The staunch defense put forth by no less than the President himself, Rodrigo Roa Duterte for Pharmally, the controversial pharmaceutical start-up firm that bagged most of the government contracts on essential medical equipment, is a dangerous precedent for this country.

Not one among his precedessors did what he, Rodrigo Duterte did when he slammed the very institutions of this government to protect the hide of his foreign business associates. Duterte’s acts just validated what his opponents accuse his administration of— an unjust regime.

Wittingly or unwittingly, Duterte exposed what everyone only suspected at the onset– that his administration is undemocratic and is a mimic of the conjugal dictatorship that once pulled this country down the economic sinkhole four decades ago.

But this is worst. Duterte’s predecessor Ferdinand Marcos only destroyed the local economic forces during his time, when Marcos pitted his own oligarchs against the entrenched economic elite powers of his generation. Under Duterte, nationalist elite groups are being weakened to allow the soft entry into the economy of foreign capitalists, particularly from the mainland China.

Duterte is a poor student of history. He probably believed that politics led to his idol Ferdie’s demise from this country. Oh no.

The Marcos dictatorship fell because his policies affected the business interests of the Big Boys. There was no competition during the dictatorship–only consolidation of both economic and political powers under one single family–the Marcoses. Now, the very reason why his mother went out and militated against the dictatorship is the very thing that Duterte has created in his five year old administration. Had Duterte’s mother been alive, she would definitely not just scold, but probably punish her son with a strong slap in the face.