Eradicating corruption and criminality and further improving the Philippines’ economy are among the expectations of many overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in Qatar from Davao City mayor Rodrigo Duterte, who is set to clinch the presidency.
The tough talking mayor received nearly 80% of the total votes cast at the Philippine embassy in Doha. Based on the ‘Certificate of Canvass’ that was transmitted on Monday night to the Commission on Elections, Duterte garnered 12,475 out of the total 15,694 votes from OFWs in during the first automated and month-long overseas voting in Qatar.
United Filipino Organisation in Qatar (UFOQ) vice chairman Ressie Fos said he expects the new president to fulfill his promises during the campaign: “suppressing corruption, criminality and illegal drugs in three to six months.”
To protect OFWs, he is also expecting the new administration to intensify the campaign against illegal recruiters and human traffickers.
Fos also hopes that OFWs should be given “a privilege to ship at least one vehicle to the Philippines without any tax, removal of the overseas employment certificate, assign lawyers to every embassy,  and fire all syndicates involved in irregularities at the airport.”
He recalled that Duterte’s camp had launched a very effective campaign strategy, especially using the social media.
“It is a fact that most, if not, all Filipinos crave for change - no corrupt, no criminals, and no drugs; his offered solution – ‘iron fist’ seemed to be saleable,” Fos noted. “It is also a fact that most Filipinos feel unsatisfied with the performance of the current administration to which second placer Mar Roxas is linked.”
The UFOQ official also expects an impeachment case will be filed against Duterte as senator Antonio Trillanes had pronounced.
Ed Alcantara, head of the tourism promotions committee of the 118th Philippine Independence Day Celebration, hopes that Duterte has real plans for the Philippines.
However, he said the new president does not have concrete programmes although he did well in Davao City. “If he gets good advisers then that will be good.”
He also hopes Duterte will continue the good programmes of the Aquino administration and fix the areas which are failing.
Jeph Sedano, also a Filipino expatriate, believes that the main reason for Duterte’s overwhelming win was because Filipinos and OFWs want to have a peaceful country.
“Most OFWs dream of real change especially those who want to return to Philippines to be with their families,” he said. “That is what they see in Duterte’s platform of
government.”
Sedano also expects him to implement some reforms in different government agencies and sees more investors will come to various cities.
“This will generate more jobs and I hope contractualisation will be removed. I hope more schools and hospitals will be opened and more services will be offered to the poor,” he stressed.
A caregiver at a nursery in Doha is also looking forward to big changes like other OFWs in Qatar are hoping for.