‘Separate’

Cong Corrales

THE Merriam-Webster dictionary defines the word separate as “to stop being together, joined, or connected.” As a transitive verb, it is “to disconnect or sever contractual relations with” and as an intransitive verb; it is “to sever an association, withdraw; to go in different directions; to become isolated from a mixture.”

The article of the Beijing bureau of the Straits Times entitled, “Beijing under no illusion Manila will pivot away from Washington,” pretty much defines the kind of credibility President Rodrigo Duterte’s words are in the international community.

“China knows there is no long game here. It knows Filipinos will never give it the same love they have for America, the land of the Moonwalker and the once Forbidden Fruit, originator of the magical world we call the Internet. It sees this for what it is: a public relations coup. It has bought itself a reputation: Be good to us, and we will roll out the red carpet for you, complete with a baton-twirling cheerleader, and you can take US$20 billion home with you,” the article reads in part.

The article goes on to note that Chinese media and officials were silent on Philippine President Duterte’s effusive praise of China and his remarks on “separation from the United States.”

Keep in mind that the article was written as a direct reaction to Duterte’s remarks on “separating” from the US.

This blowback–public relations coup–is what happens when a President double-talks in the international community.

This means when President Duterte told China he was “separating” from and that “the US has lost,” China knew he was just unloading a big pile of bovine crap. The thundering applause of the Chinese was a practice of good manners and right conduct-emember those?

This means China saw through his “storbot” or “storyang binotbot.”

I believe this is also what local and international pundits mean when they say “words matter.”

State leaders cannot just blab on their speeches knowing the whole world is listening to their every word. Words are carefully picked for its contextual and syntactical meanings. Language is very important when dealing with the international community. On this subject, I’ve requested manang Rhona Canoy to write about the importance of selecting one’s word when speaking to the international community.

Take for instance, Cuba’s Fidel Castro. His country has been virtually cut-off from the rest of the world because of the economic embargo the US has sanctioned it. However, when he speaks at the United Nations, every state leader hangs on to his every word. Now that’s credibility.

I’m sorry that couldn’t be so with our President who is now pretty much the international community’s clown. A clown with very cool monikers: The Punisher and The Rock Star.