Palace answers FVR: President Duterte has long-term vision for PHL By Jelly F. Musico

The Malacañang Palace (Facebook photo)

MANILA – Contrary to former President Fidel V. Ramos’ observation, President Rodrigo Duterte has long-term vision for the Philippines based on the “AmBisyon 2040”.

“The President does have a long-term vision. It hasn’t really been expounded on, it’s not public knowledge but he does have a vision for that,” Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said in a press briefing.

“In fact, even in his inaugural speech, the President described his vision for Filipinos as a comfortable life for all. It is basically a short common phase in order to be able to articulate what is already fully articulated in “AmBisyon 2040,” he added.

Last Tuesday, President Ramos said Duterte has yet to lay down his long-term strategic vision for the country.

Abella said President Duterte’s three-fold mission include: to reduce poverty from 26 to 17 percent; to establish an orderly society by reducing crime, corruption and illegal drugs; and, to seek and final lasting peace with communist and Moro rebels.

“In other words, to seek a peaceful nation, no internal wars, to have orderly communities, to have just and fair dealings, and prosperity which is opportunities for all,” Abella said.

In pursuit of his vision, President Duterte has exercised political will and acted on several issues, according to the Palace spokesman.

“One area which has been taking a lot of attention has been his campaign against illegal drugs where his threats against those engaged in the trade and deaths related to the campaign seemed to have outweighed the actual result,” Abella said.

“So the President is engaged, not just in a matter of state building but also of nation building which is basically addressing the Filipino mind and character and love for country,” he added.

In the same media briefing, Performance and Project Management Office of the Office of the Cabinet Secretary deputy executive director Jonas George Soriano said the Duterte administration has consulted nearly 7,000 individuals since President Duterte took his oath last June 30.

“All of them, being part of a process of understanding what this administration wants and more importantly listening to what they want,” Soriano said.

Soriano said the consultations with different organizations and stakeholders are part of preparing the “AmBisyon 2040” which soon to be printed out.

“We must communicate to our stakeholders in the Philippines and in the world, this is what the Philippines will be doing in the next six years, and in the next 30 years in bringing about development in the Philippines,” Soriano said.

“And also bringing about the welfare and security of our people. The platform that we’re working on is combining both the development needs and the security needs of our people,” he added.