Some netizens believe that President Rodrigo Duterte’s independent foreign policy is now bearing fruit amid the US-Iran crisis.

On Wednesday, netizen Jaira Andrea shared a screenshot of some comments from the netizens who called Duterte a ‘political’ genius for distancing the country from the U.S military.

According to the screenshots posted by Andrea, one netizen said that the reason why President Duterte opposed the presence of the U.S military in the country is that the Philippines may become the target of America’s enemies.

“US po ang target ng Iran kaya nila bobombahin yung mga nasabing bansa syempre babawiin na din ng kabilang panig dafhil pati sila madadamay kaya nga ayaw ni DU30 na meron tayong US BASE sa pilipinas kung naalala nyoyung dating binalita para makawas tayo sa giyera kung sakaling magkaron man,” netizen Albert Rodriguez said.

Another netizen, Michael John Go called Duterte a ‘genius’ saying that despite the alliance between US, the President also befriended Russia and China to maintain the neutrality of the Philippines.

“This is why Duterte is a political genius. He well knows that we have this agreement with USA but get engage and friendly with Russia and China just so we can be neutral,” Go said.

“He knows that if the WW3 starts or the tension gets out of hand in the South China Sea, Philippines can be a battleground. People calls him moron, but he is really a political genius,” he added.

The post has gone viral on social media and now reached 10,000 shares.

It’s already known that President Duterte opposed any plans of the U.S to build bases in the Philippines.

In 2017, Duterte told the U.S to stop unloading arms in several parts of the country because it might put the Philippines in possible danger.

He made the statement after he was informed that US troops appear to be building a depot in the Philippines and unloading arms in Palawan, Pampanga and Cagayan De Oro.

“You place us all in danger. You do that and I will be there when you start building, even before you build the first post,” Duterte said.

In another interview, Duterte said that he wanted to remove any presence of foreign military troops in the Philippines.

Senate President Vicente “Tito” Sotto III defended President Rodrigo Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang after Vice President Leni Robredo called it a failure.

On a tweet, Sotto said that the popularity of the President and the stories from the people about how the Oplan Tokhang made their place safer is “incompatible” with the accusations of Robredo who gave a grade of 1 over 100 to the administration during the revelation of her ICAD findings last Monday.

The Senate President also believes that the users and pushers lost their confidence to roam along the streets because of Duterte’s Oplan Tokhang.

“The President’s high approval ratings after 3 years, is incompatible with a grand failure accusation. The truth is found in the stories of families at home and the changes in their neighborhood. Dati takot ang mga tao sa adik; ngayon ang adik ang takot,” said Sotto.

The President's high approval ratings after 3 years, is incompatible with a grand failure accusation. The truth is found in the stories of families at home and the changes in their neighborhood. Dati takot ang mga tao sa adik; ngayon ang adik ang takot.

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 8, 2020

Sotto added that “numbers alone” will not explain the problem.

“It is deeper than mere arithmetic,” Sotto said.

Some of Sotto’s followers also shared how their place became safer because of Oplan Tokhang.

“Madami pong adik sa lugar namen, mga namamayat noon. Ngayon po, they are all in good shapes now. I really felt and see some good changes,” netizen @jerick_pacio said.

“Include me in the stories of families and lives that were changed for good when Duterte became President,” @meiyingchua remarked.

Despite the criticisms being received by Duterte, he’s still enjoying high approval ratings since he took the most powerful position in the Philippines.

Some believe that his popularity also made his allies won the 2019 senatorial elections while all of the candidates the opposition lost the race.

Baguio City Mayor Benjamin Magalong, on Tuesday, said that the success of Oplan Tokhan launched by Duterte administration could not be measured alone by statistics.

In an interview, Magalong, who’s a retired general of the Philippine National Police, said that Robredo’s claim that Oplan Tokhang based on the statistics is only her opinion and cannot be proven.

Robredo said that only 1% of narcotics and money had been confiscated by the authorities yearly.

However, Magalong said that in his experience, the real success of Oplan Tokhang would only be measured by asking the people if they feel safer now than before.

“Opinyon niya ‘yan eh. You will only know your impact pag bumaba ka at nakausap mo ang mga tao na nakaramdam na safe and secure na sila ngayon. Sa amin, as far as we are concerned, significant ang improvement. As Mayor of the City of Baguio, I felt it. Hindi statistics ang pagbabatayan mo diyan eh,” Magalong said.

“I was talking to [communities in the] grassroots, [at] very significant ang impact sa aming security at safety. Maybe that is the reason why napakataas ng rating ng ating Presidente,” he added.

