The ruling faction led by Duterte and composed of his loyal political warlords is becoming increasingly isolated and hated by the people. Day by day, more people grow to despise Duterte and his henchmen for their sheer corruption, greed, ineptness, and brutality in the midst of the people’s worsening hardship.

Desperately clinging to power, Duterte’s ruling clique is targeting the broadest range of opposition forces, including political rivals of their own class. They aim to demolish anyone in their way. Calbayog mayor Ronaldo Aquino was the target of such an attack, fifteen months ahead of the national elections.

Duterte and his henchmen in the Philippine National Police surely are privy to the details of the attack on Aquino. PNP chief Debold Sinas and Region 8 chief Ronaldo de Jesus clumsily cover up the ambush, only to be exposed as farce by numerous eyewitness accounts and photographic evidence. Their lies are absurd, laughable and desperate, going as far as using the NPA as scapegoat for their dirty war.

As the 2022 elections draw nearer, the Filipino people should expect worsening attacks principally by the ruling Duterte faction against all opposition. Duterte and his closest allies are fast becoming isolated as the economic and political crises deepen and the people’s clamor for genuine fundamental change ring louder. Contradictions within the ruling clique can also intensify and can break out into open war.

The Filipino people must form the broadest unity to condemn the worsening attacks and the culture of impunity under the Duterte regime.#