‘He embraces modern multipolarity with Filipino
characteristics’- a column headline reads.
Veteran columnist and former ambassador Rigoberto Tiglao
shared this column from a Western Analyst, who also writes for the Asia Times,
Adam Garrie.
Garrie, was described by respected news website as “a
geopolitical expert with an emphasis on Eurasia, the director of Eurasia
Future, and a frequent guest on “Digital Divides,” RT’s “CrossTalk” and Press
TV’s “The Debate.”
Mr. Tiglao said that he absolutely agrees with Garrie, who
wrote this enlightening insight that others like him, do not have.
In the said column, Asia Times writer expressed his
admiration towards the Philippine president who was able to embrace modern
multipolarity (having multiple centers of power or influence.
Below is the must-read highlights of Garrie’s write up,
which Tiglao also found very informative;
“President Duterte’s approval ratings in the Philippines
remain incredibly high, both by the standards of his contemporaries and by
international standards. His continued popularity in his country demonstrates
that Filipinos know something that many overseas have not yet been able to
grasp.
As of December 2017, President Duterte had an approval
rating of 80 percent. An additional survey found that of the four most recent
Philippine Presidents, Duterte was rated the most trusted.
By contrast, Donald Trump’s approval rating among Americans
as of March 2018 stands at 42 percent, his highest since taking office. In
recent European surveys, Britain’s Prime Minister received an approval rating
of 27 percent while the French President’s approval rating was 28 percent and
Germany’s veteran Chancellor Angela Merkel came in with a 39 percent approval
rating.
All of these numbers among prominent Western politicians are
significantly lower than that of the Philippine President, but this is only
half the story. Duterte’s policies are openly detested among the Western global
elites because they represent an economic pivot in the Philippines away from
the US and its EU cousin, to the wider pan-Asia world.
Duterte’s building of new economic partnerships across
Asean, with China, Russia and India, have shown that Duterte does not favor any
one nation or region, but is instead looking to diversify the international
outlook of the Philippine economy. This strikes at the heart of the
yellow/Liberal agenda which seeks to promote stagnation in the Philippines
under the guise that an old broken system can somehow fix itself.
Free weapons
When it comes to security issues, Duterte has received free
weapons from Russia and looks to build further security partnerships beyond the
traditional Western NATO axis. Duterte’s war on drugs has proved to be highly
popular among Filipinos and for good reason: it has cut crime, anti-social
degeneracy, has increased productivity and has led the Philippine economy to be
named the number one investment capital of the world.
Simultaneous to cleaning up the streets and opening the
country for business, Duterte has diversified the internal market in the
Philippines, making old oligarchs less powerful, while tax reforms look to put
the economic future of the country in the hands of local businessmen and
entrepreneurs as well as their international partners.
It is clear enough why countries like the US and its Western
allies are feeling upset at losing their once unstoppable economic and
political monopoly over the Philippines. As such, they are using their
mainstream media outlets and international political associations to slander
Duterte as much as possible.
But why is it that some independent commentators or
self-described activists who don’t normally take mainstream media stories as
gospel, also see fit to slander Duterte?
The key to understanding why Duterte is misunderstood even
among political sceptics in the wider Western world, requires understanding the
fact that concepts like 21st century non-alignment, multipolarity and political
values which transcend traditional definitions of right and left, are still
grossly misrepresented, in both mainstream and so-called ‘alt-media’.”
Garrie also added that President Duterte and the Philippines
has no responsibility to answer any of its foreign critics.
“Ultimately, Duterte and the Philippines do not need to
answer any of its foreign critics. Duterte’s job is to serve his people, not
the wishes of foreigners. However, it is important in an age of soft-power
projection, to have the necessary tools to explain why Duterte is so misrepresented
in certain countries.
Duterte has embraced modern multipolarity with Filipino
characteristics.
The far right and far left are there to serve themselves,
while Duterte is there to serve his people based on an understanding of the
reality, complete with the straight-talking personality that helps make this
clear to all but those who refuse to listen”
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