The children are listening, Mr. President!
In a recent meet of school principals in Davao City, President Duterte said he could not stop using vulgar language in his public speaking.
He was virtually admitting that he could not be polite and refined in his utterances. It’s already late in the day, that’s what he wanted to convey.
As a former public school teacher and later as an education supervisor of the subject Values Education, I would like to remind the President that it is time he changed the way he speaks.
First and foremost, he should avoid using cuss words, especially the obnoxious “p*tang ina!”
The pupils and students are listening, Mr. President. And you are setting a very bad example.
As the highest elected official of the land, you should serve as a good model in the use of fine and decent language.
Every time you utter expletives that dishonor the mothers, you are teaching the youth to ignore the basic rule of respecting our parents and elders.
It’s time, Mr. President, that you realize that the subject Good Manners and Right Conduct (Kagandahang Asal at Wastong Pag-uugali), now known as Values Education, underscores the basic need for decent and respectful language in communicating with fellow human beings.
With your bad example, you are making it difficult — if not impossible — to imbibe desired and desirable attribute of a decent and polite society.
As the old Filipino saying goes: “Tinutularan ng mga bata kung ano ang ginagawa ng matatanda.” Children follow what the
elders do, or say, if you will.
Mr. President, Filipinos find it repugnant to hear you utter bad, vulgar and impolite words.
It’s almost equally revolting as your deliberate neglect of our claim for sovereignty in the West Philippine Sea, your violation of the dictum on separation of powers of the three equal branches of government and your endorsement of burying a despot and homegrown dictator in the hallowed grounds of the Libingan ng mga Bayani.
Enough is enough, Mr. President!
EUSEBIO S. SAN DIEGO, founder, Kaguro, Quezon City
