President Duterte has consistently called him spineless, a weak leader, and “bangag.” Sara, in a dawn ranting that has since defined her character, contracted an assassin to hit him together with the First Lady and former Speaker Romualdez. And closer to home, sister Imee appeared at the INC rally and blasted him as hooked on drugs, and therefore has lost the capacity and the moral high ground to govern. Not to be outdone, erstwhile ally Zaldy Co came blazing with a series of video exposés timed for the start of the 3-day INC Luneta rally, which many believed was the fuse to ignite another people power revolution.
Sen. Lacson has called that INC rally “coordinated, orchestrated, and calibrated to overthrow” PBBM’s government. He himself was even invited to join a civilian-military junta and a transition council, obviously coming from retired military and police officers who had their own rally in front of Camp Aguinaldo’s Gate 5. Meanwhile, DDS Maisug marchers were at Liwasang Bonifacio, as another DDS group was at EDSA Shrine egging their own crowd to do another EDSA. Pitifully, there were simply no takers from them nor from the multitude of shoppers at the nearby Robinsons Mall.
But in spite of all the calls for his resignation and for a government reset amidst a flood-control corruption that has gone berserk, PBBM has remained steadfast, focused, and calm, apparently ignoring the political noise coming from the camp of VP Sara. Certainly, there is no trace of panic, not even a palpable change in his work schedule. The Lion King is unfazed by the rantings of an army of mice.
Who says then that he is weak? A weak leader could not have the brazen boldness to ship the powerful and DDS false god almighty Digong to The Hague, nor could he put behind bars such a power broker as Apollo Quiboloy. Or, in just one stroke, fire his Executive Secretary and his Budget Secretary.
Above all the fray and the tumult, PBBM manages society’s competing forces with fortitude, ensuring the public that a master helmsman is on deck of the ship of state as it navigates through the storm for a placid harbor.
AND BY THE WAY: The recent statement of a PAGASA weather specialist that typhoons are getting more frequent and stronger should keep us on our toes. Note that of late, typhoons exit the Philippine Area of Responsibility (PAR) passing through northern Palawan, with Cuyo, Calamian Islands, and El Nido facing the brunt of weather disturbances. I have already called the attention of PDRRMO to face these realities and restructure and decentralize its operations. Get basic equipment necessary to make life a little bearable for typhoon victims such as water tankers, mobile kitchens, portalets, and provide vulnerable sectors with “go bags” with enough food and medicines as they are brought to the centers.
