Some supposed “nationalist-experts” continue to write allegations that President Rodrigo Duterte sides with Chinoy — Chinese Filipino — “oligarchs” “against” the Filipino people. Historical facts, applied logic and verifiable current observations show why these are inaccurate.
Presuming President Duterte does favor specific businessmen, it hardly means he favors them in general above others. He put pressure on a taipan and collected billions, and on a cigarette magnate, who was divested of his business and made to pay P25 billion — for the national treasury. Just because he released US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton doesn’t mean he favors the Americans; his approval for Japan’s Metro Manila $11-billion subway project doesn’t mean he is especially for Japan. While we may not agree with his decisions, we have to recognize politics is a complex act of balancing economics and political trade-offs with local geopolitics, health and education, social and other issues.