Photo Courtesy: LGU Kapalong
Not a few anti-Duterte bloggers cannot hide their contempt against the pro-Duterte supporters they resort to gutter lingo calling them DDShit.
DDS is an acronym of the Davao Death Squad being attributed to Former President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Truth is DDS is part of a psychological warfare conceptualized by Col. Dionisio Tan-gatue Jr. the former Davao Regional Commander of Integrated National Police the precursor of the Philippine National Police. It was meant to scare off the “Sparrows” the liquidation squad of the CPP/NPA which hunted policemen and members of the Civilian Home Defense Force at the height of communist insurgency in mid-1980s. Duterte was then an Assistant City Fiscal of Davao who doubled as Tanod Bayan.
DDS, a phantom force became very popular that even long after the CPP/NPAs were vanquished in Davao it got stuck in the subconscious of Davaowenyos.
Fast forward to 2009, prior to the mayoral election in 2010, the issue of extra-judicial killings was raised by the late Congressman Prospero “Boy” Nograles prompting then Commission on Human Rights Chairperson Leila de Lima. They come up with a preposterous estimate starting off with more than 2,000 EJK victims which they said were carried out by DDS and allegedly buried in an abandoned quarry. The place is not far from subdivisions and a nature park. This later on ballooned into 30,000 when the estimate of Rappler’s Maria Ressa was factored in.
Of course de Lima can never produce a single piece of evidence as she started off with a farcical story borne from the mythical phantom forces called DDS.
The political adversaries and their phalanx of anti-Duterte propagandists nevertheless continue to attribute DDS to Duterte. In time diehard Duterte supporters adopted DDS as their acronym: “Diehard Duterte Supporters”. This and “Hakbang ng Maisug” became a counter-forces against that the united political clique that includes the communist fronts in Congress.
DDS has become a badge of honor. It carries the distinction of being disciplined, law-abiding and peace-loving. These are the basic values of DDS. It is therefore not surprising for Davao City to be in the top league of taxpayers that contribute to the national treasury.
Those who hate Duterte and the DDS are hopelessly angry with envy over the indelible fact that on account of the billions of pesos remitted by Davao City to the government coffers, in turn it received the biggest share of National Tax Allotment of ₱10.12- billion compared to other cities, those in Metro Manila included.
To borrow the rant of President Marcos, “Mahiya naman kayo”.
