Tough talk: A sign of strong leadership?

For many Filipinos, the Duterte family, like its patriarch, former president Rodrigo Duterte, and his daughter, Vice President Sara, are considered “strong” leaders. The former president and the members of his family—Rep. Paolo or “Pulong,” Davao Mayor “Baste,” and VP Sara—show this “strength” in the way they talk when issuing press statements. Their words threaten their political enemies with death, not the physical kind but the end of their opponents’ political careers. They also resort to using the language of street bullies, lacing their words with invectives—something that many Filipinos consider attributes of strong leaders. I read one social media post egging on Sara’s defiant behavior and other “tough” pronouncements by saying: “Go, get ‘em Inday Sara … we love you!”

This “strength” is considered an endearing quality of leaders, as many Filipinos continue to support them. And despite reports and controversies linking them to gross violations of human rights (former president Duterte and his deadly war on drugs), serious allegations of drug smuggling (like the case of Pulong), and misuse of public funds (Sara), they continue to wield wide support, even influence. Many social media posts even justify the behavior of the members of the Duterte family.

Recently, the former president filed his candidacy for Davao mayor, with his son Baste, the current mayor, as his running mate. When interviewed after filing his certificate of candidacy, the former president issued his usual stern warning to those who will defy his war on drugs, threatening to “really” kill them.

In many patriarchal societies like the Philippines, strength is equated with being “macho” or using brute strength associated with men. Some women leaders are “macho” in their efforts to show they could also do some hard talk and spew cuss words every now and then to prove they are “strong” like their male counterparts.

Rodrigo Duterte goes down in Philippine contemporary political history as the country’s president with the most “colorful” language when he opens his mouth—the color associated with vile remarks and cuss words. Lately, Baste has also been heard to have cussed in public when confronted with criticisms over his alleged absenteeism as mayor.

Many people know Pulong to have behaved and talked “tough” in responding to controversies that connected him to illegal drug smuggling a few years back. He has also shown this behavior recently when confronted about the recent spate of criticisms against his sister Sara.

For her part, Sara has continued to defy responding to the issues and accusations of her office’s misuse of the P125 million confidential funds granted to her as vice president in the previous year. She has openly refused to answer questions from the House of Representatives quad committee members and some senators in previous and ongoing hearings on the budget of the Office of the Vice President. While she wasn’t heard cussing in public during these hearings as well as in recent press conferences, Sara instead used threatening statements against the Marcoses. In her Oct. 18 media briefing, she said, with her usual feisty gestures, she would dig the grave of former dictator Marcos Sr. and “throw his remains into the West Philippine Sea (WPS).”

Perhaps for many people, Sara’s searing warnings to the Marcoses are another sign of being strong as a leader. They continue to root for her as if she is the victim of a serious case of political harassment by the ruling political family.

The latest fumbling remarks shared with the media were about her alleged agreement with President Marcos that she should be given priority in using the presidential helicopter because “may maliit ako na anak” (I have a young child). Many social media users considered this one of the few true things she shared with the public. She also shared that she fumed when she learned she was not allowed to use the helicopter one time, especially when she learned later it was First Lady Liza Araneta Marcos who used it.

However, her statements are not relevant to the main issue at hand—the misuse of the P125 million confidential funds in 2023.

More importantly, her warnings about exhuming the late Marcos Sr.’s remains have legal implications that she ought to know, both as a high government official and as a lawyer, too.

Instead, her non-sequitur arguments and tough talk just showed she is on the brink of a meltdown—not a sign of strong leadership.

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