First of 2 parts

FOUR days ago (March 28), former president Rodrigo Duterte, the man tagged as the "Punisher" owing to his merciless and relentless campaign against criminals, illegal drug syndicates, terrorists, and the rapacious moneyed class during his stint as Davao City mayor and the entire tenure of his presidency, quietly celebrated his 79th birthday in the company of his loved ones.

As he reflects on the years of his childhood, his controversial and iron-gripped hold of a crime and communist rebel-infested city that saw him crush the criminals and the terrorists while planting the seeds of stability and economic progress, his presidential campaign commitment to turn upside down the rotten political system and to throw out the political and bureaucratic rascals who were taking turns in stealing from government coffers, and the heartless oligarchs plundering the nation's wealth and resources, that resonated in the hearts and minds of a neglected, abused, oppressed and swindled majority of Filipinos which led to his meteoric rise to the presidency — he wonders if, in the tranquility of his retirement, he would be compelled to retrace the path he had traversed to slay the ravenous political dragon that has started to destroy the legacies he built and the foundations of a democratic society.

While his disciplinarian parents instilled in him the virtues of honesty, loyalty and compassion in his growing-up years, he had mischievous brushes that characterized his inexhaustible energy — even as he was swift in employing righteous aggression in defense of victims of unjust assault and oppression.

Underneath his tough exterior and vintage expletives is a humility ingrained in his character that he had exhibited as a public prosecutor prosecuting those running afoul of the law, as a congressman, and as a city mayor and vice mayor. Despite reaching the zenith of political power and getting consistent stratospheric popularity and trust ratings, he remained humble and frowned on the intoxicating perks and trappings of power.

To the eternal consternation and vexation of his detractors, he was transparent about his controversial and juicy private life, a transparency that gave no space for his critics to use against him. He painted himself black to the elation of the masses. He speaks like them — and they talk like him. Unlike many current and previous hypocritical holders of power, he has absolutely no pretense.

As president, he waged war against the drug lords, pushers and addicts that put at peril and ruin an entire generation. He enforced the law with an iron hand against criminals, communist rebels and godless terrorists, signing the Anti-Terrorism Act that preempted terroristic activities. He ran after the grafters that included government officials and Cabinet members. He pursued them mercilessly and relentlessly. They all fell, either thrown in jail or fired from their positions.

PRRD embarked on far-reaching government projects that benefited the men and women in uniform, health workers, senior citizens, persons with disabilities, overseas workers, jeepney drivers and laborers.

His presidency expanded free education to college in state universities at the same time institutionalizing an alternative learning system.

He ordered the cleaning and rehabilitation of tourist resorts, built more airports, and repaired existing ones. He stopped extortion and harassment of travelers. He reduced bureaucratic red tape. He appointed competent economic managers who managed the economy during the pandemic, retaining the country's credit rating in the world's financing institutions. He created a task force that strictly imposed health measures that saved thousands from succumbing to the dreaded disease.

He tamed the rapacity of a few oligarchs, forcing them to pay their obligations to the government and compelling them to surrender government properties that they were using for their own benefit, robbing the government of much-needed revenues.

Housing units were distributed to the homeless while implementing the land reform that benefited thousands of farmers. He gave free irrigation to the small farmers. The fisherfolk's needs were attended to. The rising prices of basic commodities was arrested. The supply of agricultural products and meat products remained at a sufficient level. He signed the Rice Tariffication Law to liberalize rice imports.

Corruption at revenue-collecting agencies was reduced, and those engaged in it were prosecuted and put behind bars. The establishment of the NTF-Elcac that pumped public funds to far-flung and neglected local government units to pave the way for their development and improvement of their economy boosted tremendously the dismantling of local CPP-NPA cadres and the surrender of hundreds of communist rebels who went back to mainstream society.

The birthday celebrator pursued a pragmatic and strategic foreign policy of friends to all and enemy to one, veering away from the servile attitude to the United States and established cordial relationship with China and Russia based on national interest with its sovereignty and territorial integrity unimpaired. He pulled out from the International Criminal Court (ICC) when it tried to supplant our legal system with its own.

He built dizzying heights of infrastructures like roads, bridges, skyways, expressways that considerably provided comfort and convenience to travelers and commuters. He introduced economic reforms while reforming the tax system.

Not waiting for Congress to pass a law to further curb graft, he issued an executive order establishing freedom of information in the executive branch to stop corruption and reduce red tape.

He ordered the construction of new school buildings, hospitals, seaport and bus terminals, and the repair of existing ones.

He prohibited ostentatious displays of wealth and luxurious travel by government officials, requiring them to use ordinary vehicles like Innova. He dismissed bureaucrats who spent public funds for travel abroad unrelated to their official work. He ordered the removal of his pictures from the walls of government offices and welcome streamers printed with his image. In Cabinet meetings and important social functions, he required the serving of inexpensive food. Those gatherings were marked by simplicity and modesty.

Other than Gov. Angel Amante, Gov. Hermogenes Ebdane and Masbate Gov. Antonio Kho, no local official supported him in the 2016 presidential election. Not being vindictive, and unlike the political practice of catering to the favored ones and allies, he remained faithful to his oath of office as president and ordered the release of public funds for the development of the provinces, cities and municipalities to those who headed them and who did not support his presidential bid.

To be concluded on April 8

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