Think before you speak

SENATOR  Leila de Lima has a “friendly” and “unsolicited” advice to President Rodrigo Duterte: Think before you speak.

De Lima was initially hesitant to comment on the President’s latest outburst, this time directed at United States  President Barack Obama, noting how Duterte would not like to be lectured  on by other people.

“Di ba nga sinasabi niya na ayaw siyang line-lecturan. Ayaw siyang pinagsasabihan. So mahirap…kasi ayaw ngang line-lecturan, ayaw sinasabihan. So maybe, this is just a friendly advice, unsolicited advice,” she said in an interview at the Senate on Tuesday.

“Kailangan ho kasi tandaan ng ating mahal na Pangulo na Pangulo po siya, and therefore, anuman po ang lumalabas sa bibig niya ay kailangan pinag-iisipin muna nang husto, at hindi padalos-dalos, na nagiging policy yan and official statement,” she said.

De Lima, who also traded barbs with  Duterte over her alleged involvement in the illegal drugs trade,  reminded that  a statement of any  president or  leader of  a state would   be  reflective  reflective of  his or her country’s  foreign policy.

“And therefore, hindi pupuwede yung ganyang style na nambu-bully, offensive din ang language,”   she said.

“Because pag ganun po, sa tingin ko po…I know, baka na naman po siya magalit if I say this – that yung mga ganyan po na mga offensive, intemperate language, does not only demean himself, but it also demeans his office and even the country in the eyes of the world. So kailangan po doble-ingat.”
The senator was referring to  Duterte’s  reported warning against anyone who would lecture him about human rights and extra-judicial killings during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) Summit in Vientiane, Laos.

“You must be respectful. You just don’t throw question and statements. Putangina, mumurahin kita sa forum na yan,”  the President was quoted in the media as saying, supposedly referring  to Obama.
His remark was believed to be the reason Obama called off  his scheduled meeting with him this Tuesday. Duterte later expressed regrets for his comment.

De Lima was almost certain  that such an  incident  would have “repercussions either immediately or in the near future.”

In fact, she said, she  already received  some text messages  from her  former classmates, who are now based in the US, supposedly saying that they were  already  being insulted  there  by Americans.

“It’s just an advice, Mr. President…I’m not imposing on you. I’m not lecturing sa inyo. And siguro po yung ganitong sentiment, I’m almost sure or pretty sure, is being shared by many,”  the senator added.

-rappler