Actor Albie Casiño commented that Filipinos are already so used to having government officials who steal from them instead of providing an honest service to the people.
Casiño stated his disappointment in the false promises government officials during the elections.
He particularly mentioned the promises of Duterte made before he became the president and over the course of his presidency. Casiño stressed that Duterte has made promises to the people in which he failed to uphold.
Although, he said, the president was able to fulfill his promise of shutting down the ABS-CBN. He said it was one promise Duterte didn’t need to fulfill as it is a disservice to Filipinos.
“We’re so used to corrupt officials that no one is really surprised about this news anymore. We expect our government to steal from us and don’t hold them accountable for promises they made during the election,” Casiño said.
“Drugs? Six months. EDSA? In five minutes. Jet ski with the flag? Oh, wait, he did promise to close ABS-CBN. Meron naman pala siyang natupad,” he added.
The actor was referring to the promise of Duterte during his presidential campaign saying that he will abolish drugs and criminality in the country in just 3 to 6 months.
“If I fail in three months, I better leave the country or I will step down and give the presidency to Bongbong (Marcos),” Duterte said in February 2016 during the national elections campaign period.
“They say my timeline is ambitious, you know if I am already president, in the third month I am sitting there as president and I fail because nobody believes me, I really cannot do it even if you give me 10 years of rule,” he said then.
But 4 years after his promise, ending the country’s war on drugs still seem far-fetched as the Philippines is still struggling from illegal drugs which have led thousands of Filipinos, mostly urban poor, to lose their lives.
Casiño also recalled how Duterte claimed that travel time between Cubao to Makati, which currently needs at least an hour on EDSA, could be reduced to 5 minutes.
“You just wait. Ayaw kong mag-ano. Things will improve. Maybe god willing December smooth sailing na,” he said in a television interview over Sonshine Media Network.
“You don’t have to worry about traffic. Cubao and Makati is just about 5 minutes na lang.
“Mabuti nalang nagpunta ako ng China. China nagtulong,” he said.
But traffic congestion still remains a perennial challenge in Metro Manila. Vehicle volume on the Philippine capital’s main highway is still a problem that Duterte and the government failed to solve.
Casiño mentioned Duterte’s bold promise to go to the disputed West Philippine Sea on a jet ski to assert Manila’s claim was all just talk.
In the third presidential debate of the 2016 elections, Rodrigo Duterte boldly promised that he will personally ride a jet ski and plant the Philippine flag in the Spratly Islands or Scarborough Shoal and assert the country’s sovereignty amid China’s encroachment.
Two years later in Aurora province, two government officials and the presidential son rode jet skis in the waters of Casiguran municipality to assert a claim in the undisputed Philippine Rise 135 miles away.
How did Duterte’s daring promise when he was still a candidate evolve into a “publicity stunt” which he did not even take part in and was conducted some 900 kilometers away from the Spratly Islands?
Casiño stated that Duterte has made many promises to the people but failed to fulfill them. He was frustrated that some Filipino people still support and stand with the president even though Duterte keeps lying and making a fool out of them. He said that the only promise he fulfilled from the ones he aired was his promise of shutting ABS-CBN down which Casiño detested.
Pres. Duterte has accused ABS-CBN of being biased, allegedly favoring a political opponent in the 2016 election. He repeatedly warned that he would not allow the renewal of its franchise.
The president’s critics say he has gone after media outlets that closely documented his drug war, which has left thousands of people dead since he took office in 2016.
After 13 hearings, a committee of the House of Representatives — most of whom are allied with Duterte — voted by an overwhelming majority to deny ABS-CBN’s application for renewal of its broadcast franchise forcing the network to shut down on July 10, 2020.
People claim that Duterte was behind the shut down despite the president’s spokesman, Harry Roque, distancing him from the decision.
Albie was last seen on ABS-CBN drama series Los Bastardos, where he played the role of Lucas Aguilar-Cardinal, one of the five sons of Don Roman. He starred along with Ronaldo Valdez, Jake Cuenca, Marco Gumabao, Joshua Colet, Joseph Marco, Diego Loyzaga, and Gloria Diaz.
