While unfazed by President Rodrigo Duterte’s tirades against him, former President Benigno Aquino III admitted on Monday that he was not happy by the expletives that he has been getting from his successor every time he criticizes the administration’s bloody war on illegal drugs.
“Style n’ya ‘yun e. Siguro pag nailabas n’ya ‘yun baka naman, titingnan ng Pangulo, ‘tama ba ang sinasabi nito?’” Aquino said in an interview at the Manila Memorial Park on Monday.
(That’s his style. Maybe if he vents those out, just maybe, he will look back and say was that right?)
“’Pag tama o baka naman maging pang-udyok ‘yun na sabihin na bakit nga ba ganito, parang parehong-pareho, eksakto yung numero? Baka naman bumuti yung kanilang programa laban sa droga. Tumakbo na ng isang taon, dapat may resulta na tayong makita,” he added.
(When it’s right, maybe that may become a motivating factor [for Duterte] to say that what [Aquino has been saying is right all along] why is it all the same, exactly the same number? Maybe their anti-drug program improves. It has been running for a year, we should see a result by now.)
Aquino earlier noted that in 2015, when he was still the Chief Executive, the number of drug users in the Philippines was at 1.8 million. The figure, he said, remained at 1.8 million by end of 2016 or even after his successor, Duterte, has already assumed the presidency.
“It seems nothing happened,” the media reported the former leader as saying. The remark earned him Duterte’s ire.
“Sabi ni PNoy, parang walang nangyari. Sige, pumasok ka sa droga, PNoy, ‘pag hindi kita pinutulan ng ulo, buang ka. Anong walang nangyari? Put— Gago ka,” Duterte said.
(PNoy [Aquino] said nothing happened. OK, just try involve yourself into drugs, PNoy, and I’ll assure you I will cut your head off, you fool. What do you mean nothing happened? Put*** You stupid.)
READ: Duterte curses Aquino, Loot, Kim
Asked if he was hurt by Duterte’s cursing, Aquino said: “Sabi nga nila, hindi ka pwedeng maging balat sibuyas. Syempre hindi ko naman ikinatuwa pero balikan ko lang, baka naman sakali may saysay ba yung kanyang sinasabi, e di sulit na rin.”
(As they say, we don’t need to be “onion skinned.” Of course I was not happy about it, but going back, maybe what [Aquino] has been saying has sense, so it’s just worth it.) JPV