‘Pensar bien’
THERE are a few English sayings that are apropos to the above title. The most common is, “Look before you leap.” Schooled in the conservative but rigid Spanish educational system at the Colegio de San Vicente de Paul (CSVP) in our hometown of Calbayog City in the 1920s, my late father memorized a host of practical idioms and sayings in the Castilian language.
He was fairly good in oral and written English, and also spoke conversational Spanish.
CSVP was the most revered institution in the provinces of Samar and Leyte during that era, and was the only seminary for priesthood that doubled as a boarding school for young men from the region. It was administered by the Vicentian priests of the Congregation of Mission from Spain.
Notably, many of those dictums find timely relevance to people and things around us nowadays.
One of the bywords that my father would often remind me of when I was a young boy in the elementary grades was, “Pensar bien antes hablando.” Literally, “Think well before talking.”
And irony of ironies, the aforementioned idiom surprisingly applies to President Duterte who oftentimes gets more than his fair share of flak from the netizens for mouthing not only cuss words but also inimical statements in public.
And many neutral observers will tell us that those statements are uttered by the President without so much as coaxing himself beforehand, “Pensar bien, vida mia!”
Similarly, many a trial lawyer will entertain fear of jeopardizing the cases of the President before international courts. It is seen as the flagdown for his critics to run to the International People’s Court, International Criminal Court, the International Commission on Human Rights, the European Union, the United Nations itself.
As it always happens, the following day after those incendiary statements are spoken, Harry Roque, the spokesman, Sal Panelo, the chief legal counsel, would scramble from their seats and go to the nearest microphone to say, “The President was quoted out of context.” Or, “He was only kidding, he was not serious.”
As of last week, PNP chief Oscar Albayalde came to beef up the verbal defense team.
Sadly, even the most rabid Duterte supporter will think twice before swallowing those dubious repartees.
The first indication that Duterte is not into a “pensar bien” orientation was in January 2016.
While campaigning, his party team got entangled in a vehicular traffic snarl near NAIA, what with all the ceremonies being held for the send-off of Pope Francis after a five-day visit. The then presidential candidate went on a frenetic round of curses that were fit only in describing a vicious criminal.
A few days after the incident, the aspirant volunteered to go to Rome to personally apologize to the Holy Father. But it was reported that the Vatican politely turned down Duterte’s offer.
But what could probably have turned Duterte’s top advisers in panic was his supposed “admission” that the only thing that his enemies could take it against him was when he said, “Ang kasalanan ko lang yung mga extra judicial killings.”
It happened during his address before new officers of the government’s career executives board in Malacañang last Thursday, September 27.
The gravity of the President’s “no pensar bien” lapses could be gauged by the regular issuance of the same “quoted-out-of-context” statement almost every day, from last Friday up to two days before this column went to press.
And finally, how could the President avoid falling into similar controversial phrases next time around?
His top advisers must convince him to stick to prepared speeches. By this recourse, they may be able to put an end to his ad libs and extemporaneous monologues – many of them are only repetition of earlier harangues anyway – that most often ignite the sparks of his verbal mayhem.
Just think the Castilian way, Mr. President – “Pensar bien antes hablando.”