BEING A SUPPORTER

I am pro-Duterte and I support him but I am not a biased and loyalist supporter who will just always conform, bow and say yes even when see something I do not like or I find it wrong.  I will criticize if I have to do it but I will still support him as long as our leading destination are in the same track which is the cleaning up of beaurocracy.  To sing alleluia doesn’t mean the only way to show support, I can still criticize but not to destruct.  I am neutral and I have to be fair in everything.   I am just afraid on his followers who have lot of pressure to keep diplomatic, objective and calm as possible.  In here comes the categorically called loyalist than just a mere supporter.  I don’t want to find out one day these people become adoring supporters and ass-licking loyalists defending every action, curse, outburst and every decision of the President.  This is frightening for the supporters to become loyalist who do not accept criticism, do not listen explanation and do not see other than theirs.  And at the same time, this is also frightening for the administration because when there is no one opposing, when everybody keep silent, when people surrender their rights, and when we tolerate all – then everything will seem to be perfectly right and this is wrong.

I am a supporter.  I am Duterte’s supporter but I don’t want to be called dutertard for I still have that space for me.  I am a supporter but I am not tolerant, I must reasonable and neutral.  With no offense to those people who are fine to be called dutertards, I cannot categorically call myself a loyalist supporter who is aggressive, biased and insensitive.  People must be loyal to the country, not to the leader because leaders will go but not the country.  It is acceptable for supporters to violently response against the negative criticism but to justify everything about theirs every now and then is something that should slow down.  Sadly, what I see today are supporters who become unfair and obviously partisan.  For them it is all about them and theirs – a show of exaggerated sense of chauvinism like a horse who has covers on the sides of both eyes.  This is not patriotism but idolism and it will show more personal than national, making to protect the leader than the country.  And it is happening in different circumstances like when these people slam a political figure about the picture showing that person with a convicted drug lord and called them immoral but not when Duterte’s picture with a different drug lord has surfaced in social media, this is obviously prejudice.  When supporters bashed a noted and influential political family about their alleged connection with communist but not when Duterte negotiated with its chief founder and planning to free the political detainees soon, is it fair?  When we are opposing the different deceits of China but the administration today seems to accord with China and the supporters are silent about this, then this is really biased.   Watching their behavior, you can ask where the change is.  The spurt of various web sites and fan pages like sprouting mushrooms that are just all same purpose is to destroy enemies, promote their interest and spread propaganda.  People are still the same old politics who are still enjoying to expose defects to destroy their political and personal enemies, where is the change?   When the people we saw cackling in the social media now, these are still the same people who used to mock the political figure, where is the change?  I see the same pattern of Marcos loyalists.

Supporters must be logically realistic.  They must have presence of mind to weight, justify and rationalize things fairly.  There is nothing wrong to fight for what you believe in as your show of support to your political group.  It is difficult to see yourself but if you think you always retaliate those who oppose your group, then pause for a while and self check.   But for you to be able to see and admit the flaw of your own and appreciate the strength of others means you are open minded and that is good, that is healthy.  I have been a pro-administration, opposition and critics in different times but every time I was in any of these situations, I admire and object whether or not it is pertaining to my group or not.  And it will not be difficult for me because this is my nature.