This week, our friend Ben, a devout Catholic, and I chatted about the theory of the innate goodness of man. This subject of our exchanges came about because of the observation that past president Digong Duterte, now detained in The Hague awaiting trial for crimes against humanity, is also regarded as the “Father of OFWs.”
The avalanche of news about the extrajudicial killings (EJKs) that were perpetrated during his incumbency as mayor of Davao and as president of our country overshadowed his many outstanding programs during his presidency, including those that were initiated and implemented to ensure the well-being of Filipino migrant workers, our heroes who shored up our economy with the millions of dollars they remitted to our country over the years.
Perhaps, the many rallies all over the country and in other countries, demanding and praying for the return of Digong Duterte to the Philippines, were and still are attended by mostly migrant workers and/or their families and relatives who were beneficiaries of the government projects.
Ben told me that it was during the Duterte administration that a Department of Migrant Workers, an OFW hospital, and an OFW bank were established. He told me that his two children and thousands of other dependents of OFWs were scholars of the OWWA scholarship program.
Several livelihood, medical, and calamity assistance programs as well as disability and death benefits were accorded to thousands of migrant workers, more than what past administrations extended.
Ben also noted that during the pandemic, his wife was among the more than one million OFWs who were given quarantine, food assistance, transport assistance, and cash assistance.
With so many OFWs all over the world, it is not, therefore, surprising that rallies and demonstrations of Filipinos who remain faithful to Duterte are held not only in Davao or the Visayas region but also in several countries, including the Netherlands.
In the midst of our chat, Ben became philosophical and wondered how humans could be good and considered “evil” at the same time, saying “sayang naman ang mga nagawang magagandang programa at gawain ni Presidente Digong at parang nawalan ng kabuhulan dahil sa masasamang nagawa niya na labag sa utos ng Diyos at sa sangkatauhan!”
I replied, “likas yatang mabuti at -*masama ang tao, Ben, kaya kung hinde ipinadala ng Diyos sa mundo and kanyang natatanging Anak, ay wala tayong tagapagligtas sa tiyak na pagdurusa sa impiyerno.”
I then recalled what I learned in our subject Eastern Thought in college about innate goodness, which is a perspective on human nature. I believe in this theory that suggests that humans are inherently good and doing good comes naturally, not like doing evil. I also believe that nature itself is good.
Ben agreed and, being a Christian, he added that nature was created by God who declared that all that He created was good.
What brought Digong to do “evil” was actually his own “free will.”
It is free will that helps humans discern what is good while avoiding the temptations of satan who tells them that they can act and be like God, and in the process humans do evil.
I remembered the late senate president Jovito Salonga, whom I chauffeured in Baguio during his presidential campaign, and who was also a believer in the innate goodness of human beings.
He would tell his audience that it is when humans become tired and weary of being good that they sin and then evil thrives.
So what drove ex-president Duterte to engage in EJKs, if we assume that he is a “good-natured” human being?
From his pronouncements and statements that I could recall, he seems to be disappointed with the justice system in our country, as he observed during his time as a prosecutor in Davao—from the slow grind of the wheels of justice to the corruption in the police department, prosecutors office, the judiciary, the “cleverness” of defense lawyers which allowed criminals to go scot-free, even though it is very obvious and clear from the facts that they should be declared guilty of the crimes that they were charged with.
Duterte was, thus, weary observing the democratic process whereby an accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty by a court of law. It is for this reason that he created the Davao Death Squad (DDS) to run after criminals, especially drug pushers and drug addicts for the swifter dispensation of justice.
Because of the “work” of the DDS, Davao City was considered a “crime-free” city and during Duterte’s time as mayor and during his presidency. When he implemented his war on drugs, the crime index in the Philippines “plummeted.”
However, no matter how well-meaning and noble your purpose may be, the means to achieve it must not itself be unlawful. The means to achieve an end must also be lawful and morally correct.
We still believe that Duterte has goodness in his heart; he just became tired and weary of being good.
