Philippine Asian News Today | Page 37

September 1 - 15, 2016 PHILIPPINE ASIAN NEWS TODAY Are we dealing with Dayspring Humans or Zombies?; More favor Marcos burial at the Libingan Ng Mga Bayani By Ed Malay One of the most highly-rated TV shows today is “The Walking Dead.” For what reason should the viewers salivate on a group of survivors who remain free of the infection fight their way out by shooting, hacking, stabbing, clubbing the so-called Zombies behooves me. Enjoying it means that we enjoy these types of violence regardless as to whom such is directed. On the other hand, it could also be that the viewers look at the Zombies as a representation of their own struggles in life that they need to fight with whatever they’ve got, be it sickness, financial difficulties, poverty, unemp l o y ment, strained family relationships, or simply frustration, melancholy and alike. And now comes the ongoing campaign of Philippine President Rodrigo Roa Duterte to finally end the spate of criminality in the country especially the unabated proliferation of illegal drugs and only recently acts of terrorism. When confronted with the growing number of killed, the President said that drug lords, drug pushers, and even heavy drug users who can no longer be rehabilitated are not humans. While such a statement elicited a plethora of violent comments and reactions, the President appears to have gained an ally in Russian President Vladimir Putin who shared the view of the fiery former Mayor of Davao City that those engaged in illegal drugs and terrorism and that human rights are for humans but not for animals as both leaders referred to drug lords, drug pushers and terrorists as animals. So this is where we now stand and the question lingers on – is the strategy of Duterte to finally rid the Philippines of the scourge that is illegal drugs the right way and the only way? Is it also right to meet the terroristic force of the Abu Sayyaf Group with equal or superior force? While human rights activists and even the Human Rights Watch deplore the spare of killings in the Philippines, a Pulso ng Pilipino survey conducted by the Issues and Advocacy Center from August 29 to September 4, 2016 which covers the period when the Roxas night market in Davao City was bombed that resulted in the deaths of 14 pers o n s , President Duterte continues to enjoy a very high trust rating of +92%, the net total of 96% of the 1,200 respondents who said they still trusted the Philippine President as against only 04% who said they don’t trust Duterte. The high rating registered by Duterte is by far the highest ever recorded by a newly-elected President. Not even then Benigno Simeon Aquino III who also won by a landslide in 2010 scored this high during his presidency. In fact, Noynoy Aquino, just like US President Barack Obama, left the presidency with as much hate on his back than accolades stemming from the public outrage at Aquino’s insensitivity over the deaths of 44 Special Action Forces in Mindanao, graft and corruption and the never-ending traffic problem in major thoroughfares in Manila. Duterte’s rating could have also been the result of the perceptions of the respondents as to what they see and feel as the most pressing problems prevailing in the Philippines and the image of Duterte looms large as the only leader in whom they pin their hopes for a better life. CONT ON B14 WWW.PHILIPPINEASIANNEWSTODAY.COM FAITH AND RELIGION B13