by Gilbert C. Pilayre
(Editor’s note about the author: He was the Editor-in-Chief of The Word, the official student publication of Divine Word College – Tagbilaran (1987), and later worked as a researcher at the former Ilaw International Center; as researcher/documentalist at the Diocese of Tagbilaran’s Commission on Social Action; as a project evaluator for CBCP – Visa in Cebu City; and with SEARICE, a social development organization where he was part of a research team focused on plant genetic resource conservation in Bohol. After moving to Vienna in the early ’90s to join his wife, Juliet, he worked at the Vienna International Airport and had a stint with the UN-CTBTO. He once pursued priesthood formation with the SVDs at Christ the King Mission Seminary in Quezon City, Philippines. He is currently a devoted husband, father of three, and a social activist with Migrante-Austria).
Admitting one’s mistakes requires tons of honesty with oneself and a small drop of sense of transcendence. I admit that I voted for him in 2016. Many of us fell for his pretense of being a socialist and a patriot. At that time, many had already realized that the practice of putting traditional politicians in power was a wasted opportunity to uplift the lives of the poor and everyone else. The practice that includes vote-buying and canvass cheating put us nowhere in the development maps. Duterte was the dark horse, a long shot from a long list of traditional politicians who run the country.
He said he understood the root causes of the country’s peace and development debacle. He claimed to have been a member of Kabataang Makabayan (Patriotic Youth), an organization founded by Prof. Jose Maria Sison in 1964 to coincide with the birth anniversary of Katipunan founder Andrés Bonifacio. KM was established as a national-democratic mass organization aiming to mobilize the youth in the struggle against imperialism, feudalism, and bureaucrat capitalism—issues identified as the root causes of the country’s social and economic ills.
During my time with social development NGOs, I was able to visit the new Davao City – one of the many trips I took that worried my mother so much knowing the history of violence in that city – that rose from the ashes of what seemed to be an unannounced civil war. People are no more afraid of bombings or political assassinations. They congregate in malls and markets with barely a memory of the bloodbath that once occurred there. It was there that I bought one of my many collections of tubaos (native bandana cum scarf) and the kubing (jaw harp) made famousby Joey Ayala and Bagong Lumad.
In July 2015, then-Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte allowed a hero’s burial for Leoncio Pitao, also known as Commander Parago, a prominent leader of the New People’s Army (NPA). This decision sparked criticism, with some accusing Duterte of sympathizing with communist rebels. In response, he defended his actions, stating that Pitao’s only “sin” was his belief in communism and emphasizing that in death, all individuals are equal.
An astute politician from the south, Duterte knew how to find the people’s sweet spot. Many of us willfully ignored the crimes he committed as mayor of Davao City but not CHR Commissioner turned Senator Leila Delima, though hers is another story. We experienced a kind of tunnel vision—our peripheral awareness narrowed, our focus locked onto a singular image of Duterte that he and his allies carefully curated. Like all would-be dictators, he found a convenient enemy: the drug menace. His war on drugs was built entirely on suspicions and emotions, with zero grounding on reputable studies. Or why people were pushed into the trade.
With the trust rating (91% according to Pulse Asia) he enjoyed, he became like the Pied Piper of Hamelin—a charismatic leader who led his followers blindly, often toward unintended or disastrous consequences. Plato warned that unchecked leaders could become tyrants. In *The Republic*, he describes how democracy can decay into tyranny when a leader amasses excessive power by exploiting the people’s desires. Aristotle similarly recognized the corrupting nature of power, advocating for a balanced government rather than a monarchy or oligarchy, which could lead to despotism.
As Mayor of Davao City, he initiated “Tokhang” or “knock and plead” an approach to stop the drug and criminality menace. At the outset, it seemed to be humane and reasonable, until it evolved into a monster unleashed in the huts and alleys of the poor including those they deemed to be political enemies. The media-baptized Davao Death Squad operated with impunity like the Sicilian Mafia. It was composed of former and active police officers, military and intelligence operatives, criminal gangs and hired guns, etc.
When he became President, they applied this approach nationwide. That made the statistics rose to bloody proportions calling the attention of world bodies like the UN and eventually the International Criminal Court (the Hague).
His arrest by the ICC has exposed a deep divide among Filipinos. Some idolize him, while others demand justice for the murders committed at his urgings. In the end, the pursuit of justice must prevail for all, regardless of the divides.
Inside each person lies a duality that pulls them in opposite directions. One can be an angel yet also a demon at the same time—even among those who have devoted their lives to serving religion or the Church. So, don’t be surprised if a pastor, priest, or anyone in ordained ministry chooses to support an irreverent politician over their bishop or the Gospel.
Reason struggles to control desires and emotions. A just person harmonizes these elements, but when the appetites dominate, chaos ensues—leading to tyranny within the soul. That’s according to Plato.
Aristotle likewise said: People naturally fluctuate between extremes, and true moral character emerges from the effort to find equilibrium.
In Romans 7:19, St. Paul describes a personal struggle: “For the good that I want, I do not do, but I practice the very evil that I do not want.”
In The Divided Will, St. Augustine describes his inner war between virtue and sin before his conversion. He speaks of: The “Higher” Will – Desiring God and righteousness. The “Lower” Will – Clinging to sin, pleasure, and self-interest.
Sigmund Freud says: The ego constantly mediates between our animalistic urges (id) or instinctual drives and the moral standards imposed upon us (superego). When this balance is lost, neurosis or internal conflict arises.
Carl Jung: “One does not become enlightened by imagining figures of light, but by making the darkness conscious.” The more we deny our flaws, the more they control us. True individuation (self-realization) comes from integrating both the light and dark sides of ourselves.
Philosophers, saints, and psychologists agree: humans are creatures of contradiction. The battle between good and evil, reason and passion, selflessness and selfishness, is fundamental to our nature. However, the resolution of this duality depends on self-awareness, discipline, and moral growth. Whether through philosophy, psychology, or faith, the quest for balance is at the heart of human existence.
As many philosophers, deep thinkers, and saints would say: “We must always remember that the road to hell is paved with good intentions!”
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Those who would give light must endure burning.
-Viktor Frankl