The president
President Duterte cannot be faulted for putting great emphasis on his mandate, especially the part of it that clearly sends him on a mission to rid the country of corruption and illegal drugs. What Duterte apparently forgets is that the same mandate cloaks him with the presidency, which not only authorizes him to do those two things, but a host of other things as well.
Duterte cannot focus on corruption and illegal drugs alone, where it may seem perfectly all right to act tough and talk dirty. The presidential part of his mandate not just requires but obligates him to act presidential. And if he doesn't know how, then he better start learning fast because the 16 million Filipinos who elected him president did precisely that — elect a president.
Electing a president does not stop with the election of one. It stops neither with his proclamation. It goes on to acting like one. Not for one day or during one occasion, but for the entire six years that one is president. Duterte may have promised only the eradication of illegal drugs and the stamping out of corruption. But he cannot ignore the fact that, more importantly, he swore an oath to be president and to carry out his duties as one to the best he is able, so help him God.
And so help him God. Duterte has to act presidential. He cannot allow his ego and personal pride to dictate his actions and words. He must submit to the office and what it means. And what it means is simple. Duterte could not have missed it, unless he arrogantly chose to do so. As president he represents an entire nation, an entire people.
If Duterte thinks it is personally okay for him to act as he wishes, fine. But it is no longer just about him. It is no longer about Duterte the person, the simple mayor of Davao who does not have the big city pretentions of most politicians. The presidency is now all about him as leader looking out for the rest of the 100 million plus Filipinos.
If Duterte farts in public, it is no longer just Duterte farting in public. Duterte must get it into his head that when he farts in public he farts for all Filipinos. When he farts in public, goddamit, it will be remembered as the president of the Philippines farting. And if he cannot keep it sealed inside his ass, he should just have farted merrily in Davao and not sought the presidency and embarrass everyone.
Duterte's antics are getting too far. And while he continues to enjoy widespread support for the main goals he wants to accomplish in accordance with his campaign promises, the little things that are not so little are starting to chip away at this support. And this should not be because this country truly needs to be rid of corruption and illegal drugs.
In fact it is only the utter desperation of the Philippines to be rid of corruption and illegal drugs that keep Filipinos supporting Duterte. In almost every other arena of his presidency, people are starting to feel disappointed. Some are even getting angry but are only keeping their anger to themselves for fear it might undermine the bigger effort of ridding the country of corruption and illegal drugs. Those goals still remain high aloft, held by the robust string of urgency and need.
The next time Duterte attends another foreign gathering like the recent APEC Summit in Peru, he must drill it into his healthy brain as opposed to the raisins he keeps talking about that are in the heads of addicts, that he is there not as Rodrigo Duterte of Davao but as Rodrigo Duterte, president of 100 million Filipinos, his very own countrymen who expect him to represent them with honor, dignity, and respect. His antics in Lima were a big humiliation for all Filipinos.
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