Look beyond Duterte’s ‘bad boy’ character, says spokesperson

A spokesperson for Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte has pleaded to the public to look beyond the character of the tough-talking presidential hopeful and understand his womanizing ways.

In her first public appearance as spokesperson for Partido Demokratikong Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) on Friday, Paula Alvarez said Duterte, regardless of his “character blemishes,” had several accomplishments in stamping out crime in Davao City.

“What we want is for people to look beyond these swearings and profanity that they are throwing at him. What we should look into is his track record,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez also asked the public not to take literally Duterte’s statements of killing criminals, saying he publicly passed himself off as a murderer only as a hyperbole.

“Some of his statements are just hyperbole. Minsan in-e-exaggerate niya, to drive home a point,” she said.

Alvarez also compared the slow relief response led by then Interior Secretary Mar Roxas, now the administration candidate, to that by Duterte, whose relief goods were plastered not with his face but only with a note “From Davao City.”

“What we want is efficient government. Yun sana ang tingnan natin, ang mabilis na aksyon at solusyon,” she said, referring to the slogan of Duterte and his running mate Sen. Alan Peter Cayetano.

Alvarez said Duterte should not be judged for being good at charming women, who she said couldn’t help throwing themselves at the “bad boy” mayor.

“The women are the ones naman who throw themselves at him, maybe because he’s now seen as a rockstar. Pag artista ka, public persona ka na parang feeling nila action star siya diba. Feeling ko ganun,” Alvarez said after the Pandesal forum at Kamuning Bakery Cafe.

Alvarez even compared Duterte’s charms to that of action star Robin Padilla, who is known for his bad boy attitude.

“Parang si Robin Padilla, gusto ng mga tao kasi parang bad boy,” Alvarez said.

Alvarez maintained that Duterte was “pro-women,” saying Davao City was the first to have a women’s code that protected them from discrimination.

“He’s very respectable toward women,” she added.

Alvarez also said the allegations against Duterte for perpetrating the hitman’s group Davao Death Squad were unfounded, since no bodies had been found.

READ: Duterte confirms ‘ties’ with Davao Death Squad

She added that instead of looking at the alleged violation of the rights of criminals, the public should also look at the violations of the victims’ basic rights to lead a secure life.

“These human rights allegations are never founded. No bodies, no criminal actions or prosecution has been instituted,” Alvarez said.

“What people don’t talk about under human rights law is that you are entitled to safely live … These are other human rights that are never addressed … Duterte wants these protected because these are basic human rights,” she said.

Instead of looking only at human rights of criminals, Alvarez said it should be read “in a broader spectrum.”

Alvarez added that Duterte’s campaign would also spread awareness about federalism as an alternative to the proposed Bangsamoro Basic Law (BBL), the implementing legislation of the peace deal with the Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) which had been declared dead in Congress.

Alvarez said in the end, Duterte’s main rival was not the other candidates like Roxas, Vice President Jejomar Binay and Sen. Grace Poe.

Duterte’s main enemy, according to the spokesperson, is himself.

“Ang kalaban lang niya ang sarili niya. He has to work to convince the people that despite his character blemishes—nagmumura, the human rights accusations—kaya niyang ipakita sa mga tao na may political will,” Alvarez said.

“If we want real change, we should look beyond his character and look at achievements,” she added.

Duterte filed his certificate of candidacy as standard-bearer of PDP-Laban amid questions on his eligibility to replace Martin Diño, who earlier withdrew his candidacy for president because of a petition to declare him a nuisance.

While he is hailed for his anticrime crusade, Duterte has been linked to the Davao Death Squad, an alleged gang of assassins purportedly responsible for the deaths of 1,000 suspected criminals in the city since Duterte became mayor in 1988.

“They say I am the death squad? True, that is true,” Duterte once said in a television interview admitting his ties to the alleged group. RC