In at least one village here, that’s what guards of the peace and order situation are saying about this term.
“Wala na pong magugulo lalo na sa gabi. Na-Duterte po kasi (There are no more unruly persons especially at night. They have behaved because of the Duterte phenomenon),” said one barangay tanod in a village here who did not wish to be identified. He requested also not to mention the name of his village.
He revealed that because of the current war on drugs launched by President Duterte, many young men and women in his village who used to stay outside of their houses even beyond midnight have skirted the habit. They were observed then, he said, to be drinking liquor, smoking and were engaged in endless talks and discussions.
Many times, he said, they ended up in fistfights. At times also, they resorted to throwing stones or anything resulting to physical injuries to a number of them.
“Mahirap po silang awatin. Bale-wala po kami sa kanila ‘pag inaawat namin at pinagsasabihang umuwi na sila sa kani-kanilang bahay (It’s always difficult to break their fights. They ignore us when we come to pacify them and tell them to go home),” the village guard said.
But now, he said, they don’t stay late at night outside their houses to engage in endless chatters or in drinking liquor. He said that even teen-age girls, who go out at night unescorted by relatives, had opted to stay at home at night fall.
Cases of “akyat-bahay” don’t happen in his village anymore, the village guard said.
He noted that the “Na-Duterte” lingo also meant that drug users have surrendered to the police and pledged not to engage in the use of the illegal drugs. He said 19 male adults and teen-agers who were listed as current or previous users of illegal drugs have surrendered.
“We have observed also that no more unidentified persons who are suspected to be bringing in and peddling illegal drugs are visiting our village,” he said in Tagalog.
The word “Na-Duterte” can also mean putting in jail suspected illegal drug users. At least one person in his village, he said, is now languishing in jail for conviction of illegal drug use.
Or, in the words of the village guard, “Na-Duterte” also means being gunned down by unidentified persons or by police operatives in legitimate operations that resulted in fi refi ght. No one has been salvaged in his village, he said, but he knew there were a number killed in this city and in nearby towns that included women who were suspected by the police as drug personalities.
“Gusto po namin ang ganitong nangyayari. Tahimik po. Pero sana pagbutihin din po ang pagbibigay ng magandang mapagkakakitaan ng mga tao (We like what is happening. It’s peaceful. But we wish that the matter of giving a good source of income for the people would also be given much attention,” the village guard said.
His words and observations were affirmed by many of the residents who were sought for their comments about the current war on drug.
