Deconstructing oligarchy

“GANUN NILA nilaro ang bayan ko. Kaya ako mamatay, mahulog ang eroplano… I am very happy. Alam mo bakit?... without declaring martial law, I dismantled the oligarchy that controlled the economy and the Filipino people.”

So, President Duterte triumphantly trumpeted in a taped speech before soldiers in Jolo, Sulu aired Tuesday by government TV.

Coming in the wake of the House of Cayetano denying ABS-CBN a fresh franchise, at least two implications can be drawn immediately from the president’s remark: one, it was the Lopezes that he referenced as “the oligarchy,” and two, he did his hero one better – Marcos had to go to the full measure of declaring martial law to (ir)rationalize the shutdown of ABS-CBN, Duterte did it on a whim. That Congress most expeditiously obliged. Verily, Rodrigo’s wish is Alan Peter’s command.   

On the first deduction, quick was presidential blow horn Harry Roque to finger Lucio Tan, Manny V. Pangilinan, and the Ayala clan as the “oligarchy” his boss said he “dismantled.” Not the ABS-CBN owners.

On the second, Harry apparently had no clue.

Anyways, Roque’s blowby makes Duterte’s trumpeting for all that it really is – all hot air.

LT Group has not budged a millimeter from its interests in tobacco, spirits, banking, property development, aviation, etc.

MVP sits supreme over conglomerates in telecommunications, power distribution, energy, water concessions, tollways, hospitals and health services, mining, and media.  
The Ayalas’ eponymous empire of malls, real estate and land development is established throughout the country, so are their interests in banking, water and telecommunications.

Absent the slightest totter, as much financially as physically, in all three, pray, tell, what or who has Duterte dismantled?

Oligarchs "take advantage of their political power," Duterte also said in his taped speech.

We cannot agree more with Duterte there. Seeing the proofs positive all around him – drumroll please…  

The Villars – Cynthia the senator, Camille the congresswoman, Mark the overlord of Build, Build, Build, and ex-House speaker and ex-Senate president Manny the billionaire.

The Cayetanos – Pia the senator, House speaker Alan Peter and wife Cong. Lani of the same home but separate districts, and Lino the mayor.

The Marcoses and Romualdezes.

And, not the least, the Dutertes themselves and their cronies.   

Now, if there are oligarchs that really need deconstructing, the president may look no farther than the tip of his nose.

"Every election noon o sa ngayon o bukas sabihin nila sa isang kuwarto lang ‘yan, ‘O ‘adre, sinong kandidato natin ngayon? O ikaw diyan, ikaw ang bahala sa ano ha, you raise the funds.'" Aye, Duterte knows whereof he speaks. All too well.