Selected Comments
(Topic: The Duterte Presidency So Far--Pass or Fail?)

Name: N. Soriano            
City/State/Country: Zambales        
IP Address: 121.222.10.250          

Comments

The problem with us Pilipinos is majority of us are not independent thinkers. We seem to go with the flow and what is popular. It applies with agreeing to everything president Duterte says and gang up on whoever is against him. Using drugs as an excuse to kill anyone leaves a lot to be desired.

Name: Hit&Run            
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD        
IP Address: 98.91.4.7          

Comments

We'll just keep on guessing what's coming next from this serious and new drama of 'yanks go home, again'. Only the USA can determine when it will say enough is enough of this immaturity being displayed by this administration. What started it all doesn't matter now. The Filipinos once more has arrived at a crossroad and it's hard to tell which tinge of the fork to choose and follow. But just in case, be prepared to live under a new style of subjugation by either communistic dogma because there are two possible scenarios: either we'll be all wearing peasant jacket, Mao style, laboring under the gun or working naked at the gulag somewhere in wilderness of Siberia.

Name: DON HAGIBIS            
City/State/Country: LIBIS        
IP Address: 180.191.142.239          

Comments

Let us look at what Duterte has accomplished in both domestic and foreign affairs. There were a lot of little things that have been accomplished domestically but they don't really translate much so that people could feel it in day to day living. Wages have remained flat, traffic congestion had not eased up, Quality of life could have been better. You could get depressed whenever you watch the 6:30 news of murder rates of no less than 30 a day, because of this war on drugs, your electric, water, and TV and internet bills never went down, and prices of consumer goods never went down.

Name: DON HAGIBIS            
City/State/Country: LIBIS        
IP Address: 180.191.142.239          

Comments

(Con't) Poverty remained at 26th% and jobless rate at 6 %. On foreign affairs it is very obvious to see a serious rift between this country and the UN, US and EU and the" attraction " of Duterte to China and Russia. Some shades of Valenzuela' s Hugo Chavez. We were patient enough to remain steadfast and patient on our territorial claim on Scarborough shoals but this administration doesn't seem to value its international and legal significance. .The erratic behavior of Du30 is causing the peso to slide against the US dollar because an atmosphere of fear and uncertainty were created ; foreign investors share the same concern. I don't know how long Duterte could last if dissatisfaction becomes widespread and hits the people's pocketbooks.

Name: Sam "The Mercenary"            
City/State/Country: San Diego California        
IP Address: 66.27.52.158          

Comments

Someone said, "President Duterte MUST continue to eradicate the proliferation of illegal drugs plus graft and corruption." My reaction: That's not just his responsibility, that is everyone's responsibility... However, If one intends to eradicate the problem by encouraging killing the users who are also victims of drugs instead of going after the Drug Lords which this administration has yet to accomplish, I have to ask Is this a serious campaign or just plain talk? Now, if this campaign is being used as a vehicle in order to purge thousands of people in order to establish control out of fear then somehow I feel something smelly is making sense. Purging is nothing new.

Name: Mil Pilapil            
City/State/Country: Chicago,il. USA        
IP Address: 50.178.91.188          

Comments

As for me, President Digong Duterte has failed the norm to be a good president. First he disobeyed the ten commandments, " thou shall not kill" he despised US President Obama, the Pope, europian union. He is against Human Rights. Now, he questioned God? He is trying to destroy laila de Lima a former Justice secretary now elected as senator. I believe that This president was involved in spate of killings in Davao according to Matobato a member of Davao death squad who confessed that digong D. Created this squad to get rid of drug trafficking, drug addict, pusher and drug lords. But human right violation is rampant. Now as president he is applying what he did in Davao to the whole Philippines. In the Bible,Ecclesiastes 12:13-14 it says,Let us hear the conclusion of the whole matter: Fear God, and keep his commandments: for this is the whole duty of man. For God shall bring every work into judgment, with every secret thing, whether it be good, or whether it be evil. According to this commandments we have to fear God and keep his commandments: Is the president following God's commandments? No!

Name: MPacheco            
City/State/Country: NewJersey,USA        
IP Address: 166.137.252.124          

Comments

Confusing!!! Stay with Russia and China? Palagay ko papunta siya sa maling direction.

Name: Hit&Run            
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD        
IP Address: 98.91.4.7          

Comments

This much I can say; no one is above the law, whether from man-made laws or laws from above. God works in mysterious ways, a day for Him is like a thousand or vice-versa. Sooner or later we all will pay our debt either to God or to society. The ultimate judge to whatever we do in this life is not death; it is God whom we will meet face-to-face on the other side. Lest we forget.

