Duterte and Aesop’s fable about the frogs who desired a king

The frustration of the people over the ineptness of the Aquino government has made the “kamay na bakal” brand of leadership that Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte appealing to many.

Former Human Rights Commission Chair Etta Rosales warned about the dangers of a leader who wants to play God.
Rosales said, ““These people who say we need a Duterte, they don’t think of the law. They don’t realize that if you don’t respect the law, it would affect also you and your family.”

She adds: “The moment you take the law in your hands and you think you can get away with it, then you become part of the problem, and that has been the way of all authoritarian rulers.”

Yesterday, Martin Diño, whose filing of the certificate of candidacy for president and subsequent withdrawal is still being processed by the Comelec, said in case Duterte wins, the latter will reimpose the death penalty six months into his presidency and have weekly executions of convicts of heinous crimes.

“Once na nanalo siya, itong death penalty ay [restored] within six months. Kapag ito ay na-restore na, we will implement it weekly. Gusto niya magkaroon ng atmosphere ng katahimikan,” Diño was quoted in an ABS-CBN interview.

This situation reminds of Aesop’s fable about the frogs who desired a king.

“A long time ago, when the frogs lead a free and easy life in the lakes and ponds, they became disgruntled because everyone lived according to his own whim and chaos reigned.

“They gathered and petitioned the god Jupiter to let them have a king who would bring order into their lives and make them more responsible.

“Knowing how foolish the frogs were, Jupiter smiled at their request and threw down a log into the lake. ‘There’s your king, ‘he declared.

“The log made such a splash that it terrified the poor frogs, who dived under water and into the mud. No one dared to come within ten leaps of the spot where it lay in stillness. Eventually, one frog, who was bolder than the rest, ventured to pop his head above the water and watch their new king at a respectful distance.

“When some others soon perceived that the log was lying stock-still, they began to swim up to it and around it. At last they grew so bold that they leaped upon it and treated it with the greatest contempt.

“Dissatisfied with such a tame ruler they immediately petitioned Jupiter a second time to grant them a more active king.

“This time Jupiter sent them a stork and no sooner did the bird arrive than he began seizing and devouring them one by one as fast as he could.”

Moral of the story: When you desire for change, make sure it’s an improvement. Don’t make the mistake of jumping from the frying pan to the fire.