Robredo on Monday said that the government only focused on the street-level while the big fishes are still bringing supply to the country.

She then suggested to scrap Oplan Tokhang and give more funds on rehabilitation.

President Rodrigo Duterte, however, told Robredo not to lecture him and just do her suggestions on her own if she became the chief executive of the country someday.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III advised Vice President Leni Robredo amid the criticisms the latter received after she revealed her findings during her 18-day stint as co-chair of ICAD.

On a tweet, Sotto said that Robredo should remove her advisers because she was being fed by false info.

According to Sotto, Robredo is now cornered in a difficult situation as she already released data that is being questioned by her critics if it’s really authentic or not.

“If I were her, I will kick out my advisers. They hang her out to dry by giving her false info. That’s the truth!” Sotto said.

If I were her, I will kick out my advisers. They hang her out to dry by giving her false info. That's the truth! https://t.co/SHjzz0YXOm

— Tito Sotto (@sotto_tito) January 7, 2020

Sotto is reacting to the Department of Foreign Affairs (DFA) Secretary Teddy Locsin’s tweet, questioning why the Vice President is confident that the 5,500 dealers lost their lives during the Oplan Tokhang of the government is just 1% of the “manufacturing, importing and marketing sales force”.

“Only the cartels can have the exact figure. Hmmmmmm,” Locsin said.

Meanwhile, Malacanang denied the accusations of the Vice President, calling her ICAD findings a “dud”.

“Palagay ko ang failure ay ‘yung pag-upo niya (sa ICAD),” Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.

President Rodrigo Duterte criticized Vice President Leni Robredo after the latter called the Oplan Tokhang of the current administration as a failure based on her ICAD findings.

During an interview with reporters in Malacanang, Duterte asked Robredo to look at her record during her Vice Presidency before criticizing the government.

“For all of these years, she has done nothing. She is a colossal blunder. Colossal blunder,” Duterte said.

The President also pointed out that Robredo only won a little margin against her opponent former Senator Bongbong Marcos in the last presidential elections.

“I hate to say this but how many voters are there in the Philippines? Just do away with the 200,000 plus she got as a majority over (Bongbong) Marcos. It was really a mistake. With a slim margin and you talk big,” he said.

Duterte then told Robredo that he’s not going to follow her recommendation, but he suggested that the Vice President could do that if she becomes the next chief executive.

“Kung sakali lang maging Presidente siya gawin niya ‘yan. She does not lecture me. I do not have the slightest… as a lawyer lecturing on me,” he said.

On Monday, Robredo revealed her findings during her 18-day stint as co-chair of ICAD.

Robredo gave a grade of 1/100 to the government and suggested to scrap Oplan Tokhang.

She also said that the government should give more funding to the rehabilitation program.

“Isipin na lang natin kung exam ito. Magiging iskor ng ating pamahalan ay 1 over 100,” Robredo said in a press conference Monday.

Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno reminded Vice President Leni Robredo to be careful with judging the Oplan Tokhang launched by the government because it might affect the law enforcers.

In an interview with ANC Headstart, Moreno said that Robredo’s statement calling the Oplan Tokhang a failure is very “unfair” to the enforcers of the law.

“Unfair naman sa enforcement unit who are putting their life on the line. They are willing…We have to be very careful with this kind of statement because it might demoralize them,” Isko said in the interview.

Moreno said that the problem being faced by the government is already there since the 1970s that’s why it’s really hard to solve it.

He then said that President Duterte is also confronting the big fishes and not only the small-time pushers like what Robredo claimed.

“It is not being denied, the mass problem, kundi, kinonfront pa. Hindi ‘yan biro. Ang problema sa droga ay noon pang dekada setenta,” he said.

On Monday, Robredo called the Oplan Tokhang a failure and gave it a 1/100 grade.

She also gave some suggestions like scrapping Oplan Tokhang and giving more funds for rehabilitation.

Robredo became a co-chair of ICAD but dismissed by President Duterte after two weeks.

Senator Ronald Dela Rosa couldn’t understand how Vice President Leni Robredo judged the Oplan Tokhang launched by the Duterte administration, while in the past, she claimed that the government lacks data.

“Hindi ko siya maintindihan. Sabi nya walang datos or kulang ang data na available from the government,” said Dela Rosa in a statement.

“Ngayon mag present siya na 1% lang ang drugs at drug money ang naconfiscate. Saan galing yung data nya? Or baka ang pinipili lang niya na data ay yung makakasira sa gobyerno at ayaw niya ng data na gumaganda ang imahe ng gobyerno,” he added.

