‘Duterte must stop cursing without threat of plane crash’

President Rodrigo Duterte. FILE PHOTO

God doesn’t threaten anybody with a plane crash.

This was how Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson reacted on Friday to President Rodrigo Duterte’s reported promise that he would stop cursing in speeches after talking to God.

“I was looking at the skies as I was coming over here. And I… everybody was asleep snoring. A voice said that you know ‘If you don’t stop…I will bring this plane down now…” Duterte was quoted in the media as saying on Thursday.

“And I said, who is this? Of course, it’s God. Oh, OK.  So, I promised God not to express slang, cuss words.”

READ: On way back from Japan, Duterte vows to stop swearing

Sought for reaction, Lacson said Duterte’s story might be true since he said, “Only God can really talk to him out of his favorite cuss words.”

“Something’s weird though which is difficult to understand,” he said in a text message.

“God doesn’t threaten anybody with a plane crash to make him mend his ways. He can easily convince us because he is God,” the senator said.

Other senators could only hope that the President would stay true with his promise.

“Sana nga mabawasan na ng husto  ang masamang salita dahil kumbaga sa pelikula dapat general patronage kapag pinapanood ang ating Pangulo na magtalumpati sa halip na Rated R. Para pati mga anak natin puede siyang pakinggan,” Senator Francis “Kiko” Pangilinan said in a separate text message.

(I hope he cuts drastically his use of bad words because, like the movies, his speeches should be for general patronage and not Rated R. If he cuts down on his use of bad words, then our children may also listen to him.)

Senator Joseph Victor “JV” Ejercito said Duterte was “slowly adjusting to having the mentality of a national leader, slowly shelving his local-oriented character.”

“We have to help him adapt quickly,” Ejercito said in another text message.

Senate Majority Leader Vicente “Tito” Sotto III said he was certain that Duterte would try his best effort to fulfill his promise not to curse again.

“Ako din kasi hirap ako magbawas ng pagmumura ‘pag nagkwekwentuhan (I also find it difficult not to curse when engaging in banter).” IDL/rga