[Left photo shows the cover of the book entitled DEVELOPMENTAL DICTATORSHIP AND THE PARK CHUNG HEE ERA with the photograph of South Korea’s revered leader Park Chung Hee displayed at the bottom-left portion of the book cover. Top right photo shows Singapore’s venerable Lee Kuan Yew’s image juxtaposed with his popular advice given the Philippine leadership in 1991: “THE PHILIPPINE NEEDS MORE OF DISCIPLINE THAN DEMOCRACY.” Bottom right photo shows President-elect Rody Duterte in a pensive mood, collocated with his public announcement: “I AM A DICTATOR, SO WHAT?”]
At this early morning’s radio broadcast aired over DZMM, news anchor Gerry Baja revealed that based on an A1 intelligence report, the drug lords now serving time at the New Bilibid Prison have drawn up a plan to bank-roll the assassination of President-elect Rody Duterte (“Pres. Rody”) and Incoming PNP Chief Ronaldo Dela Rosa (“Chief Dela Rosa”).
In an apparent move to counter the marching order of Pres. Rody which pegged a reward money of Php 5 Million for every head of a drug lord; the drug lords have reportedly upped the ante and had set a more attractive budget of Php 10 Million each for Pres. Rody’s and Chief Dela Rosa’s heads.
Indeed, not one among the past administrations has laid out such a concrete plan to fight the drug lords and the drug menace, except perhaps during Pres. Marcos’ time during martial law when Lim Seng, a former struggling restaurateur who turned into being a notorious drug lord, was executed via musketry witnessed by the Philippine citizenry in national TV.
There were even talks then that at one point in the 2004 elections that the country was almost put unto the brink of an abominable regime of narco-politics. It was good that it did not happen as the perceived narco-politician was not elected.
It is however my firm and steadfast belief, shared perhaps by his 16 million voters, that the Duterte Presidency is the country’s one final chance to make our nation great again. And this trek to greatness was first pursued by President Marcos; also, the country’s first trek to the seemingly elusive economic growth and prosperity.
It is an undeniable fact that the early years of Pres. Marcos’ martial law brought pleasant benefits such as instilling discipline into the minds of the citizenry, less criminality due to curfew and a tractable and urbane peace with the use of the army which dismantled criminal syndicates and all other forms of belligerency, among others.
It was lamentable however that the military hierarchy started to commit abuses thereafter and that Pres. Marcos’ deteriorating health put a toll on his resolve and competency to efficiently govern the country and the bureaucracy.
The era of the supposed return to democracy under the Cory Aquino regime however brought about a rambunctious press (as aptly described the the late Lee Kuan Yew) which never however contributed any to check the resurgence of corruption. What is worse, the more unruly media people who felt that they would look more macho, and impressively bombastic, went to the extent of castigating and even scolding government personalities as well as police officers on air, in national radio or TV as though they are supreme. And this led to the breakdown of discipline among our citizenry, who in concert felt that if the likes of Ted Failon and the Tulfo brothers can dress-down a police officer on air, they can on their own, scold and even slap a lowly traffic aide.
What we need now is an era of “developmental dictatorship” and that I firmly and most sincerely believe, and perhaps the 16 million voters who elected him, that Pres. Rody fits to a TEE, the label of a DEVELOPMENTAL DICTATOR. We ought not to be surprised for such a label as Pres. Rody himself, in his speeches before the polls, described his regime as veering into some kind of dictatorship.
Developmental dictatorship, in fact, served as the core concept which integrated the South Korean experience of extreme modernization under the authoritarian tutelage of Park Chung Hee. Under the South Korean experience of economic growth and prosperity, developmental dictatorship was simply defined as a regime implementing a powerful economic development policy.
I distinctly remember that in one of Pres. Rody’s talks during his electoral campaign, he was the only Presidential candidate who openly advocated the putting up of steel mills in the country, an industry which has not been accorded topmost priority by past administrations. In fact, in an interview done by the country’s leading daily, the Philippine Star, Pres. Rody made this statement:
“In any country that has progressed there has to be industrialization. To create jobs we must create factories, we have to build industries.We have to realize our long dream of having our own steel industry…the mother of all industries…the backbone of industrialization…It’s about time we have our own. ” – Duterte
Indeed, with the capacity of Pres. Rody to effect changes even before he has assumed the Presidency of this Republic, I truly believe that he is the Philippines’ man of the hour and that we must not lose this chance to bring back greatness to our country once again. LET US CONTINUOUSLY SUPPORT THE INCOMING DUTERTE PRESIDENCY THROUGH AND THROUGH!!!!
Yes, correct I will add to that even during the time of Pres. Marcos started the Industrialization that why we have EPZA export processing zone or some foreign investors who build there factories here in CAvite, Laguna, Bataan and FTI in Taguig area with finished products like chips in the computer, other other products also for exports that will create jobs to our countrymen. Even those time of Marcos and Duterte at present have something in common based on there Objectives. I believe there will be an continuity effort of incoming President elect Duterte what was Marcos did before during his regime. I hope there will be a big changes on his administration corruption, drugs, crime and other bad elements will be eradicated.