Reasoning Isn’t Enough. Many WANT a Dictator.

Jill and I discussed today a disturbing observation. There are many people in our circles that despite the overwhelming abundance of facts against Marcos’ and Duterte’s clearly well funded disinformation campaign there are still people who make great effort to either ignore, dismiss or twist these and continue their support.

I have decided that this has to do more with the person’s morality and twisted sense of values than his inability to deal with reality. They are normal people for the most part. They love their families, may do productive work, may be professionals and you may have a good time hanging out with them sharing common interests.

But as far as recognizing the sins of Duterte and Marcos are concerned, and conversely, understanding the value of the government being run by upstanding, honest professionals, they are completely at a loss.

No amount of reasoning or documented history will suffice. They just want a dictator, a strongman and ‘leader’ who does things the way he wants and to hell with the law, human rights and the lives of all they kill along the way. Shockingly they can say with a straight face the dead are all addicts anyway, they do not deserve a trial should be shot on the streets like dogs.

Sometimes they may even come from Duterte converts. I am shocked when I hear people that they don’t like Duterte because ‘mahilig siya magmura’, ‘manyak siya’ or that ‘he swore at the Pope’. Inside I’m screaming, is that all? You’re not worried about the thousands killed? The loss of the West Philippine Sea? The broken promises of ENDO? The constant lying, credit grabbing, stealing, failed covid preparedness, the country’s becoming the World Bank’s biggest borrower?

I figured out that these people WANT A DICTATOR. Maybe at some point in their lives they were the recipients of favors because they knew someone ‘at the top’, or they used the pakiusap system that allowed them to skip a line or keep from paying bills or taxes that the rest of us peasants are forced to deal with. It’s quite possible they know no other way to get ahead in life than to seek out the number 1 guy and make a deal with him by offering money or something in exchange for winning a public bidding or finding employment.

THAT’S HOW IT WAS DURING MARTIAL LAW, and in fact, THAT’S HOW IT’S BECOMING AGAIN DURING DUTERTE’S TIME. The way he defends the Pharmally executives is a perfect example. He obviously had a substantial cut and in return he will use all his powers to protect his golden goose and anyone else involved. FUCK the bidding process, FUCK getting the best products for the benefit of the people. He will use the pandemic as reason to favor a supplier so they can buy big houses and Ferraris.

And how do his supporters react?

SANA KAMI DIN.

SANA KASAMA AKO SA NAKINABANG SA PHARMALLY. Sana may connection tayo kay Duterte para tayo rin nakinabang. Minalas lang Pharmally kaya nahuli, at mahuli ka man di ka niya ipakukulong.

When I was a kid we lost a basketball game because the ref clearly wasn’t calling in our favor. Most of my teammates said ‘di kasi marunong dumiskarte si Coach e’, implying that if we had bribed him or given a bigger bribe, we’d have won the game.

A government lawyer once told me about a case her boss, a judge chose one side to win because he received a ‘large bag’ (supposedly full of cash), and I remember her saying ‘Bakit sila lang nakinabang ‘no?’, disgusted at the fact she didn’t get a cut.

The world these people live in is a place where you get ahead by ‘knowing the guy at the top’. Hard work, talent and ability is useless and unecessary to get ahead in life. What’s important is ‘may kilala ka’. In fact the moment they need something like a permit signed, or a job interview, or to skip a long line, the first thing they ask is ‘may kilala ka ba dun?’

Duterte and Marcos are the types of leaders who will allow this. To me the fight isn’t necessarily against these people but this criminal non inclusive mentality, the ignorance that such a system will never allow the country to progress and will only bring imbalance and unsustainability. That while you may make some money at the start in the end WE ALL LOSE, and as usual the poor, the ones na ‘walang kilala’ will suffer the most.