Name: Sam "The Mercenary"            
City/State/Country: San Diego California        
IP Address: 66.27.52.158          

Comments

I read this on CNN, and it goes, "Metro Manila (CNN Philippines) — The public heard new words from President Rodrigo Duterte today — and those are "I am very sorry."The tough-talking President apologized to former Pangasinan Governor and now Rep. Amado Espino, after Duterte tagged him in his narco-list as coddler of the illegal drug trade in the province." My reaction: This brings out a lot of points against Duterte.. If his system of tracking drug criminals is error prone, Why is he resorting to summary killing without investigation, warrant of arrest and so forth? And why is he the one apologizing? Did he conduct the investigation himself personally?

Name: Sam "The Mercenary"            
City/State/Country: San Diego California        
IP Address: 66.27.52.158          

Comments

(Con't) Does this mean Duterte is the judge, the jury and the executor? Where is the separation of powers? and to that Governor who was mistaken, shouldn't he criticize the President's manner of carrying justice as he almost got, well plain and simple, killed? But he is thankful instead.. This proves we have a sham, banana republic. What a joke"I would like to apologize to you publicly. And I would say now, I am very sorry," Duterte said after he inspected a seized shabu factory in Arayat, Pampanga.

Name: Hit&Run            
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD        
IP Address: 98.91.4.7          

Comments

All these years we were used to ignoring the call for national discipline in our lives; no one leader has paid attention to the almost irreparable social and political destruction we have knowingly placed on ourselves and on the nation. With all the numbers being presented here, I would say the national character was almost only one step toward the abyss of self-effacement when this president arrived just in time to remove the usual and useless proverbial carrot and apply the strict and stern stick to reform and turn around the national conscience. What he's saying make sense: force-discipline or remove undesirable 3,000,000 in order to save the choice 100,000,000. Were we caught by surprise or were we just waiting for this bitter pill to appear anytime?

Name: Hit&Run            
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD        
IP Address: 98.91.4.7          

Comments

Heads of state are routinely observed of their bill of health making sure they are fit to make important decisions based on sound judgment. Our President must be afforded the same prerogative to determine he still possesses the required minimum mental capacity to run the nation's state of affairs and any such observation should not be construed as treatment for an existing malady. Fair enough?

Name: mockingmaya            
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila        
IP Address: 174.50.134.150          

Comments

You don't need to be a Filipino intellectual or a scholar kuno to understand President Duterte's style of leadership. I think President Duterte is aware of the lessons of history: if democratic regime [or democracy itself] is weak, communist influence is strong [see the history of Italian democracy & the influence of Italian Socialist Party or Communist International during Mussolini's regime]. And Germany or the Weimar Republic had also suffered the same setback under Hitler's [Nazi] regime.

Name: Camilo Narvaza            
City/State/Country: San Diego, CA USA         
IP Address: 76.176.216.237          

Comments

Pres. Duterte is doing what is best for the Philippines. He can make the Philippines better and safer for all of us. He is the one!

Name: Pepito            
City/State/Country: Sibugay        
IP Address: 124.104.35.104          

Comments

Pres. Duterte in his first 3 months rule had accomplished much much more than his predecessors over 6 years in term of war against the illegal drugs and lawlessness.

Name: mockingmaya            
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila        
IP Address: 174.50.134.150          

Comments

I think President Duterte is a realist democratic leader, who believes that absolute moral concerns [or values] will not promote peace & stability in Asian countries. I think President Duterte doesn't reject morality completely. I think his realist approach to foreign policy has an element of uncertainty [or "normative realism"].

Name: Dude            
City/State/Country: Manila        
IP Address: 112.201.4.112          

Comments

President Duterte will succeed in his crusade against the drug lords and stop corruption if there were no self serving detractors such as foreign powers and unpatriotic traitors standing in his way. As long as he has the support of the Filipino people. he can succeed.

Name: mockingmaya            
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila        
IP Address: 174.50.134.150          

Comments

The author of this editorial must educate himself/herself that human right[s] is also a concept [ethical, political, etc.] Its dynamism has been recognized since eighteenth century [see American & French declaration of the Rights of Man]. How can you enforce human rights without an enduring peace in Asia? I think President Duterte is aware that "national self-determination" is one of the foundations of enduring peace in Asia or Philippines.

