A popular columnist once wrote that Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has become a magnet for the poor who are always the victims of injustice in the country. This is quite true. The poor could not afford to hire a lawyer so when he is the victim of injustice, he has no other recourse but to curse the heavens in silence.
Let me quote Ayala Chairman and CEO Jaime Augusto Zobel de Ayala, who share his thoughts on who should be the next President of the country which goes,
The leader of the country has to give people hope, the leader of the country needs to make the people feel good about the future.
The quote is very fitting to the story I am about to share with you, since this clearly articulates why this man from San Pablo City, Laguna has turned into a one-man Duterte campaigner that almost borders on obsession.
By the way, this story was shared by Manny Pinol, a known supporter of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte. Please the read the full text to better appreciate this.
Credits to Manny Pinol
Shortly before my birthday in December of last year, I and my friend, Rene Concordia of San Pablo City, travelled to the Bicol Region for the Federalism Listening Tour which featured Mayor Rody Duterte as the main speaker.
It was a long drive and I spent my birthday on the road. But the boredom was shattered by the jokes and the laughter of Concordia’s driver, Dennis Garcia.
Dennis is a happy spirit and whenever he drives me around Metro Manila, he would fascinate me with his stories about almost everything under the sun.
About three months ago, however, there was an evident sadness in Dennis.
It was only later when I learned that his son, Denmark, 29, a college undergrad who was working as cashier in a canteen in San Pablo City, was seriously wounded in a knife attack by a drug-crazed man.
It was an unprovoked attack. Denmark was stabbed in the back without any apparent reason and the suspect fled right after the incident.
The knife attack left Denmark paralysed and Dennis and his wife, Marilyn, 48, had to scrape through their family savings to spend for his hospitalisation.Friends helped. I also helped in my own small way.
Two weeks ago, Denmark died.
That was when I realised that the threat of drugs and crime against children and youth of this generation is real as Duterte had warned repeatedly.
The happy and jolly Dennis Garcia, 50, changed a lot. He seemed lost at times and the jokes did not come as frequently as before.
“Sir, totoo ba yong nabalita sa dyaryo na hindi inabot ng umaga yong holdaper na pumatay ng taxi driver sa Davao?” he asked me once.
I knew what Dennis was referring to.About four months ago, a pair of holdup men stole a Davao City taxi driver’s earnings and then they killed him.
Duterte visited the taxi driver’s family a day after the killing and publicly pronounced that the family would have justice before day break of the following day.
Before sunrise of the next day, one of the holdup men was shot and killed by policemen who pursued him like bloodhounds. The other suspect went missing and was also believed to have been killed by Duterte’s men.
“Yan lang sana ang hingin ko kay Sir Duterte kung maging Presidente sya. Sana mabigyan nya ng katarungan ang pagkamatay ng anak ko,” Dennis told me.
Dennis is no longer the happy spirit that he used to be but I noticed that he has become relentless in his effort to promote Duterte’s candidacy.
The Ford Everest owned by Concordia which he uses to drive me around the city whenever I am in Metro Manila is loaded with rubber ballers inscribed with “Duterte Atin To Pre” and he hands these out to other motorists and even motorcycle riders during the traffic jams.
He gives out the arm covers and stickers to those manning the toll gates, security guards, taxi drivers, jeepney drivers and trisikad drivers.
As I watched Dennis work hard for the candidacy of the man he believes could give his family justice, I understood why the masses and the poor Filipinos would like Duterte to be their next President.
Duterte’s legendary exploits in the campaign against drugs and criminality and his contempt for the very slow dispensation of justice inspire people like Dennis Garcia.
Up against a system which favours the rich and the powerful, crime victims like Dennis are looking at President Rody Duterte as their only hope to get justice and be protected from the criminals prowling the streets.
This is what makes Duterte different from Jejomar Binay, Manuel Roxas, Grace Poe and even Miriam Defensor-Santiago.
A leader should inspire and give hope to the masses. Duterte does. They don’t.
What can you say about this story?
Go Duterte go. I hope and pray you will win and Senator Cayetano. Clean Philippines and deliver them from a dire situation.
Very inspiring.#phvoteduterte
I am confident to go back home if duterte will win the presidential race… like Dennis I am hoping victims will get justice if duterte wins… May Allah bless and protect duterte during his campaign. And may Allah allow duterte to win…. inshallah bismillah
Let’s work hard to make him win.. Dear God, he is the only hope left…
It’s Now or Never…. This nation will be great again….. DUTERTE FOR PRESIDENT
Dear GOD , pls let him WIN,,,he is the only hope of the opress poor people of my homeland.Ameen
Your only the hope of the poor and weak Filipinos we need President like you .
I believe with all my heart that prayers of a righteous people availeth much. So don’t worry God will be the one to take care for those cheater in this Presidential Election. SURELY DUTERTE CAYETANO WILL WIIIIIIIIINNN
Yes, Amen… Righteous for the Righteous… Stand for the Righteousness of Lord Jesus Christ. “Justice will prevail”
Duterte is the only people’s candidate. He is sincere. He has no record of corruption. No oligarchs is behind him cause he doesn’t want his service to be compromised. The people who needed him so much are his supporters. It’s time to make a change. Let the people decide.
The problem of our Country is our System of Government which is Centralize. Any president who will push the system of FEDERALISM in our government is the one who must win the presidency. FEDERALISM for our government will stop corruption, can create more jobs, stop rebellion, minimize squatters, can minimize traffic, no need to go abroad for work, can drive our country for more improvements and many more. The sad truth is, only one from the five persons who are running for president is pushing the system of FEDERALISM. That person is no other than Mayor Duterte.
I was solid Duterte even before i read this story. But i cried when i knew this was the story of our neighbor and happened to be my closed friend. Dennis is a all around guy, a former councilor in our brgy., expert electrician and used to be my mentor in terms of modifying anything. I remember when we do a below knee orthosis for autistic 2y/o that can’t even stand alone. I see that child sitting on the floor beside their door everytime i go to my stroke patient for therapy session. He did that orthosis on my supervision and he didn’t get any amount of peso to charged me as he knew that i also want to help that child. That time im thinking what is the purpose of goverment, cause only few less fortunate patient can accomodate and worse thing is you have to get a padrino every time you want to ask for help on them. Bullshit….!!! This is the time that a kind of President will stand to every pilipino that will treat us all fairly. Cleaned all the corrupt and illegal activities inside the goverment………
If we want to dream big this is it. Not for us but for our childrens future. The hope of the filipino people go Du30. We all pray and continue to contribute our own meager funds to give us more light in the coming years. The beginning of “0” corruption.
I cried when I read this. Filipinos are desperate. Let’s pray for Duterte!
Yes the feeling of finding a hero in a person of mayor duterte is very calming and the hope arises. When i visited last december i was on how davao improved so much. But upon arrival in davao i really admire those taxi drivers who doesnt took advantage since you are new in the city unlike in NAIA if you took a taxi they will going to charge you amount more than 5x the original taxi rate or sometimes more than 10x thats is not really reasonable at all especially if you have baggage. Thru this observation i desire with a hope that the leadership of mayor duterte could bring back the decency of the entire country and will bring back the confidence that everyone can enjoy life without fear of snacthers, drug addicts, rapist and others related crimes. I pray for the victory of mayor duterte because his victory is our victory. God bless philippines
yes go for duterte.
Pag nanalo si mayor Duterte uwi na ako sa pinas for good