‘Special’

Herbie Gomez .

PHILIPPINE Daily Inquirer reporter Nestor Corrales’s report, “For the Japanese, Duterte is ‘interesting’ not ‘controversial,’” quotes our ambassador to Japan, Jose Laurel V, as saying that the Japanese “are always fascinated with leadership that is recognized, affirmed by their own people, at the same time a tremendous political will insofar as his programs are concerned.

The report continued to quote Laurel: “So he is not controversial but interesting. [Duterte] is unique for the Japanese.”

There is no way of telling how Laurel can be certain of this. The words “fascinating,” “interesting,” and “unique” could mean a lot of things. If he heard these adjectives from his Japanese counterpart, it could be that the man was being careful with his words the way diplomats are. Diplomats are always just being diplomatic. They are trained to do that especially when they deal with uncouth hotheads notorious for their tantrums.

Barack Obama, shortly before he stepped down as US President, used the words “colorful guy” as a response to Duterte who went ballistic and cussed after the American leader called him out because of his clearly misplaced “war on drugs.” Obama handled the situation very well by describing Duterte as a “coloful guy,” and by saying that he didn’t take the Filipino politician’s “phrase” (expletive) personally. Since the old man has repeatedly used it even on the Pope, Obama said it looked to him like it was just a “habit.”

Ouch. It was another way of saying pasagdi ang kolokoy.

“Fascinating,” “ïnteresting,” and “unique” can also mean “colorful guy.” Or, weird. Or, even “special.” As in “special…”

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What’s all the noise with Duterte’s threat to resign if his son Paolo seeks the position of speakership of the House?

According to the President, there are too many Dutertes in the government now.  Finally, Duterte realizes the obvious: his son is a Davao congressman; his daughter is the Davao mayor; and his younger son is the Davao vice mayor.

What I find amusing is why he had to announce his threat when he could have simply called up his son and tell him to keep off the race for the speakership. Or, was it just lip service or pabilib — to give the viewing public an impression that he still knows what’s right and what’s wrong?

A joker doing the rounds says he’s really seriously contemplating on starting a petition to force Paolo Duterte to seek the House speaker’s post in the light of his father’s threat. Pastilan.