No other administration has been so vindictive and more than willing to sacrifice the established tenets of democracy and free trade than the current Duterte-led administration.

It is even deadlier and more dangerous than the Marcos regime where several thousands were murdered and private businesses sequestered in favor of the dictator’s family and friends.

The late oppressor Ferdinand Marcos has first brought the economy of the country to a better level before he started raping the country and his fellow Filipinos unlike Duterte who made himself a symbol of the struggling Filipinos as a vehicle to gaining their trust and votes only to wage a deadly war against drugs that resulted to the death of at least 95% poor and suspected drug personalities while the remaining 5% are known name in the illegal drug trade and at the same time continuously welcoming the Chinese who are most of the times involved and arrested for operating illegal drug laboratories in the country.

Several innocent lives were lost including those who were suspiciously murdered and the country to date still stands to witness more murders being executed by no less than the same authorities tasked to resolve the crimes.

This administration has attacked the oligarchs which made it even more popular among the masses. Mighty Corporation, Manila Water, the conglomerate of Lucio Tan and many other big-time corporations are just but a few of the recent memory examples who folded as Duterte threatened them with severe sanctions and closure. Of course, the press releases were very effective as these corporations either paid huge tax deficiencies or closed. What the masses failed to notice is the simple fact that the new people sitting on the boards of these companies are all friends or political patrons of Duterte.

On the critics side, the Duterte administration first incarcerated Senator Leila Delima. Then came it’s ferocious attack against Rappler, an online news organization. Today, it has trained it’s attention to media company ABS-CBN. The reason is simple. It did not air the political ads of Duterte last presidential election according to the President himself. Vendetta came too soon as the President had the media network’s television franchise renewal on hold. The Office of the Solicitor General has, at the same time, initiated a quo warranto proceeding at the Supreme Court against the franchise of the network.

This administration has two more years to manage the affairs of the country. It is commanding a very good trust rating. It is even boasting that the democracy the country is enjoying today is even more stable. This is however where the gray and dangerous area begins.

Unlike among dictatorial states where murder and oppression are seen and expected, the democracy this administration adheres to is being used to cover oppressive and dictatorial policies and acts. Given the not so common common sense of Filipinos and a relatively lower literacy rate, the opportunity is full for Duterte and his administration to make their moves.