In a speech before troops in Jolo, Sulu today, President Rodrigo Duterte said he is very happy because “without declaring martial law, I dismantled the oligarchy that controlled the economy of the Filipino people. Sinira ko ’yung mga tao na humahawak sa ekonomiya at umiipit. At hindi nagbabayad.”
Hours after said speech, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque quickly shut down assumptions that the president was referring to the recent denial of ABS-CBN’s franchise renewal application in Congress. Roque said, Duterte was referring to Lucio Tan, Manny Pangilinan and the Ayala clan and not to the Lopezes of ABS-CBN.
Tan’s company Philippine Airlines was singled out by Duterte in 2017 for allegedly avoiding paying its debt of P6 billion to the government for unpaid navigational fees and other charges. This rift has been settled in 2018 after said debt has been paid.
Meanwhile, Duterte apologized to Pangilinan and Ayala’s Zobel brothers in May, five months after he threatened to file a plunder case against Manila Water (where Fernando Zobel de Ayala sits as chairman of the board) and the Pangilinan-owned Maynilad for having committed what he described as “syndicated estafa against consumers” for years.
‘Sino ang oligarch?’
But recently resigned Komisyon ng Wikang Filipino (KWF) Komisyoner para sa mga Wika ng Samar-Leyte Jerry Gracio is not buying it. On Twitter, the poet and screenwriter commented on Roque’s clarification saying, “Harry, let it be.” Those were the same words the spokesperson used yesterday reacting to Gracio’s resignation.
Siya ang presidente; congressman, vice mayor, at mayor ang anak; friends ng mga Marcos-Romualdez, at ng mga Arroyo, suportado ng mga Estrada, mga Dy, at iba pang political dynasty, etc etc. Sino ang oligarch? https://t.co/C48XdFaqXW
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) July 14, 2020
In a series of tweets this morning, Gracio blasted the president’s recent declarations about toppling oligarchy in the country. He asked: “Siya ang presidente; congressman, vice mayor, at mayor ang anak; friends ng mga Marcos-Romualdez, at ng mga Arroyo, suportado ng mga Estrada, mga Dy, at iba pang political dynasty, etc etc. Sino ang oligarch?”
In 2016, speaking before local officials of Luzon at the Dusit Thani Hotel in Makati, Duterte briefly referred to the help he got from Imee Marcos during his campaign, saying “Sino sa inyo ang nagsuporta sa akin? Ilan lang? Sino? One or two. Ilan lang? Four, five six? Wala akong barangay captain, wala akong congressman, wala akong pera. Si Imee [Marcos] pa ang nagbigay. Sabi niya inutang daw niya. Si Imee supported me.”
This statement, however, still remains a claim, as per Duterte’s Statement of Contributions and Expenditures after the 2016 elections, no record of Marcos’ contribution was listed.
Gracio went on to compare the president’s statements to the promises made by Marcos during his regime. “Sinabi rin ni Marcos na bubuwagin niya ang oligarchy. Kaya kinuha ni Marcos ang ari-arian ng mga kalaban niyang oligarch at inilipat sa mga oligarch na malapít sa kanya,” the multi-awarded poet said.
Duterte’s own “cronies”
He added that Duterte “didn’t actually topple anything” as evidenced by the ruling elite in the country. Citing the latest Philippines’ 50 Richest list by Forbes magazine, Gracio asked, “Na-dismantle na ba ang mga nakalista dito? Ba’t di niya unahin ang mga Villar? Si Dennis Uy? Dahil kakampi niya?”
Sabi ni Duterte, na-dismantle na niya ang "oligarchy" that controls the Philippine economy. Na-dismantle na ba ang mga nakalista dito? Ba't di niya unahin ang mga Villar? Si Dennis Uy? Dahil kakampi niya? https://t.co/TqXITXWfM5
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) July 14, 2020
He was referring to former senator Manny and his wife Senator Cynthia Villar who are behind real estate development company Vista Land, and oil and mining tycoon Dennis Uy, who sits as the 22nd richest Filipino on said list.
The latter was defended by Roque in the same virtual presser today when asked about the president’s own “cronies.” “Mayaman na si Dennis Uy, dati pa. Mining sila, sa Diwalwal. Hindi na sila kailangan tulungan ni presidente.”
“Walang binubuwag si Duterte, pinatatahimik lang ang mga lumalaban para makinabang ang kanyang mga kakampi,” concluded Gracio.
Kailangan pa ba ang martial law kung tuta mo ang Kongreso, ikaw ang nag-appoint ng mayorya sa mga mahistrado, hawak mo sa leeg ang karamihan sa mga LGU, at may sandamakmak kang trolls na tagapagtanggol mo?
— Jerry B. Grácio (@JerryGracio) July 14, 2020
On Duterte’s remark that he didn’t even have to declare martial law to topple the oligarchs, the screenwriter who used to work for the embattled ABS-CBN has this to say: “Kailangan pa ba ang martial law kung tuta mo ang Kongreso, ikaw ang nag-appoint ng mayorya sa mga mahistrado, hawak mo sa leeg ang karamihan sa mga LGU at may sandamakmak kang trolls na tagapagtanggol mo?”
Gracio, who has been with KWF since 2013, officially handed over his resignation this week, after two attempts, the first one after Duterte was elected as president in 2016.
One of the reasons he cited in his resignation letter addressed to the president is the government’s disregard over human rights and freedom of the press. In the tweet where he attached a copy of the letter, Gracio said, “I cannot anymore serve a fascist government, even on a holdover capacity.”
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