Sandbagged constantly by the press for his foul language, President-elect Rodrigo Duterte only got more obscene! “Don’t f–k with me, he tells media” (Front Page, 6/3/16). It was the first time I saw the word “f–k” printed in full in the “always proper” Inquirer—at front page pa! That cuss word, in whatever context, is in the same league as “p—-g ina” and “b——t” which routinely get censored in one way or another, see? Even Ramon Tulfo’s column gets “asterisked” out whenever he deploys those words to express his implacable anger.
It gave me the impression that there being nothing of substance to report, the editor might have had no choice but to print whatever came out of the incoming President’s mouth! The guy is so contrary—one day he says one thing, y mañana otra cosa (and the next day, another)! Only a fool would take him seriously. Any decent reporter would have to throw away his previous day’s notes to avoid being confused by the next day’s.
Duterte’s spokesmen must be rolling their eyes endlessly every time they try to justify his “ravings and rantings” as just being taken “out of context”! Oh boy, what fun it really is to live in the Philippines!
—YVETTE SL-PETROCELLI, ysl.69996@gmail.com