Why does he do it? More precisely, why does he keep on doing it?
Just before leaving for Japan, President Rodrigo Duterte was his usual self again. He said that he was not a lapdog of any country, probably referring to the United States, his whipping boy. He also touched on the Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement that it should be reviewed because his wish is that at a certain point in time in the future, he would only want to see Filipino soldiers in the country. And in a meeting with the Filipino community in Japan, he called the American bullies.
Surely the President must realize that at the very least, these outbursts if we can call them that are not helpful at all. Fostering a climate of uncertainly is bad, not only for the financial markets but also for the overall economy in the long run. Does he really feel that he has to say something insulting to the Americans at every opportunity?
The country is now fast gaining a reputation in the international community because of the President. It’s not an enviable reputation. There is now a cottage industry engaged in deciphering the President’s words. For instance, when is separation not really a separation? During the China visit, Mr. Duterte was accorded unprecedented honors including an honorary doctoral degree honoris causa from the prestigious University of Beijing. When he was there, he said that the Philippines will be separating from the United States because as he put it, the US has lost it.
It is perhaps unfair to attribute this to the euphoria of the honors accorded him by his Chinese hosts. As a Filipino, it is hard not to speculate that he was only responding to the hospitality of the Chinese. Immediately upon his return home, there was another clarification that the word separation does not really mean a divorce but that the country, in navigating its own foreign policy options, will not always align itself with those of the US.
Assistant Secretary for East Asia Affairs Daniel Russel of the US State Department issued a statement to the press which elicited a response from the President because of a newspaper headline. He was quoted as saying that those foreign businessmen who are worried about his war on drugs can pack up and go. But while in Japan, he declared that the country is open for business.
These are contradictory statements. Is it only the Americans and the Europeans that are the subject of the President’s scorn? If we go over the statements of Russel, there was really nothing out of the ordinary and there was nothing harmful at all. It is the standard statements given by any senior diplomat visiting any country. Again, the President felt that he had to respond aggressively. Any other chief executive would have responded differently —but not Duterte. Maybe he feels very secure in his position.
When he first assumed office, the first thing that he did was to visit military and police camps, mingling and eating with the men in uniform where he feels most comfortable. The number of ex-military and police in his government will attest to this. He talks with them in street lingo used by the ordinary soldier and policeman. He also takes every opportunity to tell them that he will always be behind them and that he will double their pay before the year is over. This is of course in marked contrast to the ways of his predecessor who instead of meeting the remains of the policemen who died in the Mamasapano battle, went instead to open a car assembly plant and was seen frolicking with other guests while a solemn occasion was unfolding at the nearby Villamor airbase. He also refused to sign the salary increase for soldiers and policemen.
The President must be feeling so secure in his place. It is not only the soldiers and police who are squarely behind him. The whole citizenry continues to give him positive ratings. But it seems that everything in the military service may not all be that well. That is if the information I got last weekend is to be believed. The information purports that there are some grumblings from junior and middle level officers because of what they say is the very erratic behavior of their president. It seems that these group of officers who are young and the most idealistic of the lot want a Commander-in-Chief who behaves with the outmost decorum. Translation—no cuss words, no flip flops and a behavior worthy of the exulted position of a president.
According to this information, it raised enough concern that a retired Army general allied with the administration has been going around talking to these officers trying to explain the position of the government on various issues. One of the issues causing some resentment is the obvious turn to the left of this government with the presence of known communists in government. Whether all these information are accurate and true, I cannot say at this time. But it was a surprise for me to learn about it. This is because if there is any segment of society where the President is strongest, it should be the uniformed services. But the source of the information would not have told me if he did not have personal knowledge.
Well, maybe my source is exaggerating or just pulling my leg and there is nothing to it.