Duterte must adjust eventually — Gordon

Senator Richard “Dick” Gordon on Wednesday said President Rodrigo Duterte’s rhetoric is reflective of his long experience as a local chief executive.

Gordon said he understands where the Duterte is coming from as a former mayor but that he will have to change now that he is a president.

“Syempre kailangan rin he must adjust kundi mawawala rin ang kanyang effectiveness (Of course, he has to adjust, otherwise his effectiveness will also diminish),” Gordon said over Radyo Inquirer 990AM.

The senator explained that it is wrong to box someone and expect him to act a certain way, especially since “Duterte’s world in Davao is different.”

“Pagdating nya dito, iba ‘yung pananaw sa kanya (Now that he is president, people from outside Davao see him differently),” Gordon said.

He said Duterte seems sincere in fighting the illegal drug trade.

“Ang bukang bibig nya minsan ay nakakasakit pero yun eh makikita mo gusto nyang sabihin sa mamamayan: lahat tayo magkaisa (Sometimes he says hurtful words but you can see that he just wants the tell people that we should be united),” he said.

Duterte’s recent “son of a b****” remark reportedly offended US President Barack Obama and prompted the White House to cancel a bilateral meeting between the two heads of state. Duterte apparently took offense at the possibility of Obama asking him about extrajudicial killings related to his war against drugs.

READ: Duterte voices regrets for insult on Obama

“When you’re dealing with the world, you’ll have to talk in diplomatic language. Eh hindi pa nya abot yun (But he’s not there yet),” Gordon said of Duterte, adding that the President didn’t seem to like working in Congress.

He said Duterte is just the kind of local executive who wants to get the job done as quick as possible.

Gordon said that even if the two leaders quarrel, the national interests of the two countries should US would still be the priority.

He said the US is also interested in opposing Chinese hegemony and having a peaceful Asian region. CDG

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