Rock star with one song - Change is coming!

by Chito A. Fuentes 

“Graft has to stop!”, Mayor Rodrigo Duterte told a highly-partisan crowd in Taguig Sunday evening at the concert MAD for Change: Tunog ng Pagbabago.

The rock start sings a hopeful tune - Change is coming!

Duterte decried the sickening bureaucracy that has bred a web of corruption in government which in turn is one major reason why the country is lagging behind its neighbors in terms of development.

“Dito sa gobyerno…ano ka dito 48 signatures,” he gave as example to prove his point.

With 48 signatures, he said the investor will have to fork over a significant amount particularly those involving economic enterprises and industries.

He said that there transactions where investors shell out P300,000 to P500,000 or even P2 million to P3 million for the needed document.

The mayor also cited as example the processing of land clearances where there are so many signatures and payments before the title is releases.

“I don’t care how you do it but I will just give you 72 hours,” Duterte said, citing his policy in Davao.

After 72 hours, employees are no longer allowed to release the document which has to be forwarded to his office with an explanation on why it took more than three days to finish. 

The 2016 most-awaited presidential candidate who beat the deadline set for substitutions did not disappoint a loyal fan based that waited near midnight for his appearance.

At its peak, the crowd estimate at the Taguig concert held at McKinley Hill was placed at more than 30,000.

The bailiwick of his running mate, Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano, was entertained by volunteer musicians including Jimmy Bondoc, Paolo Santos, Luke Mejares and Thor who sang “Takbo” which was released in a last-ditch effort to prod Duterte to file before the deadline last Oct. 17.

Also present were Davao-based musicians who compose the Musicians and Artists for Duterte (MAD) for Change several months back including Popong Landero and Jimmy Cabrera and folk icon Lolita Carbon.

Professional basketball players Marc Pingris, Sonny Thoss, Jay-R Reyes, Cyrus Baguio, Mac Baracael, Willy Miller, Jun Cabato and Jobe Nkemacolam also appeared on stage and threw away free balls.

The early birds arrived at the venue before the scheduled 4 pm and had considerably thinned when Duterte arrived at 10:50 pm.

True to his rock-star reputation, escorts had a difficult time containing admirers who wanted to have selfies with the controversial mayor.

While the Duterte-Cayetano team-up was the last to be finalized, it got off to an auspicious start in Taguig.

Unlike other candidates, the performers were all volunteers who are individually rooting for Duterte.

There were also no bus-in crowds just to project perception of a bandwagon.

Duterte has little need for that at this time, surprising surging on top of the heap in the National Capital Region where he was portrayed as very weak unlike his bailiwicks in Mindanao and two regions in the Visayas.

There were no noticeable changes in Duterte’s speech, giving indications he has no intention of softening his image now that he has formalized his candidacy. 

In what is expected as the most unorthodox campaign, Duterte has sent jaded analysts shaking their heads and fanatical supporters shouting themselves hoarse in glee.

With this phenomenal surge despite comping in late in the campaign and without the fabled political organization that others build up at least a year before election, Duterte can expect frightened rivals to fire at will.

Duterte, however, wants to keep everyone guessing, promising a campaign that will rewrite Philippine presidential elections. (CHITO A. FUENTES)