Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte is the most popular presidential candidate in the May 2016 in social media.
Duterte, standard bearer of the opposition Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban (PDP-Laban), beat his four rivals in the race to Malacanang, based on “election-related conversations” about the coming election, according to social media giant Facebook.
“Election-related conversations,” according to Facebook, means any post or comment that contains highly specific and targeted keywords or hashtags related to either the election itself, a candidate, a party, or a specific topic that might be playing a large role in the election.
With the 2016 elections only three months away, Filipino voters have invaded Facebook Facebook to post comments about their candidates and their opponents and discuss election-related topics.
Aside from Duterte, who has front lined survey results for presidential preference by pollsters Pulse Asia and Social Weather Stations (SWS), the other presidential candidates are Vice President Jejomar Binay of the United Nationalist Alliance (UNA), independent Senator Grace Poe, former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas of the ruling Liberal Party and Senator Miriam Defensor Santiago of the People’s Reform Party.
According to Facebook, 8.2 million Filipinos participated in election-related conversations from November 30 through February 15. This figure represents 16.7 percent of the 49 million monthly active users on Facebook in the Philippines, and has resulted in some 45 million conversations.
“Facebook is the destination for authentic conversation about politics. It’s a place for citizens to learn about candidates, for friends to debate political issues, and for candidates to reach voters,” said Elizabeth Hernandez, Facebook’s Head of APAC Public Policy.
“Candidates are using Facebook to reach citizens directly and personally. They are having unfiltered conversations about important public policy issues and getting honest feedback from voters.”
“Percentages are calculated as the number of unique people discussing a particular presidential candidate, out of the number of unique people discussing any of the presidential candidates,” said the company in a news release.
“Because many people discuss multiple presidential candidates, the percentages will have a sum greater than 100. The numbers are however useful for comparing the overall size of discussion for one candidate against another.”
If he is elected President, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte will mellow down on his stand on mining.
Last year, the Davao City Council led by Duterte’s son, Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte, approved a City Ordinance declaring Davao City as “mining-free.”
The ordinance that banned any mining activity, is a follow through legislation of a resolution approved in 2011 by the legislative body as multinational companies applied for mining permits over large tracts of land in the city’s upland districts of Marilog and Paquibato that are said to be rich in gold deposits.
Duterte had then said that Davao City would only allow mining if technologies are available to fully protect people and the environment.
The Dutertes, including daughter former Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, are rabidly anti-mining for a reason: mining in the Davao and Caraga regions, Mindanao’s “Mineral Corridor,” particularly in Compostela Valley province, has a sad history of violence, social problems and environmental degradation.
Environmentalist hailed the passage of the ordinance but also sparked protest from the mining industry which threatened to sue the local government.
The Alliance of Responsible Miners (ARMOR) in the Davao Region, dsid then it will go to the Supreme Court to question the legality of the ordinance. The group said the ordinance violated the Philippine Mining Act of 1995 which allows responsible mining.
Has Diterte changed his mind about mining?
In a speech before businessmen in Makati City on February 3, Duterte said he would support responsible mining if elected President.
But under the most severe of regulations.
“Mining, the best that I can see now is the Australian standard, just follow the Australian standard. Just take care of the environment,” he told members of the Wallace Business Forum.
The supposed lack of protection for mining investments and fierce opposition from environmentalists has discouraged mining companies from pursuing projects in the country.
Two years ago, Sagittarius Mines, Inc. (SMI), touted as the single biggest direct investment in the Philippines, abandoned its US$59B gold-and-copper project in Tampakan, South Cotabato, over strong opposition by environmentalist groups, communist rebels and South Cotabato provincial government which passed an ordinance that prohibited open-pit mining, the method that SMI would use.
Peter Wallace, chairman of the Wallace Business Forum, is happy about Duterte’s open-mindedness about mining.
