Interpreting President Duterte

There are people who follow their own trail of logic and understanding of the “sh*t” around them, their peculiar explanation of events, including the words from President Duterte’s mouth.

How did street-smarts interpret Duterte’s latest controversial statement about “not listening to Congress or the Supreme Court” and “listening only to the Armed Forces and that national police” on the issue of martial law?

“He don’t listen to dem lawmakers and justices, boss, ‘kay der’s no sesyon in Congress, no case in court. Dat’s how it’s done.”

Indeed, it’s how it works.

No decision yet

Unless the Senate and the House meets in joint session and expresses its sentiment on Duterte’s proclamation of martial law in Mindanao, there’s nothing for the president to listen to--except the yapping of lapdogs declaring support to martial law or the silence of other legislators who fear being indicted over pork barrel.

Unless a citizen files a petition with the high tribunal, questioning the “factual basis” of martial law and the SC rules on it, there’s no judicial voice Duterte has to listen to. Chief Justice Ma. Lourdes Sereno was not the collective court.

Carries weight

Many Filipinos though don’t weigh a president’s pronouncement the way the street-smart parses an important statement.

Despite repeated warnings from his communica- tors and Duterte himself, that he tends to exaggerate, often jokes and sometimes fibs, most of us take him seriously. He’s the president, no less.

Whatever he says--even if intended only for a specific and separate audience, or just planned or thought about--is given weight. Thus, it can ring alarm bells and bother people, it not push them to their seat’s edge.

What it means

In the current subject of the uproar, what else could his statement mean except for what it says? Which is, to ignore Congress and the SC, when else but once it tells him to lift martial law or refuses him a request for extension?

Assurances that he is a lawyer and took an oath when he assumed office to obey the Constitution wouldn’t banish the fear that he might declare a revolutionary government and not bother about listening to Congress and the SC anymore.

Palace version

Duterte’s communicators can’t use the streetsmart’s logic. So they turned to the next best thing when the following day Presidential Spokesman Ernesto Abella said the president won’t bypass Congress but will “rely ultimately on the advice” of the military and the police. He’s a listening president, Abella said, but he makes the final decision. Which Congress and the Supreme Court can review.

Had Duterte put it that way, it wouldn’t have raised the ruckus, would it? Next time maybe, to anything he says, hold your breath until Malacañang will translate or explain it.