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BY ERICK SAN JUAN
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Elder’s advice
A “COLORFUL person” and a person with “colorful language.” This is President Rody Duterte, according to US President Barack Obama and Jose Almonte (former national security adviser of the Ramos administration).
Almonte’s description of Duterte may refer to a politician who can be seen dealing across the political spectrum – from left to right while Obama’s description of the Philippine President, or shall I say a criticism, is due to Duterte’s use of cuss words.
The first 100 days of the six-year Duterte administration have been colorful. The President himself always have quotable quotes – good or bad.
Former president and statesman Fidel V. Ramos said the first 100 days of Duterte was marked with unfortunate incidents and broken promises.
For FVR, the status of the Philippines in the world is important, especially our economic and military ties with the United States. He asked in his column: “Are we throwing away decades of military partnership, tactical proficiency, compatible weaponry, predictable logistics, and soldier-to-soldier camaraderie just like that?”
FVR is focused on two concepts of primordial importance – leadership and teamwork – because that is where the perceived failures have emerged at this point in time.
Let all do-gooders help the President’s trusted lieutenants – Jun Yasay (DFA), Lorenzana (DND), Ernie Abella and others clarify, contextualize, disbewilder, soothe, detoxify and otherwise enlighten most of us who believe that -in the 21st century, harmony, peace, inclusiveness, connectivity, and mutual benefit, etc. are people’s highest aspirations.
As for Ms. Carmen N. Pedrosa, she wrote in her column (‘Joal’s reluctant admiration of Duterte’): “Both he (Jo Almonte) and President Duterte come from the lower-middle class (not rich but not very poor either). It is from these origins that both strove to make something of themselves through self-study and use real life experiences as their higher education.
They have developed extraordinary careers. Joal is an intellectual soldier (hard to find these days) and Duterte is an unorthodox politician (a rara avis).
Almonte conceded that Duterte has done well, fulfilling most of his campaign promises in his first 100 days. He cited Duterte’s approach to the country’s fundamental problems – “internal war, broken politics and monopolized business.” He said Duterte’s record was exceptional. But like many others he criticized the President for his “colorful language.”
I beg to differ. I think it was this “colorful language” that connected the President with the masses.
I don’t know how Duterte developed his “colorful language.” Did he plan it or did it come to him naturally?
I think Almonte referring to Duterte’s “colorful language” was more a concern over the President’s tirades against President Obama and other Western leaders. It is obviously coming from a deeply felt anti-colonialism sentiment.
Almonte says Duterte should tone down his language. It detracts from his accomplishments. I do not think so. Netanyahu also told Obama to go to hell but got what he wanted anyway.
Duterte wants to change the world order into something less hypocritical. The history of US-Philippine relations shows that “good boy” behavior only gets one bullied.
But Duterte has a wild card – a review of the (EDCA) Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement with the US.
President Duterte has said it often enough that his foreign policy is to be friends with everyone, including the United States and China. But to put such foreign policy in place, he must give notice to the world that the Philippines will no longer be America’s patsy in the region.
Joal must have had a tough time maneuvering thru the issue of Duterte’s “colorful language” and a desire to convince the general Filipino public that this is the heart of the problem. In fact the two are components of the push for a more independent Philippines./PN
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