“I was particularly pleased to hear that he’s supportive of mining if it’s responsibly done in the way it’s done in Australia rather than just not done at all as we’ve had now, and I think that was very good,” Wallace said in a report in Rappler.
The Philippines is abundant in mineral wealth, estimated to be worth US$840 billion. At the height of the country’s mining industry, it was responsible for 20% of export earnings and was a leading source of employment, Rappler reports.
The Wallace Business Forum was attended by around 100 businessmen from multinational corporations.
Other than his position on mining, Duterte also spelled out his programs on foreign investments, transportation, federal governance, security of government contracts and peace and order, among others.
Before Duterte, the Wallace Business Forum had as speakers Liberal Party standard-bearer Manuel Roxas II, Grace Poe, and Vice President Jejomar Binay. ROGER M. BALANZA
Although he admits that the business of business and economics is alien to him, Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte earned good grades from his audience at a business forum with his planned economic policy if he is elected President in the May polls.
According to business leaders who joined the forum, Duterte would make a good president if he pursues his peace and order campaign alongside an economic agenda to be hammered out by a team of top economic consultants.
At the GoNegosyo Meet the Presidentiables series in Makati City on February 4, Duterte said he would open more windows for the entry of foreign investments.
ECONOMIC PLANS. Easing barriers to foreign investments and allocating billions of pesos for micro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) are among Duterte’s policy reforms. Photos by Chrisee Dela Paz/Rappler
Compared to other Asian countries, the Philippines lags behind in terms of foreign investments.
Duterte said he would ease barriers to investments by allowing foreign corporations to as much as 70% ownership in all industries.
He said he would also allow 40-year leasing rights on lands to foreign developers.
The Duterte formula in luring foreign investment is back-dropped by pending proposals in Congress to allow land and capital ownership to investors who are currently tied to 40 percent. Economists believe that amending economic provisions of the Constitution un ownership would usher in flow of more foreign investments.
Duterte, who is against allowing foreigners to own land, in another earlier forum said he would lease islands for foreign investors to develop for industries and tourism.
In his speech at the GoNegosyo forum, Duterte said that his economic agenda would also include capital support formicro, small and medium enterprises (MSMEs) and the review and revision of the Philippine tax system.
Panelists in the forum said they see no problem in Duterte, who is more known for his fight against crime and corruption, successfully pushing his economic policies.
All he needs are competent advisers to make good business decisions should he be elected as president, according to business leaders who attended the forum.
Frankly, Duterte told the forum that business and economics is not his cup of tea but said that he has been advised that if he becomes the president, he should create a committee to deal with the business sector.
Duterte told the GoNegosyo forum, that promoting entrepreneurship would be among his priorities. GoNegosyo is an association of entrepreneurs.
If I’ll be elected as the next president, I will put a sizeable amount in the trade department to help MSMEs. It could be billions of pesos, Duterte vowed.
Without much elaboration, Duterte said he would order a review of the tax system.
I am told to be careful regarding this matter, because conditions today might not be the conditions tomorrow. I will create a committee to deal with taxation, Duterte said.
While some business leaders in the forum say that business and economics are not his strength, others said he was in the right track in giving priority on peace and order.
Unanimously, the business leaders said Duterte as President needs a good team of business consultants.
But they also said Duterte promoting peace and order is a good start to achieve a better business climate.
When you fight crime, you have a peaceful nation. Then all the other things happen, according to one businessman.
Another summed up Duterte with a positive note: “Yes, I think he is okay for business because we all know what his priorities are and what he has done in Davao. So I think that is what he wants to replicate: Solving corruption, fighting criminality. So when there is peace and order, it can help the development of our business climate.
Diplomacy and mutual economic benefits is the key to the peaceful resolution of the Philippine conflict with China over the West Philippine Sea.
Instead of waging war with the world’s second biggest economy, the Philippines could convert the conflict into benefit by sharing resources of the disputed islands with the Chinese.
This is the position of presidential candidate Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte in the dispute that has placed relations between China and the Philippines in a precarious edge.
Presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte at the Rotary Club of Manila forum speaking on how he would solve the West Philippine Sea dispute with China
If he wins the race in May, Duterte, standard bearer of the opposition Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Laban, said he would settle the conflict by sharing resources in the disputed territory with the Chinese.
Duterte’s approach is a simple formula: Sit down in negotiation with the Chinese to discuss economic cooperation.
China covets the West Philippine Sea due to its strategic location; control over the territory means naval power for the Asian giant.
But also at the core of the territorial dispute is money: the West Philippine Sea is a rich fishing ground; underneath are large deposits of gas and oil.
For Duterte, a military confrontation is out of the question… a case of a David fighting a Goliath.
“We cannot defeat China. We will be pulverized if we go to war. So I will just tell them, ‘If you want to talk, let’s talk,” Duterte told a Manila forum attended by a mix of students, entrepreneurs and business leaders.
He revealed his position on the West Philippine Sea dispute with China as a “presidential response” to a statement made two days earlier by Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua who called on the Philippines to be “flexible and intelligent” in its bilateral relations with China.
The Philippines claims that large areas of the West Philippine Sea fall within its 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, where it has the exclusive rights to fish and explore resources.
The Chinese dismiss the Philippine claim saying the West Philippine Sea (aka South China Sea) is “historically” Chinese territory.
The Chinese has built structures in some of the islands and its Navy has been driving away Filipino fishermen from the marine resource-rich territory.
The West Philippine Sea is also said to be rich in gas and oil deposits.
Duterte said he would propose to China that the disputed territory be declared as a mutual corridor where the two countries can conduct joint exploration and production of gas and oil.
But he believes that the Philippines has a rightful claim over the disputed islands that Chinese illegally occupied.
Duterte said he will not compromise the Philippine claim over the West Philippine Sea even as he propose bilateral trade and joint economic undertaking with the Chinese in the disputed island.
Duterte’s approach to the dispute is similar to that of the administration of then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, which entered into a Joint Marine Seismic Undertaking with China and Vietnam where the 3 countries agreed to conduct joint explorations.
Another presidential candidate Vice President Jejomar Binay is taking the route of Duterte.
Taking a different stand, President Benigno Aquino has sought international arbitration on the dispute. This position is also embraced by Mar Roxas, the standard bearer of the ruling Liberal Party of Aquino. The Philippines is pursuing an arbitration case before a United Nations-backed arbitral tribunal in The Hague, the Netherlands. Beijing has refused to recognize the Philippine legal action, preferring resolution of the conflict without intervention of a third party.
Duterte said the Philippines would be the loser if the arbitration case cannot be resolved early.
As the case drags, the Chinese continues its occupation of the islands, he said.
Duterte said he would resolve the issue in two to three years of his presidency by talking with China to end the dispute over the West Philippine Sea.
“Percentages are calculated as the number of unique people discussing a particular presidential candidate, out of the number of unique people discussing any of the presidential candidates,” said the company in a news release.
The ordinance that banned any mining activity, is a follow through legislation of a resolution approved in 2011 by the legislative body as multinational companies applied for mining permits over large tracts of land in the city’s upland districts of Marilog and Paquibato that are said to be rich in gold deposits.
The Philippines is abundant in mineral wealth, estimated to be worth US$840 billion. At the height of the country’s mining industry, it was responsible for 20% of export earnings and was a leading source of employment, Rappler reports.
Duterte said he would ease barriers to investments by allowing foreign corporations to as much as 70% ownership in all industries.
Another summed up Duterte with a positive note: “Yes, I think he is okay for business because we all know what his priorities are and what he has done in Davao. So I think that is what he wants to replicate: Solving corruption, fighting criminality. So when there is peace and order, it can help the development of our business climate.
He revealed his position on the West Philippine Sea dispute with China as a “presidential response” to a statement made two days earlier by Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua who called on the Philippines to be “
THE DURIAN POST 