An interview with my Norwegian Husband about President Duterte
President Duterte’s rough and direct speaking style makes dumbfounding headlines worldwide, and people ask, What kind of madman has become president in the Philippines? My Norwegian husband knows the Philippines well, and he wrote an article about Duterte, “The Shadow of an Eagle,” for this blog in November 2014. I asked him to answer some questions to help clarify the image of our new president internationally.
What do you think about President Duterte?
This colorful and controversial man can be defined in one sentence: “Elected officials must serve the greater good no matter what it takes.” It’s the words of his father, whose motto was: “Elected officials must serve the greater good no matter what it takes, like a father protecting and disciplining his family.” Duterte is just following in his father’s footsteps, “serving the greater good no matter what it takes.” Simple as that.
Many are accusing Duterte of being a cold-blooded murderer. Do you believe that?
Well… He is more like a well-informed shepherd protecting his herd from predators. He is just doing what most Filipinos say they will do if someone attacks their family. What would you do if some people harmed your mother or sisters?
I answered spontaneously: I would make them suffer!
Wow, you talk like Duterte, and Duterte talks like most Filipinos. Duterte’s rough way of talking is like a verbal devil mask scaring the evil spirits back to Hell! The elites in Manila and international media don’t take Duterte’s verbal stunts, but most Filipinos do. The problem is that Duterte doesn’t moderate his talk when he addresses foreign journalists. That gives his political opponents free ammunition to fire back.
What do you think about Obama canceling the meeting in Laos? Is America and Obama morally superior to the Philippines and Duterte?
No, this was a question of diplomatic etiquette and America’s pride. Morally, Obama and Duterte appear equal. Innocent people are killed both in Obama´s war against terror and Duterte’s war against drugs. They face the same dilemma, but a more functional law system would better protect Obama. Obama does not have to break the law to send away his bombs and drones. It’s a safer way than Duterte, who is accused of breaking the law fighting the drug cartels. Duterte has a point when he refers to the double standard of the USA.
What about the many human rights worries? Are they relevant?
Yes, human rights are fundamental, and they are violated in almost all countries of the world, including the Philippines. Still, some of the human rights activists in Manila are like crocodiles, claiming that they have become vegetarians. It’s a pity that a part of the elite in the Philippines are using all the dirty tricks in the book to discredit their new President, and that international news media so easily swallow the bait.
So the international media is misled or used in a dirty power game, organized by Duterte’s enemies?
Well, it is one way of looking at it, not necessarily the right one, but a broad part of the news media in the Philippines is controlled by people who got worried when Duterte was elected. Why they got worried is a question they probably will never answer honestly. They might need reasons to move attention from themselves, and old bloody Duterte Harry rumors appear on the front pages again.
How would you describe Duterte’s political platform and main goal?
He wants the Philippines to become a federal state with substantial autonomy for the provinces to end the ongoing armed conflicts. He is a pragmatic modern social democrat raised in “The Wild East”. He is trying to save his country from becoming a banana republic, the same way he disciplined Davao City, the murder capital of the Philippines, when he became Mayor in 1988. To reach his goal in Davao, he needed support from all of his citizens, including militant Muslims, Maoists, and vigilante groups. He managed to find a peaceful balance so that Davao could prosper and become a role model for the rest of the Philippines.
Is there still hope for the Philippines?
There is strength, vision, and hope behind Duterte’s devil mask rhetoric, so let’s hope he will continue to show that actions speak louder than words.
One response to “President of the Philippines: What Kind of Man is He?”
[…] As President, Duterte continued his hardline style, especially on the war on drugs, which resulted in alleged high death tolls and widespread international criticism. For many, he was the savior no one else dared to be. For mothers who lost their sons, he became a source of despair. At the same time, he worked to bring peace to Mindanao. He collaborated with Muslim groups to ease the long-standing conflict in the southwest. He shunned lavish presidential traditions: flew economy class, served local food at state receptions in the presidential palace, and maintained his rough manner known for coarse language directed at the UN, the Pope, and Western leaders, and for his efforts to make Philippine foreign policy more independent by turning also toward Russia and China. My wife, Grace, interviewed me in September 2016 about my impressions of Duterte when he was newly elected, and that interview can be read here. […]