SO bad words work? In his own words coming out of his mouth, President Duterte told an audience of 1,500 guests, many of them big shots and captains of industry, why he uses “bad words”: Because that’s the way to get everyone’s attention.
Addressing the Second Philippine Business Congress at Marriott Hotel Thursday night where he worked for his hosts by handing out numerous awards and citations, Digong confessed that it was his undiplomatic language that got the ear of people like US President Obama, UN Secretary General Ban Ki-moon and the UN rapporteur, the European Union and other critics. As usual, and as he told his audience of “rich people,” he was setting aside a prepared speech; what was unusual was a noticeable shift in his choice of words. This time, DU30 did not go all the way in cursing his detractors, this time he restrained himself from uttering the last syllables of “anak ng –” and “pu–”. Quite a feat of self-censorship, considering he was all keyed-up and facing his biggest (and most affluent) audience since the mammoth pre-election day rally held in Manila last May.
Just the same, without naming names, Digong referred to his critics as “buang” and “gago,” promising that if they should make the mistake of engaging him on the finer points of the Constitution that allows him to threaten to kill criminals, “I will play with you, I will give you entertainment. . .They cannot be brighter than me.”
If he sounded like a narcissist, he was also humble enough to admit that he passed his subjects in economics with a grade of 75 or 76. Still, “I’m the poorest performer (while Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez is the richest), but I’m the President.”
To the businessmen dressed in their finest finery, he assured them, “Just do your business, I will protect you.” Just DU it. (Jullie Y. Daza)