70-billion in potential government income. And in an unprecedented display of political will, he ordered the six-month closure of the world-famous Boracay island to give way to a massive rehabilitation effort aimed at reversing its serious environmental degradation. This despite warnings from the President’s economic managers that the government stood to forfeit some P20 billion in revenues because of the temporary shutdown of the popular tourist destination.

Curiously, it is only Robredo and her failed Yellow army who view the current leadership as a mess (or wish it were). Almost eight out of every 10 Filipinos think otherwise.

In the SWS survey released last week, 75 percent of Filipinos said they believe that the country is moving in the right direction. This is five-percentage points higher than the 70 percent in June this year. Another significant result is the belief that the country is going in the right direction rose in all areas of the archipelago.

Also noteworthy is that the “very good” trust rating of the President cuts across all educational levels, from non-elementary and elementary graduates to high school and college graduates. This only goes to show that his message — and actions — enjoy widespread acceptance and support among the different demographics.

Mind you, the SWS surveys I’ve cited were conducted from September 15 to 23, at the height of the controversy on rising inflation and soaring rice prices.

Given the incontrovertible evidence of the broad public support and approval for the Duterte government’s policies and performance, Robredo and her Yellow allies’ anti-administration spiel only shows they’re completely out of touch with the vast majority of their constituents. Either they’re living in a parallel universe, or worse, they’re actually starting to believe their own propaganda.

And the Yellows still wonder why their anti-Duterte rhetoric doesn’t resonate with most Filipinos?

https://www.manilatimes.net/delusional-robredo/459315/