Of all the years that COVID-19 and these typhoons could have struck the Philippines, they had to come at a time when we are stuck with a self-absorbed macho for a president.
It is indeed a sad time for the Filipino people, marked especially by the President’s statement towards Vice-President Leni Robredo in his address last week Tuesday, November 17. Like a hurt kid, he publicly lashed out at Robredo’s alleged role in stirring up the hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo.
“Do not compete with me,” Duterte warned Robredo as the latter was deemed to be competing with him in the disaster response amid Typhoon Ulysses.
When the President sees his Vice-President as a competitor during these times when the Filipino people need the Government’s entire support, we know for sure that is problematic. Instead of seeing it as an opportunity to amplify the mobilization of the resources to reach out to the affected communities, he has chosen to politicize the situation. Luckily so, Robredo responded with professionalism and continued with her relief operations the next day, Wednesday, after Duterte’s televised meltdown.
This seemingly fragile ego of the President continues to smother the half-pint of hope Filipinos have during his term. Not to mention that this Administration’s efforts, as always, are misdirected i.e. fake beach project for our mental health. Add to the list their blatant disregard and contempt of criticisms, sneering upon critics and labeling them as a force of the opposition.
Despite the huge damage the previous typhoons have caused, the President seems to be satisfied with the Government’s disaster response.
“I am quite overly satisfied with the performance of the uniformed personnel of government,” Duterte said during a meeting with top government officials last Tuesday.
To be proud of the Government’s disaster response and relief efforts just because of the lower death toll is settling for less. These officials always jostle for credit but do nothing to even deserve them.
Through the years, we have witnessed how the Administration has been responding to the situations our country faces. Cutting down calamity funds, defunding Project NOAH, and shutting down a giant media outlet responsible for information dissemination—all the while knowing that the Philippines is a hotspot of natural calamities. It is clear that this Administration has done enough. It has done enough in unraveling our country’s lines of defense against calamities one by one, year by year.
