IN his last graduation speech at the Philippine Military Academy (PMA) in Baguio City last Sunday, President Rodrigo Duterte pointed out things that should be considered by any one trying to assess his legacy as president.
At the outset, Duterte admitted that his administration “was constrained to adopt extreme legal measures to fight societal ills.” He deliberately used the term “legal” to contravene or deny that there were “extrajudicial killings” especially in his war against illegal drugs, where in fact these EJKs happened as reported by his own Philippine National Police (PNP) although not as many as what the political opposition claims.
“It is sad to admit that after six years, these evils hound us still though in lesser degrees of intensity,” the President said, again confessing that he erred or was exaggerating when he promised in 2016 to get rid of the nationwide drugs problem in six months, later to be rescheduled for a year.
‘The young military officers joining the major services have been steeled in discipline and loyalty to the Constitution inside the PMA, and the Filipinos can only hope that they will carry their training and culture of excellence to the military units that they have chosen to join.’
With just six weeks before Duterte becomes a private citizen with the distinction of being the latest to join the roster of the nation’s ex-presidents, the Chief Executive had to grudgingly admit that his much-touted war against drugs is closer to failure than success, with huge shipments of “shabu” worth millions of pesos still being discovered and seized by authorities as recent as last month. Always ready to pat himself on the back, Duterte just qualified that “these evils hound us in lesser degrees of intensity,” meaning his administration was able to improve the people’s lives somehow.
The outgoing Commander-in-Chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines exhorted the PMA “Bagsik Diwa” Class of 2022 that the salvation of the country is now in their hands, along with the youth sector.
“It is in the hands of the next generation of Filipino leaders and movers where our salvation rests,” he said, in defeating corruption, red tape, illegal drugs and crimes. The C-i-C should have included in this list of evils the communist insurgency, especially so because he is talking with the newly commissioned junior officers of the Army, Navy, and the Air Force — 49 female and 165 male graduating cadets.
The young military officers joining the major services have been steeled in discipline and loyalty to the Constitution inside the PMA, and the Filipinos can only hope that they will carry their training and culture of excellence to the military units that they have chosen to join.