Name: mockingmaya            
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila        
IP Address: 174.50.134.150          

Comments

I think President Duterte will be remembered as one of the defenders of democratic values when he signed the bill on Free Information Act. Its provisions might be a paper tiger, but it guarantees a commitment to the fundamental concept that the Filipino people have "an inherent right to know, the right to seek, the right to receive information about their government." We live in skeptical world today, & I think the passage of the Free Information Act Bill under President Duterte's administration is humongous achievement on the part of the Filipino voters.

Name: jean logan            
City/State/Country: NY, USA        
IP Address: 159.53.110.142          

Comments

It's a pass.

Name: Manila            
City/State/Country: CA USA        
IP Address: 104.172.144.121          

Comments

Lumala ang drug users, pushers, drug lords and many more that have to do with drugs because walang nag-asikaso at nag-intindi. Now, one person has the guts to fix it to show the world ' no one should be doing this because of other lives.' Yes, there were lots of them were killed because they fought back to the police officers or authorities. They found lots in their own nests after they were killed. This is serious matters, to protect the others. Lumalaban sa mga authorities. Sana makaisip na yon nasa ganito situations. I give him 'thumbs up.' Slow down on writing negatives about him.

Other Comments

Name: Sam "The Mercenary"            
City/State/Country: San Diego California        
IP Address: 66.27.52.158          

Comments

Someone said, "Is moral neutrality an essential of justice in condoning criminal activities? My reaction: What a question: Neutrality is not the point here. Neutrality is essential in terms of investigation in order to arrive and deliver a judgment, not when carrying out a punishment. However, Punishment should be carried out in a civilized way otherwise, how then can we distinguish these bad guys from us, or the good guys if we resort to wanton summary executions? Sure Drug users and pushers must be punished but the punishment should be carried out in a civilized way.

Name: Sam "The Mercenary"            
City/State/Country: San Diego California        
IP Address: 66.27.52.158          

Comments

Someone said, "The triumph of drug trafficking, political corruption, terrorism & Maoism is connected to the emergence of strong & charismatic political leadership [or the "potential hero, or the heroic democrat or republican leader like President Duterte], who sees what other Filipino leaders do not. My reaction: Drug Trafficking can actually triumph? You mean the proliferation right? By the way, Did you call Duterte a Republican leader? What a dumbass.. You should know by now Duterte wants total control and he is establishing a powerful government that the public will fear.. Republican leadership is the opposite. It believes that the government is secondary to its people..

Name: Sam "The Mercenary"            
City/State/Country: San Diego California        
IP Address: 66.27.52.158          

Comments

Someone said, "The triumph of drug trafficking, political corruption, terrorism & Maoism is connected to the emergence of strong & charismatic political leadership." My reaction: Please correct your tenses.. which came before and which came after being the result of which? Anyway, if you are against Maoism, Just how can you reconcile that with your idol Duterte admitting he is a socialist as he lately freed communist couple Tiamsons who are advocating the overthrow of the government? even prepared dinner for them in the Palace. He is now playing footsie with Russia and China. Just how do you explain that?

Name: Phil Researcher            
City/State/Country: LA County, CA USA        
IP Address: 107.185.155.99          

Comments

Re: Pres. Obama's Veto of a 9-11 Bill which would allow victims of the 9-11 attack to sue Saudi Arabia was reversed by the U.S. Congress. Upon being asked by Jake Tapper of CNN, here was Obama's explanation why he vetoed the bill. If American victims of 9-11 could sue Saudi Arabia that violates sovereign immunity from lawsuits. What could happen is that American soldiers or U.S. Government officials might also be sued for their acts in other countries other than Saudi Arabia. It is not a good precedent for American Citizens who are vulnerable for law suits if an opening on Government immunity is given an exception.

Name: mockingmaya            
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila        
IP Address: 174.50.134.150          

Comments

The UN must understand that the concept of human rights can't be separated from the ethnicity & the dominant framework of nationality of human beings like Filipino nationality. What is the individual right of every Filipino without his country? A scholar once pointed out that "a country is a place in which our individual rights are most secure." Even the late Edmund Burke would probably agree about the essence of one's nationality when he said that "liberty could only be guaranteed by a government rooted in a nation's history." Remember that the Philippines has a very flexible immigration system. It is very easy for foreigners to come to the Philippines to study, to work, to put up a business, to start a family & so on. But some foreigners have abused the generosity of the Filipinos by killing & poisoning the minds of the Filipino innocent children.