Bad timing and questioning blamed for Duterte outburst

Executive Secretary Salvador Medialdea yesterday said the public should understand that President Duterte recently lost his cool during a press briefing due to the bad timing and manner of questioning by a journalist.

In a press conference before flying to Laos last Monday, a reporter from Reuters asked the President how he intends to address the concerns of extrajudicial killings in front of world leaders including Obama.

The President became furious and warned Obama against questioning him over the drug related deaths.

“We should also understand, ako sa aking personal na pananaw, na nailabas niya iyon, alam ninyo ang tanong ho nung the manner the question was posted [We should also understand, in my personal view, he expressed such views given the manner the question was posted],” Medialdea said in a radio interview.

“Pangalawa po, iyong pagkakataon na tinanong, napakalapit po ng proximity na ang constituent mo ay na-massacre doon sa isang lugar and then ganoon pa ang dating ng tanong, eh talagang iiba ang timpla ng decorum po ninyo [Secondly, the timing of the question was too close in proximity to your constituents who were massacred in a nearby area. With that kind of questioning, your decorum will really change],” he added. In his press conference early this week, the President threatened to curse Obama if he would confront and insult him over the spate of drug killings in the country.

He said Obama has no right to meddle with domestic affairs since the Philippines has long ceased to be a colony of the US.

He said Obama should be the one explaining about the “misdeeds” of the US in the Philippines, including the massacre of thousands of Muslims in Mindanao in the early 1900s.

The President’s emotional comments came a few days after a powerful improvised bomb rocked a crowded night market in Davao City killing 14 people and injuring dozens others. Shortly after Duterte’s controversial statement, Obama cancelled his planned meeting with the Philippine leader on the sidelines of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos.

Duterte later issued a statement expressing regret over his strong comments, saying he looks forward to ironing out differences with the country’s major ally.