Duterte’s First 100 days: Drugs, Corruption, Economics, and Foreign Policy

Whenever he opens his mouth, the media goes into a frenzy of supposedly misquoted and misunderstood statements. Daily news stories are filled with stories ranging from the on-going war against drugs, a strong stand on independent foreign policy, and the fight versus corrupt government practices.

DUTERTE’S FIRST 100. Did he or did he not deliver? President Rodrigo R. Duterte and San Beda law alumni pose for a “Duterte fist” during a fellowship dinner at the Heroes Hall in Malacañan Palace on July 17. Photo taken by King Rodriguez/PND, grabbed from PCOO EDP Google+ account

100 days in, and President Rodrigo Roa Duterte is already drawing both praises and criticism. The people are satisfied, giving him a net satisfaction rating of +64, second only to former President Fidel V. Ramos’ first 100 days in office.

He rated himself 6 out of 10, saying he is not ambitious in scoring himself. He also said he only deals with reality, and success for him is something entirely different.

Looking back at his State of the Nation Address (SONA), here are four key takeaways based on his performance over the first 100 days:

War Against Drugs

At the forefront of the President’s is his war against drugs. His promise of waging war against drugs is the strongest and most visible. Since assuming office on July 1, over 3,500 persons have been killed in drug-related activities, over half of which were caused by extrajudicial or vigilante-style killings.

The international community has been up in arms about it; local human rights groups have been clamoring for the killings to stop, yet most people are satisfied, even lauding the President’s stance on fighting the drug problem head-on. He’s even asked for a 6-month extension

Yes, the Palace does not endorse vigilantism, but it doesn’t mean people won’t take matters into their own hands.

Corruption

One of the other prominent agendas during his SONA was eliminating corruption in the government by promoting transparency and streamlining government processes. One of his first moves as President was to issue an Executive Order which effectively worked as the Executive branch’s own version of the Freedom of Information (FOI) bill.

The FOI Bill itself has yet to pass Congress readings and be submitted, but he did stress that it was one of his priorities. He’s placed people he trust as Cabinet Secretaries, and though their individual departments have shown improvement, complaints through the 8888 government hotline still pour in regarding corrupt practices in regional and local government offices.

Will he be able to end corruption? Only time will tell.

Economics

One of the biggest achievements overlooked during his first 100 days is the country’s economic roller coaster ride. All of his statements against the United States, European Union, and the United Nations may have prompted stocks to rise and fall, but our economy remains strong, defying global trends.

Even our economic growth is on the up and up, all thanks to an increasingly robust domestic demand and modest recovery in exports. Foreign investments may have gone down, but local investment is still on the rise.

Foreign Policy

If there’s one thing that’s irked the international community more than the President’s war against drugs, it’s his stand on foreign policy. He may have practically taken the European Union and the United States out of the country, but he’s coming back hard with supposed trade agreements with China and Russia, both perceived threats to the US.

He’s also challenged the UN several times, but he remains steadfast in establishing his own way of international diplomacy. Some may see this as an international faux pas, but there are some who look at it as a way of strengthening the country by taking away our dependence on our strongest ally: the US.

On the other hand, he’s already getting praise from OFWs, what with him streamlining processes at the Philippine Overseas Employment Agency (POEA) and strengthening our presence abroad.

How about you? Has the President delivered on his promises he made during his SONA? Let us know in the comments section below.

 

Source: The Philippine Star, Malaya, Manila Bulletin, Bloomberg