DAY AND NIGHT
18 April 2025
Friday
OPINION: What Sets PRRD Apart from PBBM
By Rob Rances
Leadership reveals itself in crisis—and the difference between former President Rodrigo Roa Duterte and President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. isn’t just one of personality. It’s a clash between conviction and convenience. Between action and avoidance. Between leadership that bleeds—and leadership that hides.
1. PRRD Led With Guts. PBBM Leads With Optics.
Duterte made hard decisions not for applause, but for outcomes. He confronted issues head-on—even when it meant standing alone. BBM, on the other hand, governs by photo ops and press releases. It’s always about perception first—performance, maybe later.
2. PRRD Had a Vision. PBBM Offers Vagueness.
With PRRD, you knew the mission: eradicate drugs, crush corruption, defend the country, and uplift the poor. Love him or hate him, you never had to second-guess where he stood. BBM speaks in vague generalities, avoids hard stances, and waffles when decisiveness is needed most.
3. PRRD Was Feared by Criminals. PBBM Fears Public Opinion.
Under Duterte, syndicates ran scared, officials watched their step, and foreign powers knew there was a line they couldn’t cross. Under BBM, that fear is gone—replaced by public dread over rising prices, weak governance, and a system used to silence critics, not serve citizens.
4. PRRD Walked With the People. PBBM Hovers Above Them.
Duterte showed up—in the slums, in disaster zones, in the raw pain of the people. He cussed with them, cried with them, and fought for them. BBM leads from a distance—buffered by elites, locked in boardrooms, detached from ground realities.
5. PRRD Protected Sovereignty. PBBM Seems to be Selling It Quietly.
Duterte stood his ground against global institutions and foreign interference. He knew that a truly independent nation bows to no one. BBM, meanwhile, opens our doors to foreign troops, foreign loans, and foreign agendas—allegedly trading sovereignty for silence and favor.
6. PRRD Took the Hits. PBBM Avoids the Heat.
Duterte took every bullet, every criticism, every accusation—because that’s what leadership demands. BBM disappears when things get rough. When there’s blame to take, he points fingers. When the nation demands answers, he gives none.
In Summary:
Duterte was feared by the corrupt. BBM, it seems, is embraced by them.
Duterte was blunt, flawed—but real. BBM is polished, rehearsed—but hollow.
Duterte made people believe they had a defender. BBM makes people wonder if they have a leader at all.
The Duterte era wasn’t perfect—but it had grit, direction, and guts.
Today, we have a presidency that avoids the fire, even when the nation is already burning.
And in these times, cowardice is not neutrality—it is betrayal.
•
Disclaimer:
This piece is a personal opinion and public commentary based on observable leadership patterns and publicly available information. It is intended to encourage critical thinking and civic dialogue, and is not meant to defame, accuse, or malign any individual. Readers are encouraged to think critically, verify information independently, and engage respectfully. This content does not assert fact where opinion is stated, and any perceived interpretation should be taken as part of a democratic dialogue—not a legal accusation.
