by Rene V. Carbayas
ISABELA CITY, Basilan – Drug
users, pushers scamper to turn themselves in to the barangay chairman then to
the police authorities. One after another, in groups, hundreds, and now
thousands have been documented by the local police of Isabela City.
Police authorities were also pressured to be
on their feet all the time as President Rodrigo R. Duterte gave a marching
order to eradicate the drug menace in their area of responsibility,
otherwise…?...hmmm…some may end up dead or locked up in jail.
The impact of the President’s leadership in
fighting criminalities and illegal drugs is immediately felt by the public. And
many praised him, and the leadership of his police chief, whose nickname is as
solid as a rock.
The President is indeed tough. And we need
this kind of leadership at this time when drugs as the silent killer of society
are evolving into its terminal cancer stage. The symptoms have revealed itself
with the overwhelming turnout of drug personalities who surrendered to
authorities. Many were stunned by the turnout. In Region 9 alone, the police
reported that around 38,000 personalities have already surrendered,
investigated, and documented.
The tough-talking President and his equally
hardliner and spirited PNP chief Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has gained local and
international attention for their rough leadership styles that made everyone
wet on their pants. For the locals, this leadership by fear may have seemed to
work even as critics against impunity and extrajudicial killings were all over
the news.
It seems that most ordinary people support the
strong pronouncement of the President against criminals, especially for drug
pushers and the president’s ultimatum against the Abu Sayyaf. I feel that even
the local government officials and the people of Basilan are one with the
President to once and for all put an end to the atrocities of the Abu Sayyaf
and the drug menace.
For Basileños who wanted to put an end to
terrorism brought about by self-proclaimed ISIS supporter Abu Sayyaf, the tough
stand and leadership of the president is the POLITICAL WILL that the people had
been waiting for. The people have grown tired and weary due to years of neglect
and complacency of national and local government in addressing the problem of
terrorism and drugs in the island province of Basilan.
Tough yet loved by the people in Basilan, the
President received a warm welcome and even hugs from the local people during
his recent visit.
I remembered a Jedi of Star Wars who said that
“Fear is the path to the dark side. Fear is to anger, anger is to hate, hate is
to suffering…”, when Yoda spoke to the young Sky Walker in one of his training
as a Jedi warrior. There is a reason for criminals, drug pushers and addicts,
and the terrorist Abu Sayyaf to fear now with the tough leadership. And they
will continue to live in fear and eventually suffer if they will not heed the
call to change.
People here believe that change is not coming.
Change has come.
