Duterte’s unproven claims
PRESIDENT Duterte said he has a tape of an alleged phone conversation by New York-based Filipina businesswoman Loida Nicolas conniving with the International Criminal Court (ICC) to go after him.
He has said he had bank records of illegal deposits of Sen. Sonny Trillanes. He also has a master list of public officials involved in illegal drugs.
And yet he hasn’t shown hard proof of his allegations. In fact, regarding Trillanes’ alleged dirty cash in a Singapore bank, Mr. Duterte later admitted he just made up the numbers.
Why does the President say things that are unproven?
He knows that those of us who are skeptical of his claims don’t believe what he says precisely because there’s no credible proof.
If that’s the case, then why does he make such statements?
My hunch is that he tosses his claims out into the wind for the benefit of his fans. His false statements are not meant for the skeptical but for those who believe whatever he says. By doing so, he tries to turn the tables against his accusers by saying he has proof without making his alleged proof public.
Starting from the allegations against him regarding a Davao Death Squad that was supposedly his brainchild and pride, to Trillanes’ accusation that he has had great amounts of money, allegedly in the billions, stashed in a bank, to the extrajudicial killings allegedly encouraged by him, he is forced to say something in his defense.
Somehow he has to counter the allegations against him. That’s why he has to say something even though it’s unproven.
But his statements in defense against allegations are not meant for the discerning and the cynical. He knows that thinking people will not buy any statements that don’t come with proof.
But he has to say something. Thus, his unproven claims in order to keep his political base on his side, that what he’s being accused of is untrue. His thinking is that if he doesn’t counter the accusations against him, the accusations will remain out there without rebuttal.
His political base, wanting to remain loyal to him, are willing to believe his counter claims no matter that they’re not supported by proof.
He doesn’t care about the unbelievers because he has already conceded in his calculations that he had already lost them anyway. So, he keeps his base from eroding by feeding them unproven statements, like having a tape of Lewis conniving with the ICC or Trillanes having illegal wealth.
That’s my hunch because how else to explain his false statements. Later, he saves himself from being branded a liar by saying he was just joking or he only made things up. That is how Duterte plays with the minds of the people, in this case particularly the minds of his fans.
*** Tantrum Ergo. When will they stop this crazy dance with the Communists? Why the back and forth?
His trumpeters keep telling the public President Duterte is a decisive leader. That he makes decisions at the snap of his fingers as when he orders the termination of talks with Communists when he’s not happy where the talks are going.
But is he really a decisive guy? From what I’ve seen, he’s more of a compulsive one. His next decision on the talks will tell us which kind of leader he really is.