Bam Aquino slams president Duterte: We don't need a dictator.

Manila, Philippines – Opposition lawmakers like Senator Bam Aquino slammed President Rodrigo Duterte for admitting that he was indeed a “dictator”.

Aquino said that the Philippines does not need a strong man as he would likely bring violence and killings, lack of jobs, freedom suppression, more corruption in the government, as well as huge additional debt.

“A dictator is not what we need. Rather, we need a leader who has the capacity to govern and shows genuine concern for the nation, especially its poor,” Aquino said in Filipino.

He also reminded the chief executive that Filipinos fought the former dictator Ferdinand Marcos because they know that dictatorship would only bring the country down.

Meanwhile, Representative Tom Villarin of Akbayan said that president Duterte’s admission confirmed what he had been doing all this time, being a dictator himself.

Villarin cited the alleged extra judicial killings on president’s war on drugs, the declaration of martial law in Mindanao region, his contempt for the rule of law, the harassments of some constitutional officers, crackdown on legitimate dissent, and also the president’s strong choice of words when he speaks – these according to Villarin are all “hallmarks of a dictator.”

“Dictators bring down a country, bring pain and untold sufferings to people and the children who will have a traumatized future,” he said.

Also, Rep. Antonio Tinio of ACT Teachers party list, the admission of the president showed his disrespect for human rights and due process, his dislike for competitive bidding in infrastructure projects, also his attacks to the mainstream media.

“There you have it, straight from the horse’s mouth. Pres. Duterte is a self-confessed dictator,” he said.

President Duterte recently said in his speech addressing the 200 former New People’s Army who returned to the government that, ” Yes, it is true. I am a dictator. I have to be a dictator for the good of the country.”

Source: Philstar