MANILA, Philippines (The Adobo Chronicles, Manila Bureau) – Under a Duterte presidency, the country will be trash-free.

This was demonstrated last night during the final campaign rally (miting de avance) of Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.  According to the police, an estimated 300,000 supporters of the frontrunner presidential candidate attended the event at the Rizal National Park (Luneta). Supporters claimed the number was closer to half a million.

As in most massive rallies and public gatherings, the Duterte event  was expected to leave tons of trash.

But what a big surprise! After the last group of supporters had left the park and government personnel readied to clean up, they found not a single empty bottle or piece of trash.

It turned out that at the conclusion of Duterte’s speech, he warned the audience to clean up after themselves. “Kung hindi ninyo lilinisin ang basura ninyo, ipapakain ko sa inyo,” he told the crowd. (If you don’t clean up, I will let you eat your own trash).

The mayor is known to have asked violators of his city’s smoking ban to swallow their cigarette butts.

What a disciplined group this is, the Duterte supporters.

It reminds many Filipinos of a popular slogan during the Martial Law days of Ferdinand E. Marcos: “Sa ika-uunlad ng bayan, disiplina ang kailangan.” (Discipline is the key to the nation’s progress.)