Duterte’s railway dreams

The SONA was undeniably serpentine in form, meandering in pace, and predictably larded with promises. President Duterte vowed to address global warming, and to fight corruption, criminality, and drugs. He promised to forge peace with Communist and Muslim rebels, improve disaster response, and fortify measures to combat terrorism. He promised to protect indigenous peoples’ rights, and promote strategies to uplift the poor, including the full implementation of the Reproductive Health Law. While it is not surprising that these pronouncements, some supported more by strong conviction than substantial programs, were greeted with cynical eye-rolling, criticism in general has been muted. Even the off-script portions delivered in Tagalog and Bisaya, which were blighted by floundering sentences, somehow came across as heartfelt and authentic, and were met with appreciation rather than derision.

The appeal, it seems to me, did not lie in the promises – a politician’s knack for making and breaking promises is soul destroying – but in the ambitiousness of the message and the credibility of the messenger. Take, for instance, the President’s plans to build a national railway system. He talked of transit systems for Davao and Cebu, railway networks on Mindanao and Panay Island, and one that would link Manila to several points in northern and southern Luzon. “Hindi ako nagyayabang” he said,“pero totoo talaga ‘to…six years, lalabas talaga ito. I assure you because it’s going to materialize.”