SINGAPORE – Presumptive President-elect Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as the overwhelming choice of Filipino people, clinching more than 92 per cent of the votes at a poll on Monday (May 9) – much to the consternation of Filipinos living in Singapore.
The 71-year-old city mayor of Davao has made the headlines repeatedly for his brash talking style and vulgar language.
According to the Philippine Daily Inquirer, this includes the time when he complained about “not being first in line, as befitting the mayor, to rape a pretty Australian missionary who was later killed by the prisoners who had taken her hostage in 1989”.
Equally controversial has been a focal point of his campaign. According to a Reuters report, his advocacy of “extrajudicial killings to stamp out crime and drugs (which) have alarmed many who hear echoes of the country’s authoritarian past”.
AFP, Reuters
Most of the Filipinos that AsiaOne spoke to disagreed with Duterte’s particular brand of politics, while also stating that his charisma has resonated with voters.
A 37-year-old Singaporean-Filipino, who only wanted to be known as Julia, said that from what she had heard, Duterte “has no qualms about violating human rights, and for all his talk about ending corruption, when it came time for him to walk the talk, he couldn’t”.
She was referring to the scandal that has plagued Duterte and his running mate, Alan Peter Cayetano, where Duterte had “dared” his opponents, which included Mar Roxas and Miriam Santiago, to “sign a waiver” that would make their bank accounts public.
As reported by Rappler, Senator Antonio Trilanes IV who was in charge of a corruption investigation, said that Duterte himself had to sign the waiver to reveal an alleged “undeclared P211-million (S$160 million) bank account”.
According to Philstar, when the account was discovered, Duterte admitted its existence and said that it had been a gift from his friends and that he had already spent it all for “happy-happy”.
Harold, a 37-year-old Filipino, agreed with this sentiment, questioning Duterte’s consistency throughout his campaign.
He added that Duterte seemed to be using the law only when it was useful to him, saying that “the problems with the (Filipino) justice system need not be fixed by a death squad”.
Indeed, the controversies that have made Duterte a divisive political figure irked Harold, who said that he did not vote for him because of these inconsistencies and controversies.
On the other hand, 27-year-old Samuel, who is a Filipino working in Singapore, said that he voted for Duterte because he is “already proven as a mayor”, adding that “a lot of people want change” from the previous administrations.
Samuel also said that he personally did not think the death squad would be put in place when Duterte assumes office, while pointing out that Duterte has said he will not swear again when he becomes president.
Julia, however, voiced her concern for the long-term future of the Philippines, saying that she “feared under (Duterte’s) rule, the (country) will go back to the days of Martial Law. And that’s a scary thing.”
“That said, he can inspire his legions of followers, and I hope that he will use this for good. For now, Filipinos have no choice but to give him the benefit of the doubt and hope for the best,” she added.
prabukm@sph.com.sg
