THE PHILIPPINE
THE PHILIPPINE STAR
oa
rnron
FIRST PERSON
ALEX MAGNO
Unprecedented
Fnhe latest SWS suweY shows
I President Rodrigo buterte
I gamering an 80% satisfaction
rating at the midPoint ot his term
Thatis unprecedented.
those who wish the Presiden(s
poliiical base would somehow
bvaporate with constant drurffning
about s urrendering sovereiSnty or
wasins a bloodv war on drugs art
splftn! igandihe wind. Thiy wishing agairst the
a-re
-
evidence.
Thur. * laree trendg that could not be reversed'
Poverw incidenie is down dramatically' Unemploy-
ment ii climbine down as well. Social seffices, such as
fupe tertiarv edication and universal hea.lth care, are
forthcomine.
Despite The slight setback caused by the delayed
passasb of this ye;r's budget, the gmwth momentum
iem.iis suong. fhe Philippines continues to-be a growth
der in this
ieader theworld,
of the
Dart ot
this"part protefieo rlom
woflcl/ protected the va-
ftom ure
jes
garies of the
the giobal market by str6ng dornestic dernand'
The ambitious infrastructure modemization pro-
eram. with its awesome multiplier effecg will drive
Eomestic erowth. For manv of our people, ihis prc$am
alone exc,i.ses everything.- lt is pal-pa6le and visible lt
drives up prcpefly valuei and brings efficiency to many
economic sectors.
While human. rights activists rail about the- killings
associated with theiar on drugs, the man on *le stneet
appreciates the peace and ordei this has caused. Crime
vbiumes arc dramaticallY down.
The greater nurmber df Filipinos shares the pragma-
tism of-the Duterte administration in rebalancing our
foreien rclations. All the ranting about surrendering our
soveftientv in the rocks and redfs of the South China Sea
scikes 6ur people as abstract. The benefits we win in
imorovins folafions with China ale concrete.
ht mid'point, the Duterte administration's political
capital is iven larger than when it began. That is sig-
nificant'
The administationhas the political me.qns to m-ove iE
asenda further The State of the Nation Address should
gi"ve us a glimpse of where the Presideni might want to
takfthe nation.
Most of our geople feel that today the nation has will-
ful leadership and' effective Sovemance. The national
communitv will be better because of that.
The bedt measure of willful leadership is the pace
with which proiects are getting done. The effectiveness
of eouematti:e ii summe"d up ii the fiscal discipline that
haX eamed us unprccedenGd credii ratings upgrade
The publiCs elpectation for willful leadership and
.ffe*ivi sovemanie trickles down to the loca.l executive
level. Pedple expect their mayors and govemors to be
both compassion4te and decisive.- . , ,.-...
\n to,. o"o tl
' See how oeople tnve cheered When rsK(rwrorcfit
hit the groun-<l nirurinq in the City o{ Manila, ctearing
the clos;ed rcads of illigal vendors and setting a clear
.,.,1i* Xienda to reverse'ihat city's slow death. See how
bur p'eoite ctteerca when Benlid Magalong tookBaguio
CiMs problems bY the homs.
fhJ D,tt".t" administration sets a new benchmark
for leadership that will influence the political choices
going forward.
r,eoole $;i[ make eoing
.,'," people
our
Arbiter
President Duterte did not endorse anyone to be
lf
Speaker of the House, Rep loey Salceda said, the pros-
o'ect was for a "bloodv lioor figh(' on the day of the
boNa. rh" openlng 6f Congress would be as it was
last vear: tumultuous.
delucrantlv the Presidenl "anointed ' a leader for a
'none of the principal contenders appeared
House when
caoable of mustering an outright maiority' He had
wanted to stav out of ihe fray even as he must have been
of ih" t adition l6at the President effectively
-*"io"t
narnes the Speaker.
He had t6 move quickly, too. His daughter and son
last week beqan forming what they calJed a 'Duterte
coalition" thit endorsed lsidro Ung,ab for the Speak-
ership. Had this gathered momenhrm, the Preside,nt
*ouia huu" to"t .6mmand of the House to, ironically,
-
his children.
Duterte was also bound by an earlier pmmise made
to Cavetano. He had to somehow stand by that'
Ol the three serious contenders for the top House
oost. Cavetano probabty enjoyed the leasl supPort ftom
his colleazu"s. if u 'tloirdy fl6or fight" did break out, it
would be"between Lord Velasco and Martin Romualdez'
The tvio.tontenders.had enrolled the most number of
consessmen behind iheir bids
S"ome haYe described Duterte's decjsion to enforce
a term-sharinq arrargement between Cayetano ald
Velasco, alon{with the itstallation of Romualdez as
rnaioriW leadEr, "Solomonic." lt was not lt was plain
oti"r"iti.. tt.houtd most accurate to describe the Presi-
h"r.j(r.ole at one of an "arbiter" in a factional struggle
without anyone gaining hegemonY.
The "Maeellan" {ormula ior teffn srunng was tne
onlv one acieptable to the parties concemed Duterte
nlti ro t hit oromise to Gyetano. He appeases his
""o
Fol-Lauai mat6s by getting tlieir favored Velasco to be
Soeaker at some Point.
' There are clear losers in the modus vivendi enforced
bv Duterte. The Darw-listbloc, that was maneuvering to
L! the latsest siiele iaction in the House, was sidelined'
no-"Ader, *hi-ieht have had the largest irumbers of
supoorters, was easeid ftom contention. Sara and Paolo
O,.id"ttu *"t dislodged as the decisive powerbrokers
in that damber.
As a concessioru the "supermajoriv' is likely to name
Ungab io chair the powerfirl appropriations committee
Tlral keeps the Davao brand in play apart hom ensunng
prccess proceeds on schedule'
- - budeet 'casuo,
the
frea8m in outspoken supporter of Romual-
dez is expected tq become-minority leader This brings
us to an6ther opm sec€t about politics at the House:
the maiority geti to name the minority leader'
Bv'exeiciline his role as "arbiter'' over an incon-
ctusiie rictio"ifight, the Prcsident gets to keep his
"supermaioritv." NIo one is completely happy about
this'arraneement No one is complelely excluded either'
The spdits were divided equitably even if im perfectly