Duterte using the rhetoric of the "good father" and the military to establish a dictatorship
The Filipino president has called for a six-month extension to his "war on drugs" which, so far, has resulted in more than 3,000 deaths. Despite his wish, he “cannot kill them all”, he said. Analyst told AsiaNews that his “first steps after coming to power closely resemble those of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos,” acting as “loving father of the nation” whilst seeking “military backing”. For Card Tagle, “We are here for you. Let us not waste life."
Manila (AsiaNews) – The rhetoric of "loving father of the nation", the iron fist against alleged drug traffickers and military backing “are the three elements that Filipino President Rodrigo Duterte is using to establish a dictatorship in the country,” said a local analyst, anonymous for security reasons.
Speaking to AsiaNews, the latter said that the president’s "first steps after coming to power closely resemble those of former dictator Ferdinand Marcos. It's impressive."
The escalation of violence in the country seems to have unstoppable effects. "In his election campaign, he had promised 100,000 dead traffickers,” the analyst said. Back then, “It sounded like he was shooting his mouth off, like a politician used to present himself as a hands-on man. However, as things are going, he might actually get to kill 100,000 people without trial and without serious parliamentary opposition. Civil society must wake up."
Since Duterte was elected last May, about 3,000 alleged drug pushers have been killed across the country. Officially though, a thousand people died. Police claim that the slaughter "occurred during gun battles" with criminals.
However, private vigilantes have also been involved. Their incentive is an unofficial rewards paid by local authorities. Some 2,000 people are said to have died this way. Their modus operandi is like that of the death squads under Ferdinand Marcos, similar to what Duterte did in Davao City where he was mayor for 20 years.
Last night, Duterte asked for a six-month extension for his war on drugs, saying there are too many people involved in the narcotics trade and that he “cannot kill them all” in what is tantamount to extrajudicial killings. “I did not realise how severe and how serious the drug menace was in this republic until I became president,” he noted.
He is applying the same method used "by Marcos,” the analysist said. “Duterte talks like a good family man, hardnosed but fair.”
“On more than one occasion, he addressed mild criticism by saying: ‘What would you do if a drug dealer came into your home to poison your children? You tell him to stop, but if he does not listen you shoot. And I want to be a father for the Philippines’. Behind these statements there is a profound contempt for the democratic system."
However, the rhetoric is not enough "and Duterte knows it. That's why in recent weeks, amid broad silence, he began visiting military barracks across the country. Like in Lebanon and Turkey, even in the Philippines, the military are the guarantors of democracy. If he can bring them on his side, as Marcos did, the situation will be really worrying."
The Catholic Church has repeatedly criticised the government’s "war on drugs", calling on law enforcement to "recapture the spirit of justice."
In order to limit the damage, the archbishop of Manila has urged parishes in the capital to provide care and treatment programmes.
“We are here for you. Let us not waste life. It [life] is important and it has to be protected and nurtured,” Card Tagle said.
From a practical point of view, the archdiocese’s community-based rehabilitation programme is designed to help anyone in need of support via spiritual guidance, skills training, and livelihood.
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