Contradiction 2: Are all killers equal?Not all killers are equal and motives matter, giving some insight into why he has at the very least supported extrajudicial killings. Duterte makes a distinction between criminals and rebels, proudly saying that he “belongs to the Left.â€
“They’re two different things,†he said. “One is for pocket, and the other one is ideology. Here is a rebel, and they’re fighting as a matter of principle. And here are idiots – the criminals. Because they line their pockets for gain. Personal gain. There’s no redeeming factor in killing people, robbing them, raping them.â€
He reiterated he has no qualms about killing these killers and goes a step further.
“I must admit I have killed,†said Davao’s mayor, who said he is willing to do it to protect his people.
To understand Duterte’s appeal to Filipino voters, understand the context: that institutions are weak at best and law and order is patchy in many parts of the country. Violence is part of the political landscape, and it gets worse during elections.
The worst election-related violence in the world happened in the Philippines in November, 2009, when 58 people were killed, including the largest number of journalists killed in one instance.
For the 2010 presidential elections, the police say 155 people died, including 22 assassinated candidates.
Duterte said the way to stop the violence is to use violence, establish a rule of law, and change the overall political system.
He says it’s time to turn an oligarchic system run by the political elite upside down and act on the gap between the rich and the poor.
“Ayan, yang cliché na iyan: the poor is getting poorer; the rich is getting richer. They utter it every election. Every candidate. Why don’t you just do it? Just shut up, and just do it.
“Would you be able to do it?†I asked.
“I will,†he answered.
His supporters believe him because of what he did in Davao. They say his words mirror his actions. They point to his humble lifestyle and home, signs they add, that he is not corrupt.
Critics respond that there is a huge difference between running a city and running a country.
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