‘On several occasions, Duterte has taken liberties with the truth and got away with it using the alibi that he was just joking, that people should not take his statements hook, line and sinker.’
CHARACTER is one thing we all want to see in a person, most especially in a person who aspires to lead the nation.
President Rodrigo Duterte’s character is well known in Davao City where he grew up and spent most of his professional life as a lawyer, prosecutor, mayor, congressman, and now President. Too bad the rest of the nation did not know his character when the 2016 presidential election came around. We venture to say that he won because the people disliked the yellow camp so much that they wanted change, any change.
Well, now we know that Duterte is a liar. His own daughter said so.
In an old man’s expletive-laced rant against several senators, Duterte said Sen. Imee Marcos talked with Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte Carpio and requested her to take her in as vice presidential candidate. Sara, of course, has been leading the surveys among presidential candidates since a few months ago.
“This is not true. She (Imee) visited me in Davao last May 29 to personally relay her birthday wishes. So far, this is the only visit she made to me in Davao,” Mayor Duterte said, disputing her father’s statement.
Sara also said Senators Christopher Go and Sherwin Gatchalian have “personally expressed their offer to run as my Vice President.” She said former Defense Secretary Gilbert Teodoro Jr. is being endorsed by “common friends.” The mayor also mentioned the possibility of a tandem with former senator Bongbong Marcos, which is being pushed by some groups. She has kept her cards close to her chest, however, choosing not to reveal her plans until the last minute.
If the Chief Executive can lie this casually just to pick a quarrel with some senators, in the hope that they would discontinue grilling in an investigation a favored ex-undersecretary involved in buying overpriced COVID-19 supplies, what other lies about more important state matters could he have said?
On several occasions, Duterte has taken liberties with the truth and got away with it using the alibi that he was just joking, that people should not take his statements hook, line and sinker. Remember the one about riding a jet ski and planting the Philippine flag in the South China Sea? He said all those who believed that boast were stupid Filipinos.
We are nearing another presidential election and will again vet and scrutinize the qualifications of several candidates. We hope that millions of Filipinos now can separate the chaff from the grain and be smart enough to dodge being called stupid later.
