‘Unlike before, Duterte will face a House of Representatives now turned hostile by his undoing.’
THE “Young Guns” of the House quad committee probing the brutal drug war are challenging former President Duterte to appear at the next hearing and make good on his threat to kick them.
Duterte has cussed the committee, threatening to kick its members, as he angrily turned down its invitation for him to show up in the next hearing this Wednesday,
Assistant majority leader and Zambales 1st Dist. Rep. Jefferson Khonghuan said: “Go ahead and kick us if that will make you happy. I am very sure your supporters nationwide will be watching on national TV or YouTube ready to give you the loudest applause you want to hear!”
From La Union Rep. Paulo Ortega: “Duterte should be man enough to fulfill his threat and attend the hearing. How can you kick us if you don’t physically attend the hearing? Please make no mistake, while we respect you, by no stretch of the imagination does this mean that we are afraid of you. We will not allow and never allow you to bully us in our own House!”
Unlike before, Duterte will face a House of Representatives now turned hostile by his undoing. Unlike before when most of its members would do his bidding almost without question, today he would have to confront the rapidly mounting calls for criminal accountability on the conduct of his bloody drug campaign and on the murder of three Chinese drug suspects in detention in Davao.
Most Filipinos here probably never expected a stunning presidential win by Donald Trump. I thought that based on initial surveys and commentaries from the Washington Post and the Associated Press, Kamala Harris would make it over the controversial Republican contender. Two days before the US elections, after viewing a Trump speech on Christianity and religion where he urged Americans to go back to prayer, I was almost sure that Trump was going to prevail.
To the Democrats’ dismay, Harris demeaned two students in her rally who shouted “Jesus is Lord!” Her retort, “You don’t belong to this rally,” showed her distrust of Christianity, and most likely triggered a large exodus of Democratic Catholic votes from Harris to Trump.
The main issues that bogged down the Harris campaign were the economy (gas and grocery prices were up), jobs and immigration. Harris picking on issues to prevent Trump from winning and how democracy as espoused by the Democrats benefits the nation did not work. It seemed evident that bloggers and social media influencers for Trump were more persuasive in their messages.
Today’s youth who comprise about 40% of the voting population know little about retired Marine Col. Ariel Querubin who is running anew for the Senate. He is probably one of the few military officers whose career has remained unblemished by any objectionable report. He is best known for leading a military operation against 300 MILF fighters in Lanao del Norte where he and his men, outnumbered, outgunned and staggering with mounting casualties, ultimately neutralized the extremist group. For this, he was awarded the highly-coveted Medal of Honor, among other 60 medals earned in battle. He has endured 67 battle wounds and scars and is the most decorated soldier in the military.
Heroism and sacrifice have practically left the moorings of the young generation whose attention has shifted to the more materialistic, physical, decadent, and lusty desires of life. Entertainment media has regularly spewed themes of luxury, flamboyance, violence, crime, corruption, vengeance and marital infidelity. Querubin and political candidates like him who already have a place in our history also deserve a place in the nation’s legislature – and our future.
He is running as an independent candidate and says he would rather shun the political issues that have bitterly divided the Marcoses and the Dutertes.
