The `Jesting-Around’ PH President

By: Lourdes G. Mon

 

With the new normal, as a result of the pandemic worldwide, the Filipinos have maintained their happy demeanors, despite all the hard times they go through. They are always resilient amidst all kinds of adversities, even the highest official of the land can be as humorous as anyone. The subject chosen for this article is someone very dear to the hearts of many Filipinos. Who else but the current president of the country, Honorable Rodrigo Duterte.

What is so appealing about the President of the Philippines, regardless of your political persuasion, whether you are an admirer or an adversary, you have to admit he does not take himself seriously. He is very comfortable in his own skin. If he gets out of politics, he can make a very successful stand-up comic. He is self-deprecating, makes jokes of himself, at times foulmouthed, curses, insulting, or even disrespectful of the Catholic hierarchy. In other words, he’s rough around the edges. Does he care? No. Sometimes, one has to take his words with a grain of salt. Because he speaks the language of his people, meaning he talks like an ordinary person, his speeches are entertaining. Unlike many politicians who are trying to be politically correct, with much rhetoric, President Duterte has his own style. He talks straight, no running around the bush, so to speak. His speeches are storytelling, and he is very good at it. He doesn’t like to read speeches, written by his speechwriter. He loves to tell stories.

I listened to his 2018 keynote speech at his alma mater, San Beda University. It was the commencement exercises in the College of Law. He was so funny, he had everybody in stitches. He told the law graduates, that he was envious of them graduating, while theoretically, he did not. He started off by saying that he was not going to read the speech prepared for him. But, of course, later on, he eventually read it. He would rather tell stories about his student days at San Beda. One story was that a few days before he was about to graduate, he was expelled. It had something to do with an incident that happened at the school. He was not allowed to attend the commencement exercises. He went home to Davao to tell her mother that graduation was suspended because of too much turmoil around Legarda Street. However, sometime later, the college reconsidered and he was awarded his diploma.

When Duterte was mayor of Davao, San Beda gave him an award. At that time he was out of the country, so his mother, Mrs. Soledad Roa-Duterte attended the ceremony to receive the award on his behalf. She found out the truth, why she was never invited to her son’s graduation. To make the story short, he may be the Mayor, but when his mother speaks, he is just a son.

Another story was how the young Duterte and friends spent their student days at San Beda. The first two years were hitting the books and burning the midnight oil at the college library. Then, he figured out, a grade of 75% was good enough. Why study hard to attain a higher grade? Didn’t make sense to Rodrigo Duterte as a student. So, in his junior year, he referred to empty beer bottles under the bridge near San Beda, that might still be there.

One of this favorite stories though was a law professor who can only pronounce the last syllable of his name. At one instance, there was some bantering between Duterte and the professor. He was told to stand in front of the class to answer some questions. He obliged. While up there, he started to scratch his head, waiting for the question. Annoyed, the professor emphatically told Duterte to stop the scratching because his dandruff is falling off his hair.

I can watch President Duterte delivering speeches on YouTube for hours, laughing alone like a crazy old fool. I thoroughly enjoy listening to him. I have also heard him bad-mouth and curse U.S. politicians, including the presidents. However, he admires past U.S. President Donald Trump, because according to him, Trump does not lie. He tells the truth. He too believes, he himself only tells the truth, with his fight against drugs, his criticism of some high-ranking officials in his own government, or defending overseas workers.

When it comes to President Duterte’s administration, in the execution of his job, there’s no jesting around. He is totally serious.