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BY MERIANNE GRACE EREÑETA and JOSEPH BERNARD MARZAN, Intern
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ILOILO City – President Rodrigo Duterte’s first 100 days in office were filled with surprises and a host of issues, according to several Ilonggos interviewed by Panay News.
Some criticized the President’s “bad mouth” and his uncompromising and highly contentious approach in addressing crimes, especially drugs, while others said they experienced unexpected changes.
“President Duterte’s first 100 days have been dramatically mind-blowing,” said Roselyn Mae Montejo, a 19-year-old Political Science student.
Montejo was not expecting “complications” like the “dilemma on drugs, extrajudicial killings and conflict between government officials.”
Renzo Hojilla, a 20-year-old nursing student, did not vote for Duterte during the elections in May but had a change of heart after his inauguration — only to withdraw support for the President after a few weeks.
“It was a fresh start, the first three weeks or so. Add in another two weeks of intensity. Afterwards, it dipped into a storm of fanaticism, loud-mouthed hypocrisy and a boatload of pathetic words coming out of our President’s mouth,” said Hojilla.
Duterte “turned from an ideal hero into a noisy zero real quick for me,” he said. “I was hoping he could prove me wrong, but he proved me right 10 times over.”
Just like Montejo, 24-year-old Charm Gabileo described the President’s first 100 days in office “surprising.”
“For so long, we have been waiting for change to drop right in front of us and, yes, it is finally here,” Gabileo said.
While she lauded the administration’s war on drugs, Gabileo noted the killings sowed fear in many.
“Hot political issues — on Sen. Leila de Lima, extrajudicial killings, and the Philippines’ relationships with China, US (United States) and UN (United Nations) — opened Filipinos to the country’s state (of affairs),” she said.
Duterte assumed his post on June 30 after winning with an overwhelming 16,601,997 votes.
In his first State of the Nation Address, he ordered government offices to reduce the processing time of issuing permits and licenses to just 72 hours, or three days.
“Processing time in issuing permits and licenses shall be reduced to the barest minimum. In my city, it is always three days for local governments,” said the former mayor of Davao City.
Businessman Dennis Pedregosa noticed how offices like Social Security System, Pag-IBIG Fund and Bureau of Internal Revenue, among others, now provide faster service.
On the other hand, “sa antidrug campaign, dako gid nabulig,” Pedregosa told Panay News. “Ang mga government officials may ara na kahadlok.”
A Communication student said she felt safe when Duterte assumed office because “active ang aton policemen.”
But now, “I feel sad for the innocent lives taken away because of false accusations,” said Shai, referring to the vigilante killings of drug suspects. “All these changes start to terrify me.”
She was also disappointed with the controversies in the Senate. “Some of them (controversies) are irrelevant to the public,” she said. She refused to give her full name.
“I do not like him (Duterte) at all, but I still trust him and his decisions, for I know he cares for our country so much,” said Shai. “Siyempre I’m praying that even though he had a rough start, he can give the change we asked for.”/PN
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