Palace refutes Ramos: Duterte ‘visionary,’ not insecure

President Rodrigo Duterte and former president Fidel V. Ramos have a private talk in this July 14, 2016 file photo (KING RODRIGUEZ/ PPD)

Do not take President Rodrigo Duterte’s “different” approach as a sign of insecurity.

That was how Malacañang reacted to former president Fidel Ramos’ comments that Duterte had a “one-way kind of decision-making in law enforcement” and that he was “insecure.”

Presidential spokesperson Ernesto Abella said that while Duterte may have a “different working style” compared to Ramos, he still listens to opinions and advice from others.

“[Ramos’] approach is more managerial and more corporate while the President himself is more visionary,” Abella said in an interview over state-run dzRB radio.

“That doesn’t mean he’s insecure. What’s clear to me is that he’s a leader who listens,” he added.

The Palace official said Duterte may act on his own but that doesn’t mean he’s not listening.

“At the end of the day, kanya pong, siya mismo ‘yung ano, siya ‘yung mismong… ang kumikilos ‘no. But it doesn’t mean to say that he’s not listening, but siya mismo ang gumagawa ng desisyon,” he said.

(At the end of the day, he does things by himself. But it does not mean to say that he’s not listening, but he is just the one making the decisions.)

Abella called Duterte a “transformational leader.”

“Si PRRD po is what you would call a transformational leader…’yun bang out of nothing may nagagawa siya (the type who, out of nothing, gets to do things),” he said.

He noted that there has been a major leap on Duterte’s policies because “he has been acting out of the box.” He, however, assured that the President was following rules in his decisions.

“He has to follow the rules but he has been acting out of the box, but he’s truly a visionary leader, he’s really what would you call a transformational leader,” he said.

On Thursday, Ramos told Duterte to consult the public when making policy decisions.

“A lot of these fears being generated by him is because he is afraid of fear or he is not secured. He is insecure. Pardon me for saying this, Mr. President Duterte, but you must be at peace with yourself, do not talk about dying soon or being killed or not caring about your life,” Ramos said in an interview with Rappler.

Duterte has repeatedly said in his public speeches that it was Ramos who convinced him to run in the May 2016 elections.

READ: Now it can be told: FVR pushed Duterte to run

He said Ramos was the first person to fly to Davao City to ask him to run for president.

The former and present leaders, however, have not seen eye-to-eye since. Ramos earlier criticized Duterte for his anti-American sentiments, his use of foul language, and his decision to allow the hero’s burial for former Philippine president Ferdinand Marcos. IDL

READ: Ramos split with Duterte widens