It was another rousing colloquium for the
Association of Young Filipino-Chinese Entrepreneurs (Anvil Business Club),
as members and guests – nearly two hundred of them – went in droves and
converged at the imposing "Chardonnay by Astoria" ballroom to listen to
Davao City's incomparably audacious Mayor, the Honorable
Rodrigo Duterte,
as he shared his colorful life story and revealed his aspirations for
the nation, during the Club's 4th Business Exchange Forum.
Draped
in his proverbial "work clothes," the feisty – yet surprisingly
soft-spoken – hizzoner, who flew in
from Davao exclusively for this
event, was certainly in his element, as he enlightened his audience with
a short but engaging history lesson about Mindanao, beginning with
Ferdinand Magellan's arrival in the islands in 1521, all the way to the
tragedy that befell the "SAF 44" in Mamasapano last January. While his
forty-five minute talk was peppered with... er... colorful expletives,
there was no denying that Mayor Duterte's straightforward honesty made
him too much of a verbal gunslinger that his "quotable" statements
carried with them the firepower of a full-fledged army – which actually
endeared him more with the audience.
Davao’s “sentinel of crime”
has sufficiently shed light on a number of pressing issues which –
until recently – have lingered long in the minds of many in our
audience. He adroitly answered even the most disputed of questions with
such straightforward candor, and elucidated them with such clarity that
they silence even the most incorrigible skeptic. He minced no words
about his disdain for drug dealers and other criminal elements ("If I
catch you dealing with drugs, you will never leave Davao City alive by
daybreak.."); his Zero Corruption drive ("Any attempt to bribe our
officials or employees by businessmen will have their applications and
permits thrown to the waste basket..."); and his thoughts on the flawed
penal system ("I will look for a dilapidated ship which could be left
afloat in the middle of the ocean and keep these hardened criminals
there...").
And while he repeated his oft-proclaimed assertion
that he will never run for president, the tough-talking mayor revealed
some hints on what the country will be like IF he were to be elected –
in his own words:
1. "If after one year, no reform has taken
place or if I cannot penetrate the political structures including what
is right and what is wrong, I will declare a revolutionary government. I
will close Congress, everything. I will forbid government to go into
business, the private corporations."
2. "The BIR, the Bureau of Customs, I'll have them all semi-privatized, just to keep the integrity of the money of government."
3. "I will not embark on new projects. I will simply choose to
rehabilitate existing ones. Then I will spend the money on the education
of our children."
4. "While there is no perfect system of
government, the Unitary form that we have now has not worked well for
us, given the fact that we are an ethnically diverse country living in
over 7,000 islands. The Unitary form of government has centralized power
in Metro Manila; it has also centralized corruption and prevented the
growth of the regions who are left with very little share of the
national wealth. Federalism could prove to be a more viable option to
address the restive Bangsamoro in the Southern Philippines, who are
seeking self-governance."
While his non-conformist methods of
tackling felonies have received mixed reviews from both local and global
watchdogs, it is difficult to deny the fact that Davao City’s crime
rate – which was previously dubbed as the “murder capital of the nation”
– has dramatically plummeted since Mayor Duterte assumed office in 1988
to what tourism organizations now call the “most peaceful city in
Southeast Asia.”
Indeed, the browbeating guest speaker – whom
Time Magazine has appropriately nicknamed “The Punisher” for his
unconventional policing tactics – ennobled the Club's Business Exchange
Forum that evening, not only with his venerable presence; but also with
his far-reaching vision for the country and the extraordinary lengths he
will go to make it happen. And judging by the almost endless stream of
admirers lining up for a "selfie" with him that evening (now, that's a
FIRST!), it became clearly apparent that he had his audience at "hello."
Fortunately, it seems that the good mayor has decided to reciprocate
the Club's warm gesture by staying and mingling with the group. Heck, he
was even the last person to leave the venue (at 1:00 am) – long after
every member of the audience has departed. Now, that's another FIRST for
the Anvil Business Club!