ONE of the great strengths of a flourishing democracy is the “seasonal” changes of leadership, especially the top ones of a country, thereby injecting new ideas and styles into otherwise complacent status quo, and charting perhaps a different, better course for the country, all, hopefully, in line with the will of the people. The Philippines, like many a Southeast Asian country, has experienced the post-colonial ebb and flow of democracy, much to both the joys and pains of its people. This is perhaps why the Philippine presidency, barring constitutional changes, is limited to one long six-year term, balancing the need for policies to be effectuated over an extended period, with the fear of an overstayed imperious dictatorship. And it is perhaps customary for commentators (albeit foreign ones such as myself) to layout some of our wishes and aspirations at the commencement of a new national leadership.

There are indeed high hopes and expectations bestowed upon newly inaugurated President Rodrigo Duterte. I would venture to say that while most of the earnest hopes are foreign-directed, which would be nice if achieved but are admittedly of less urgency, the exigent expectations are domestic-oriented and should be of top priority for the new administration. There is an immediate need for the Philippines to put its house in order if it were to weather through these globally stormy times.

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