Let Duterte do his job! Obey and stay safe! (A Rant!)

Some of you are aware of President Rodrigo Duterte’s tough stance on drugs, I will read to you about violating his warning a handful of days ago for the police and military to shoot anyone who created trouble with recent coronavirus restraints. I am sure many people were appalled at such a statement. Those same people will also recall the “War on Drugs” in the Philippines that Duterte has been waging.

Today I am going to let it all out, about how I feel about this, and I encourage you to think about these issues and leave a comment in YouTube or the Community Corner message forums and to subscribe to Love Beyond The Sea. I know this will make some people uncomfortable but that’s life. No fluff in this video, this is about real life today. I don’t relish doing this, but I have strong feelings about this.

This will be the most controversial topic that I have chosen, love is actually a controversial topic as too few people know what it is and I have spent ample time describing it. That actually has to do with today’s controversial topic-the love I have for my wife and her family in the Philippines. I married her in 2015 and she is in the United States with me now, and we would like to retire in the Philippines as soon as I can retire. The state of affairs there in the future as well as present is of interest to me. I am going to give my views on strong man Rodrigo Duterte as it relates to his love for his Filipino people and try to support them although I know many will think my stance is tenuous at best. I don’t make videos to humor or appease anyone, I just try to be honest and try to explain my point. I’ll try not to take much time. I will read to you from an Al Jazeera article and other News Agencies.

I will cut to the chase now to so I don’t lose you. If President Duterte orders the deaths of people using and/or selling drugs, because it is a menace to his country, so be it. Let him do what he thinks is best. He is the President, not you. I am sure he doesn’t take this lightly. He has a big-time job to do and that is to protect his people. I think that is governments #1 priority. He is trying to clean up a major drug problem the only way he thinks will work. Good for him. If I am going to live there some day I want the Philippines to be as safe as possible, even though he won’t be in charge at that time.

Please don’t get side tracked by the fact there have been some unfortunate casualties. No one is proud of that. He has a very difficult job to do. I know many are bothered by strong leadership.

Laws Punishable By Death
Leviticus 20:9-16

Leviticus 20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him.   

Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with another man's wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor's wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.   

Leviticus 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father's wife hath uncovered his father's nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them. 

 Leviticus 20:12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death: they have wrought confusion; their blood shall be upon them.   

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.   

Leviticus 20:14 And if a man take a wife and her mother, it is wickedness: they shall be burnt with fire, both he and they; that there be no wickedness among you.   

Leviticus 20:15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death: and ye shall slay the beast.   

Leviticus 20:16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them.   

Murder wasn’t even in view here. This was a Theocracy a word first used by Josephus to denote that the Jews were under the direct government of God himself. The nation was in all things subject to the will of their invisible King. All the people were the servants of Jehovah, who ruled over their public and private affairs, communicating to them his will through the medium of the prophets. They were the subjects of a heavenly, not of an earthly, king. They were Jehovah's own subjects, ruled directly by him.

President Duterte is a lawyer, a prosecutor. He knows the law, he understands the consequences he is a smart man. He was overwhelmingly elected to do his job and frankly I think the main concern at the time was the drugs. Those of you in Davao City are aware of the changes he made while mayor there for twenty years or more. He is not wishy-washy, he gets things done. Now to the article I saw this morning-

Man shot dead in Philippines for flouting coronavirus rules

Country's first reported case of police shooting a civilian for refusing to follow restrictions to curb coronavirus.

The number of coronavirus infected cases in the Philippines is more than 3,000, while nearly 150 have died [Anadolu Agency]

A 63-year-old man was shot dead in the Philippines after threatening village officials and police with a scythe at a coronavirus checkpoint, police said on Saturday. 

scythe: an implement used for mowing grass, grain, or other crops and composed of a long curving blade fastened at an angle to a long handle.

The man is believed to have been drunk when he threatened village officials and police manning the checkpoint in the town of Nasipit in the southern province of Agusan del Norte on Thursday, a police report said. 

"The suspect was cautioned by a village health worker ... for not wearing a face mask," the report said. "But the suspect got angry, uttering provoking words and eventually attacked the personnel using a scythe." 

The suspect was shot dead by a police officer who was trying to pacify him. 

The incident is the first reported case of police shooting a civilian for refusing to follow restrictions to curb the spread of the novel coronavirus.

Duterte's warning

President Rodrigo Duterte had warned on Wednesday he would order the police and the military to shoot anyone who created trouble. 

"Follow the government at this time because it is critical that we have order," he said in a late-night televised national address.

"And do not harm the health workers, the doctors ... because that is a serious crime. My orders to the police and the military, if anyone creates trouble, and their lives are in danger: shoot them dead."

The Philippines's main island of Luzon has been under a month-long lockdown since March 16, prohibiting people from leaving their homes except for essential trips to the grocery or the pharmacy, or if they are front-line workers. 

Many provinces outside of Luzon have also imposed their own restrictions in a bid to prevent the virus from spreading. 

The department of health reported 76 new confirmed cases of infection in the Philippines, bringing to 3,094 the total tally in the country. 

Eight additional deaths were also recorded, pushing the death toll to 144, while 57 patients have recovered. 

Duterte defended his warning against troublemakers in another late-night televised address on Friday, saying the public needed to realize the gravity of the situation because anyone can get sick of the disease. 

"Without these restrictions, this will not end," he said. "So if you don't want to follow, then I will finish you to protect the lives of the innocent who don't want to die."

'Attacking freedoms'

Amnesty International lamented the fact that strongmen leaders around the world like Duterte have been using the COVID-19 pandemic "to further stifle criticism and dissent". 

"This is an unprecedented health crisis, but President Duterte is focusing on attacking freedoms of speech and assembly," said Butch Olano, a director for Amnesty International in the Philippines. 

"He is downplaying the nation's plea for better services when the priority should be to fulfil the government's obligation to provide healthcare and vital relief to all persons without discrimination," he added. Me-I like how Amnesty International is telling the Philippines what to do! NOT! Back to the article-

The government has begun to distribute cash assistance to poor families and workers affected by the lockdown under a 200 billion peso ($4bn) amelioration package.    

But there have been persistent complaints of delays in the delivery of assistance, especially food packs. 

On Wednesday, a commotion broke out in a Manila suburb when a group of slum residents gathered outside their shanty homes after hearing rumours that donations would be distributed. 

Village security officers and police urged the residents to go back to their homes, but they refused. 

Twenty-one of the residents were arrested and various criminal charges have been filed against them. (End of article)

I am all about love with this channel. I love my wife, I love her family, I want them safe and protected. You are welcome to disagree on my thoughts on these taboo topics but I don’t understand being afraid to talk about what needs to be talked about. If you are a Filipino, a westerner thinking about living there, or an expat currently living there, you surely have an opinion. Maybe here is the place you can do that. Leave a comment if you are inclined.

This is about having love for your neighbor. Love your neighbor as yourself is the biblical admonition. We already love ourselves, we need to love our neighbor too. All those youth foolishly going certain places on spring break and getting infected? They were selfish, only thinking of themselves. I was told there is a video out where a father refused to let his son in the house with him after returning from spring break. Good for him. That’s tough love and this world has become as soft as Charmin.

I don’t agree with everything Duterte does. As someone married to a Filipina who loves her family too, I don't want anyone out there to carelessly infect one of them by violating clearly stated rules. If they know what the consequences are-go ahead and disobey and forfeit your life. This protects the family I care for in the Philippines, who matter a great deal to my Love Beyond The Sea.