The devastation wrought on the country’s economy and its institutions by the Duterte administration could be worse than the combined disasters caused by Ondoy, Yolanda, Ompong and other typhoons and calamites.

When Duterte took over the Presidency in July 2016, inflation was only 1.3%, now it is a crippling 6.4% due to no small measure to culpable government neglect and errant policies.

The exchange rate in July 2016 was P46.86 to $1.00, now it is a whopping P54.01 to $1.00 or a P7.15 deterioration in two years.

The traffic gridlock when Duterte became President cost the country P3.0-B daily in lost opportunities, now with the worsening traffic mess, the daily loss is equivalent to P3.5-B or P1.3-T per year which is 34% of the P3.757-T proposed budget in 2019.

The present rice crisis of spiraling prices and shortage, whether actual or contrived, besetting the Duterte administration was absent when he assumed the Presidency.

Even self-rated poverty increased to 48% this year from 44% in 2016 or an increase to 11.1 million Filipino families translating to 66.6 million individuals at six members per family.

In 2016, the Philippines had a fairly respectable and independent judiciary but Duterte has destroyed the judicial system when he inveigled the Supreme Court to oust in an improvident and irregular petition for quo warrantoChief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno whom he publicly urged to be removed for being his enemy.

Before the Duterte Presidency, the Philippines was the acknowledged leader in the Asian Region in human rights protection and promotion, but the country has lost that premier status when Duterte campaigned for the restoration of the death penalty and violated human rights with impunity.

EDCEL C. LAGMAN