First 67 months
OUTGOING President Duterte completes on Monday, January 31, the first 67 months of his 72-month administration, which started at 12 noon on June 30, 2016.
This leaves the Chief Executive with just five months or 157 days to realize his visions, which he articulated when he assumed the highest political post of the country.
In fact, Duterte’s successor, together with other new national and local government officials, will be elected by the voters in the upcoming May 9, 2022 elections.
“Kaya mahihirapan na si Presidente na iangat ang kabuhayan natin sa mga natitirang araw niya kasi bagsak na bagsak ang ating ekonomiya,” said an ordinary wage earner.
Note that the lack of financial resources as a result of dwindling tax collections has been aggravated by the COVID-19 pandemic that ruthlessly swept across the globe.
Admittedly, even before the crippling health crisis started, the country’s major revenue-generating agencies found it hard to meet their annual tax collection targets.
Today, the government’s attention is focused on addressing the worsening problems posed by the emergence of Omicron, which is more infectious than the Delta variant.
The government, through the Department of Transportation, was even forced to implement a “no vaccination, no transportation” policy in Metro Manila and other places.
Of course, this “no vax, no ride” policy drew mixed reactions from the commuting public, with some describing it as “anti-poor.”
Others said the implementation of the policy is “timely” considering the catastrophic effects of the pandemic.
