MANILA, Philippines - Rodrigo Duterte, the country’s 16th president, came into power last June 30 with a promise to wipe out criminality and corruption in the Philippines. One hundred days after he took oath in the office, Duterte’s administration is plagued by issues on extra-judicial killings, his controversial criticisms against the United States, United Nations and US President Barack Obama, his plans to forge deeper ties with China and Russia, and his controversial row with Senator Leila De Lima.
Despite criticisms faced by his administration, Duterte seems unfazed as his supporters continue to defend him against every issue being thrown at him. According to his supporters, Duterte has managed to implement the much-needed change in the country, which previous presidents failed to do in the past.
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Take a look of the top 10 notable changes that the Duterte leadership has brought.
1. War against illegal drugs and criminality
In his latest address upon returning from his visit in Vietnam, Duterte said that while Hitler killed "three million Jews" he is willing to purge the country of "three million" drug addicts. The figure is based on the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime's data that 5.2 percent of ages 15 to 64 used illegal drugs.
As of press time, a total of 1,323 drug personalities were killed in police operations while 725,791 have surrendered and promised to change their lives.
2. Freedom of Information (FOI)
With the signing of the Freedom of Information Bill, Filipinos now have the right to access information and public records of all government offices under the executive branch. The bill, which was authored by the late Sen. Raul Roco, was signed by Duterte after 25 days in the office and more than 29 years after it was filed.
3. Emergency Hotlines
Citizens on emergency situations may now contact the government’s emergency hotline, 911. Meanwhile, those who have complaints against government officials, employees and agencies may report it to the 8888 hotline.
4. Ceasefire with Communist Rebels
In order to bring peace in the country and facilitate peace negotiations, Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels. Peace talks with the leftists had been stalled for the past 4 years.
5. Curfew for Unaccompanied Minors and Liquor Ban
A nationwide curfew for unaccompanied minors, from 10 pm to 5 am, was implemented by the Duterte administration in order to reduce criminality in the country. On the other hand, adults are now prohibited from drinking in public places beyond 1 am.
6. Ending Laglag Bala Scheme and Improvement of Airports
Passengers found to have ammunitions in their luggages will no longer be arrested to prevent extortion as what was alleged of the apparent bullet-planting modus operandi in several airports in the Philippines. Last year, several passengers were victimized by the reported scheme.
Faster Wi-Fi, cleaner toilets and improved airport facilities were also experienced by passengers in all four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) within Duterte’s first 100 days.
7. OFW One-Stop Shop
To ease the processing of requirements for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the government has decided to put up a one-stop-shop of various government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
8. Faster Release of Business Permits
Business permits and licenses, under the new administration, will be processed for 1 to 2 days, a significantly faster period compared to the 5 to 10 days- processing in the past.
9. Extension of Driver’s License Validity
Instead of 3 years, validity of driver’s licenses released at the National Capital Region (NCR) will now be up to 5 years. Hopefully, this policy will be implemented nationwide very soon.
10. Inclusion of Leftists in the Cabinet
Four leftists leaders namely Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) secretary Silvestre Bello, DOLE undersecretary Joel Maglungsod, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) secretary Rafael Mariano, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary Judy Taguiwalo were appointed by Duterte.
Can you cite other accomplishments of the Duterte administration in the past 100 days? Tell us in the comment section below.
--Mini, The Summit Express
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| PHOTO CREDIT: Facebook/Presidential Communications |
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Take a look of the top 10 notable changes that the Duterte leadership has brought.
1. War against illegal drugs and criminality
In his latest address upon returning from his visit in Vietnam, Duterte said that while Hitler killed "three million Jews" he is willing to purge the country of "three million" drug addicts. The figure is based on the United Nations Office of Drugs and Crime's data that 5.2 percent of ages 15 to 64 used illegal drugs.
As of press time, a total of 1,323 drug personalities were killed in police operations while 725,791 have surrendered and promised to change their lives.
2. Freedom of Information (FOI)
With the signing of the Freedom of Information Bill, Filipinos now have the right to access information and public records of all government offices under the executive branch. The bill, which was authored by the late Sen. Raul Roco, was signed by Duterte after 25 days in the office and more than 29 years after it was filed.
3. Emergency Hotlines
Citizens on emergency situations may now contact the government’s emergency hotline, 911. Meanwhile, those who have complaints against government officials, employees and agencies may report it to the 8888 hotline.
4. Ceasefire with Communist Rebels
In order to bring peace in the country and facilitate peace negotiations, Duterte declared a unilateral ceasefire with the communist rebels. Peace talks with the leftists had been stalled for the past 4 years.
5. Curfew for Unaccompanied Minors and Liquor Ban
A nationwide curfew for unaccompanied minors, from 10 pm to 5 am, was implemented by the Duterte administration in order to reduce criminality in the country. On the other hand, adults are now prohibited from drinking in public places beyond 1 am.
6. Ending Laglag Bala Scheme and Improvement of Airports
Passengers found to have ammunitions in their luggages will no longer be arrested to prevent extortion as what was alleged of the apparent bullet-planting modus operandi in several airports in the Philippines. Last year, several passengers were victimized by the reported scheme.
Faster Wi-Fi, cleaner toilets and improved airport facilities were also experienced by passengers in all four terminals of Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) within Duterte’s first 100 days.
7. OFW One-Stop Shop
To ease the processing of requirements for overseas Filipino workers (OFWs), the government has decided to put up a one-stop-shop of various government agencies including the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA), Technical Education and Skills Development (TESDA), Maritime Industry Authority (MARINA), and the Professional Regulation Commission (PRC).
8. Faster Release of Business Permits
Business permits and licenses, under the new administration, will be processed for 1 to 2 days, a significantly faster period compared to the 5 to 10 days- processing in the past.
9. Extension of Driver’s License Validity
Instead of 3 years, validity of driver’s licenses released at the National Capital Region (NCR) will now be up to 5 years. Hopefully, this policy will be implemented nationwide very soon.
10. Inclusion of Leftists in the Cabinet
Four leftists leaders namely Department of Labor and Employment (DOLE) secretary Silvestre Bello, DOLE undersecretary Joel Maglungsod, Department of Agrarian Reform (DAR) secretary Rafael Mariano, and Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) secretary Judy Taguiwalo were appointed by Duterte.
Can you cite other accomplishments of the Duterte administration in the past 100 days? Tell us in the comment section below.
--Mini, The Summit Express
