Caught by the mouth

A fish is caught by its mouth” is a saying meaning that a person is often caught in wrongdoing and subject to public humiliation by something he or she says. Politicians especially are prone to faux pas, blurting out hidden truths and misdemeanors in moments of pique, passion and politicking.

Among Filipino politicians, no one has been caught more often through his mouth than President Duterte. Even as a candidate, Duterte had been known to issue reckless, even offensive, statements that drew much blowback, but were explained away by his supporters and handlers as “hyperbole” or mere jokes.

The latest instance involved his having to backtrack from public statements made last December and January when he urged bystanders to kill Catholic bishops, or else waylay them to steal the church funds they supposedly have on their persons. This, he said, was in retaliation for the church personages’ constant criticism against his administration.

But just this week, in what this paper described as a “complete turnaround” from his earlier remarks, the President told a national gathering of village heads that he was warning the public not to kill or otherwise threaten Catholic priests, bishops or cardinals, for “if you do that, I will be your enemy.”

He was apparently reacting to a text message purportedly sent by Luis Cardinal Tagle expressing concern about the death threats aired against Caloocan Bishop Pablo Virgilio David and other prelates. In a speech read for him by his brother Randy last Tuesday, Bishop “Ambo” said he decided to heed the advice of concerned persons to skip the conferment of the Ka Pepe Diokno Human Rights Award since he didn’t want his companions to be in the line of fire. The bishop has been among the most outspoken critics regarding the conduct of Mr. Duterte’s bloody war on drugs.

But this didn’t prevent presidential spokesperson Salvador Panelo to once again invoke “hyperbole” and humor in excusing his principal’s injudicious remarks.

Contrast this cavalier flip-flopping on the truly alarming threats against church officials with the utter seriousness that state prosecutors took against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV. They announced that they would still pursue charges of “inciting to sedition” against the senator even as they dismissed charges of coup d’etat directed at him.

Trillanes’ allegedly seditious statements were in reaction to an order issued by the President calling on the police and military to arrest the senator since he was revoking an amnesty granted to Trillanes.

The “seditious” portion of Trillanes’ remarks involved his telling police and military officials this: “Do not do anything illegal or unconstitutional,” since “Duterte will not be there for long.” The complainants, Duterte officials all, also said that Trillanes challenged the President when he proclaimed: “haharapin ko ito… Lalo ako gaganahan. Di ako matatakot, di ako aalis (I will face this… All the more have I been encouraged. I will not be afraid, I will not leave).”

Irony, we must point out, is not an element in determining sedition, so Trillanes’ “advice” to police and military personnel should be taken at face value, not subject to “creative interpretation” or parsing for further meaning.

At the very least, Trillanes or his lawyers could very well argue that he was just “joking” or engaging in hyperbole.

So, there you have it. One man’s declaration to continue to fight all efforts to oust him from office, while cautioning his former colleagues in the armed forces from doing something illegal, is interpreted as containing hidden malice and an “unsaid threat” against the government.

The President himself, on the other hand, using the bully pulpit of his office, mouths off on so serious a matter as threats to the lives and safety of men of the cloth, then glibly flips and flops once the subjects of his ire respond.

The President should be reminded of King Henry II of England who asked out loud: “Will no one rid me of this meddlesome priest?” Knights loyal to him then lost no time in setting upon the “meddlesome priest,” Thomas Becket, Archbishop of Canterbury, now known as St. Thomas, who is recognized for his martyrdom.

The King issued no direct orders, but the blood of St. Thomas remained on his hands. So will it be for leaders with murderous thoughts and careless tongues.