Dela Rosa pointed out that Robredo made another claim before that there are 20,000 victims of EJK in the country since President Rodrigo Duterte became the chief executive, while according to the government data, only 6,000 people lost their lives because of their operations.

The former PNP chief then explained to the Vice President why the pushers and users are being put in the same rehabilitation facilities.

“When she complained why users and pushers are lumped in the same rehabilitation centers shows her ignorance,” Dela Rosa said.

“Paanong hindi sila isama sa isang rehab center eh pareho silang adik? Hindi ba niya alam na ang pusher ay user din?” he added.

On Monday, Robredo finally released her ICAD findings, however, it was quickly criticized by the government and its supporters.

One of her suggestions is to scrap Oplan Tokhang which architected by Dela Rosa during his days as the head of PNP.

She also gave a 1/100 grade to the government on handling the problem.

A lawyer and television host criticized Vice President Robredo after releasing her ICAD findings on Monday.

On a Facebook post, Atty. Bruce Rivera addressed Robredo after the latter called the Oplan Tokhang of President Rodrigo Duterte a ‘failure’ and even gave it a 1 over 100 score.

According to Rivera, Robredo is not in the position to give a grade to the Oplan Tokhang launched by the government and she became an ICAD chair because the President wanted her to improve the said agency.

“Yung totoo Madame, talaga bang gumagana yang neurons mo sa utak o naging latak na yan kakasinghot ng dahon ng eucalyptus galing sa nasusunog na gubat sa Australia. Anlayo pa nung usok pero umabot na sa kaisa-isang brain cell na humahawak ng logic sa utak mo,” said Rivera.

“1/100 ba kamo? Ang trabaho mo ay pagandahin ang programa ng ICAD at hindi ka naman evaluating committee na magbibigay ng grado. Trabaho ng boss mo ang mag-evaluate. Sino nga ba nagbigay ng job mo? Ayyy, si PRD. At sino nagbigay ng trabaho kay PRD? Ayyy, di ang mga Pinoy. Antaas ng approval ng boss mo. Ang trabaho mo ay hahalili kay PRD kung matigok siya at gawin ang trabaho na ibibigay niya sa yo. Bagay na HINDI mo nagagawa kasi inuna mo maging lider ng oposisyon.” he added.

Rivera then also asked Robredo about her basis for giving the government a very low score and called her useless for not thinking about solving problems in the country.

“Oh wait….ikaw ang problema ng Pilipinas. At malamang kaya may 1 sa 100, ikaw ang nagbigay ng 1 sa sarili mo bilang ICAD Co-Chairperson,” he said.

“Kaya tayo kulelat sa edukasyon. Yung Bise ninyo, ang alam gawin…BYOG. Bring Your Own Grade!!!!!” he added.

On Monday, Robredo made a recommendation to the government, including scrapping Oplan Tokhang and separating pushers and users in rehabilitation facilities.

Robredo’s statement received mixed reactions on social media.

Economist and tv host Winnie Monsod questioned President Rodrigo Duterte’s fight against the alleged oligarchs of the country.

In her latest Inquirer column, Monsod was wondering if Duterte is really making action against oligarchs for the sake of the Filipino people or he’s only doing for personal reasons.

“President Duterte has been going against oligarchs—at least that is the spin for the benefit of the masa. But is he really doing that, or is there something else afoot, other objectives, like controlling the media and/or helping his cronies?” Monsod said in her article.

Monsod said that she remembered the actions of former President Ferdinand Marcos during the martial law years to what Duterte is doing against the Lopezes who owns television network ABS-CBN and other rich businessmen.

According to Monsod, while Marcos destroyed oligarchs during his time, the former President “created a new oligarchy” composed of his relatives and cronies.

“Get the picture? I can’t help thinking, given what Mr. Duterte is saying, that he wants the Lopezes to sell to someone like, say, Davao businessman Dennis Uy—who has been buying companies like there was no tomorrow. Granted Mr. Duterte’s actions are not as direct (there is still no martial law, after all ) as Marcos’, but the end results are likely to be the same. In other words, he wants to do a Marcos (sans martial law, at least as of now). Are we, as a people, ready and willing to have that happen?”

The economist then pointed out that the Lopezes are not even in the top 10 of the richest businessmen in the Philippines.

“There are the Sys, Lucio Tan, the Ayalas, the Razons, the Gokongweis, etc. So it is not the oligarchs he is really after. Therefore, it must be the media he wants to control. What do you think, Reader?” she said.

Monsod wrote the said article, a few weeks after President Duterte criticized and cursed her after she published a column praising him for his fight against poverty.