People always ask me if I think President Duterte would ever change.
When I ask them what they are talking about, they say the President says things he does not really mean, or means the opposite of what he says.
I have covered presidents since the time of President Elpidio Quirino. This is how I know that every time a chief executive says something, it is always a matter of policy.
Mr. Duterte, to tell the truth, confuses me. Perhaps this is because I do not know him—we have not actually met.
Some journalists who claim to know Duterte say he has odd habits. He stays up late at night, frequenting his favorite “After Dark” and going home at 2 in the morning. And then he sleeps from 3 into until 10 or 11. At times, as we know all too well, he holds midnight press conferences.
Those who know his quirks would know when he is joking and when he is serious. For them, what the President says should not always be taken literally. This is his “kanto boy” demeanor which endeared him to the masses.
When the President swears that he won’t stop his war on illegal drugs until the last pusher is killed, this resonates with his supporters. More so when he uses expletives to show how serious he is. When he said he would stand with China and Russia, his foreign policy begins to sound more appealing to people.
I think Mr. Duterte still has not shed the habit of talking like a city mayor even when he is now president of 102-million Filipinos.
Santa Banana, when he talked about having killed at least three criminals when he was still mayor of Davao, going around “always looking for trouble,” using his motorbike equipped with an M-16, people got alarmed—until a close follower said he was just using hyperbole to emphasize his hate for criminals!
And then he talked about his health and that he takes a pill for his constant pains. For the record, Duterte has been diagnosed with Buerger’s Disease, causing inflammation of his arteries in his legs because of too much nicotine when he used to smoke cigarets.
Eventually he said he was just joking.
So, will President Duterte still change? I don’t think so. He is already almost 72 years old. It is difficult for anybody to change at that age.
Note that he doesn’t care about state protocol, most importantly when he travels abroad. He meets presidents and prime ministers of other countries, and the sleeves of barong tagalog are rolled up. He is almost always in denim or khaki pants, and even chews gum.
A zebra does not change its stripes. I guess we just have to live with what we got.
The problem of President Duterte is that we really don’t know whether he’s serious about anything.
When Duterte became President with his vow to end criminality, illegal drugs and corruption, people hailed him. Filipinos had been disenchanted for six years under an incompetent administration under BS Aquino. The previous administration lacked compassion and empathy for the poor and practiced selective justice. Moreover, President Aquino was vindictive. Thus, Duterte’s promise of change resonated with the people.
While I have my doubts, I remain hopeful for the sake of country’s image here and abroad.
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The month of December has always been a very stressful month for me. When I was much younger, I didn’t mind attending all the parties I was invited to. Now, these have become a chore and a burden for me.
I am not talking about rushing to shopping malls for Christmas gifts to friends and relatives. My wife, always the wise one in the family, is always done with her shopping by September. My daughter panics because she is still not done.
Another thing that stresses me out is where to go after Christmas Day. Government seems to stop between that day and until after New Year when we all go back again to our daily routine. And to me, going for a vacation or anywhere after Christmas is always stressful and expensive. The anticipated expenses really stress me out.
When I was a bachelor, I loved going to “Simbang Gabi” to invite girls I liked. I would not pass up te to have that opportunity to say sweet nothings to them. I stopped that when I got married. My only regret is that my whole family cannot be with us this Christmas.
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If you wonder which giant television network is more credible, with more viewers nationwide and makes more money in the process, I say it’s GMA-7. It uses Nielsen, the no.1 ratings provider in the United States.
Every now and then ABS-CBN comes out with claims that it’s the no. 1 television network in the country. It uses Kantar, which has less subscribers. I know this because I used to be public affairs manager for Kanlaon Broadcasting.
than Nielsen. I know this since during the days when I was public affairs manager for the Kanlaon Broadcasting.
GMA’s reportage shows that the network is not protecting anybody, and it doesn’t tell lies and falsehoods as ABS-CBN often does.
The Lopez-owned television network is often selective and biased against the Marcoses and in favor of the Aquinos. The biases and prejudices are so glaring.
