Jun Ledesma
It has been an eventful week. Davao City is in climactic atmosphere. We are celebrating the 87th Araw ng Dabaw. The festive mood however is punctuated with repugnant developments in the halls of Congress. Pastor Apollo C. Quiboloy, a simple and humble Davawenyo who singlehandidly shepherded his ministry into an inviable success , is being subjected to scurrilous inquisition by vainglorious politicians who had been maligning him through trial by publicity employing masked witnesses whose identities are kept secret. If you don’t call this kangaroo court, I do not know what it is.
Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte begged off from attending the Datu Bago Award Ceremonies in Davao City. He was the lone nominee of the most prestigious award the city confers to its outstanding citizens. Rightly and aptly so. Duterte served as mayor, vice mayor and congressman for a span of 23 years before he became President. He stepped into the political arena during the most turbulent years when Davao City was facing several menacing fronts – the vicious CPP/NPA terrorists, the secessionist fronts, drugs and crime syndicates.
Mid-way in his term the local government of Davao City metamorphosed into the most livable place in the Philippines, (the 19th in Asia), M]ost child-friendly, Most Competitive to name a few. In all he laid his life in the furnace of hell for Dabawenyos to live in heavenly peace.
His courage and leadership style was to continue with his daughter Sara Duterte who, like him, saw to it that peace in Davao City prevails. The business climate under her drew more investors to the city which in time established an economic growth that outshines the national average. In time too, she became Vice President and had she been like the characters in Congress today who salivate for power, she could have been President no sweat.
Both father and daughter were in Manila while FPRRD annals of deeds were read during the Datu Bago Award rites. Both were at the Liwasang Bonifacio rally to air their gripes against the injustice hurled on a friend – Pastor Apollo Quiboloy. VP Sara branded the manner by which the pastor was investigated by both houses of Congress a grand trial by publicity.
For his part former President Duterte counselled the throng of people at the rally to keep their demonstration peaceful and not to bring it to the doors of Malacanang because there are too many national treasures kept in its confines. If I read his drift and if the tenants in Malacanang are listening that piece of advice is more like a dog whistle than what it is meant in the surface.
In the meanwhile, Pres. Bongbong Marcos is off again to Germany then to the Czech Republic to lure investors and air his gripes against China. A group of American businessman was in town and widely advertised by traditional media. A stark contrast is the absence of media coverage at the Liwasang Bonifacio pro-Quiboloy rally. It shows how media establishments and practitioners in the Philippines are scared of suspension, cancellation of franchise and indefinite prison term not by the judiciary but by the legislative inquisition committee. (Jun Ledesma)