Osmeña on slap dare: Roxas, Duterte ‘like high school students’
Sen. Serge Osmeña III says presidential aspirants should be “statesman-like” and not engage in childish shenanigans. INQUIRER.net FILE PHOTO
Sen. Serge Osmeña on Tuesday likened the two presidential aspirants who had dared each other to a slapping match to “high school students” as he advised them to tone down their language and be more “statesman-like.”
“We expect something more out of those two leaders who want to be president and maybe they can tone down their language and be more statesman-like in their debates,” Osmeña told reporters when asked to comment on the raging word war between former Interior Secretary Mar Roxas and Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte.
READ: Roxas, Duterte engage in ‘slapstick’ politics
While it was Duterte who first threatened to slap Roxas after the latter described the mayor’s crime buster image as a myth, Osmeña said the former secretary should not have gone down to that level.
“We don’t settle our quarrels by fighting with each other,” he said.
Osmeña said Roxas instead could have challenged Duterte to a debate.
In the case of Duterte, the senator reminded him that running for mayor was different from running for president.
“We’re appealing to both camps to bring the level of debate to statesman-like level,” Osmeña said.
“Yung sampalan, para silang high school students,” he added.
Saying the slapping match was already “out of line,” Osmeña urged the presidential hopefuls to raise the bar for “high level presidential debates.” RC
RELATED STORIES
Duterte’s Davao City PH’s safest? It’s just a myth, says Roxas
Duterte hits back at Roxas, says Wharton cred is a myth
Roxas challenges Duterte to fistfight instead of ‘slapping’ match
