Duterte did not directly curse the US president

The media are having a field day with President Duterte’s cursing US President Barack Obama. This just proves the old saying that the media choose headlines that are controversial to boost daily sales because, as surveys show, the average newspaper reader buys a newspaper based solely on the headline.

Anyway, here’s my take on the supposed “cursing” of Mr. Duterte against Obama. Take note that Mr. Duterte did not directly curse Obama; but he was in his usual rhetoric and was driving a point home, which ended in cursing.

Like what the Ilonggo are fond of doing when they want to drive a point home, they always end a sentence with “dipuga ya,” “diputar ya.” Sounds familiar? So what’s the difference when President Duterte uses the “PI” word to drive his point home? He is banned from cursing just because he’s the president of the country? If that’s the case, then all of us citizens should also be banned from cursing forever so as not  to  be  unfair to the President. Does that make sense?

President Obama, a lame-duck president, will be out of office in three months’ time, so why pay so much attention to the fact that he and President Duterte didn’t meet in the Asean summit? Yes, we need the United States as an ally, but it needs the Philippines as well as a strategic location in Asia to defend its interest.

President Duterte is correct: Why should we answer to Obama when we are an independent and sovereign state? Mr. Duterte is a leader of an independent state, so Obama has no right, whatsoever, to question the affairs of the Philippines. What he can only do is to inquire about and get educated on the drug problem of our country, which has become pandemic. Not to mention that the Philippines was still  ranked in 2015 by Transparency International the 95th most corrupt among 168 countries. This was during the reign of Noynoy Aquino, guiding light of the ironic “daang matuwid” administration.

I call on all media personalities to stop sensationalizing news stories that actually do not bear any concrete agenda or sense. Why can’t the media make news of President Duterte’s very concrete and substantial speech during the Asean Business Community forum? And on his “rock star” popularity among Asean leaders, who want to get a selfie with Mr. Duterte? How about his diplomatic meeting with the prime ministers of Indonesia and Singapore? Not to mention that Mr. Duterte is being called the “Lee Kuan Yew” of the Philippines who will bring this country to greatness because of his campaign against drugs which has seen investments pouring in?

President Duterte may be crass, but his political will and love for country are unquestionable and these are important for leaders to succeed. Not to mention the 91-percent trust rating people have given him early in his presidency, which is a very good indication that people support his agenda and war on drugs, crime and corruption.

—ANDONI L. VALENCIA, [email protected]