Who’s afraid of Dirty Digong Duterte?

IT’S NEVER easy to dislike Mayor Rodrigo Duterte of Davao City. The guy has a kind of candor and dedication rarely seen in Filipino politicians.

In fact, it’s doubtful if Duterte honestly considers himself a politician.

Duterte, 70, is quite admirable in his own inimitable way.

Many people also find him too good to be true.

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One of them is United States-based Filipino aeronautics engineer Anthony Andales of Cebu, who sidelines as an international boxing correspondent from his base in South Carolina.

He said: “My thing is I know people want him. But do we have to sacrifice our values in order to have a more effective president? I know I like him, but if he continues to show indecency, things may change—baka mag-iba ihip ng hangin.”

Duterte, indeed, owns great credentials, feats and record achievements badly needed here at home in these troubled times.

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In a random street poll done by this commuting reporter, Duterte was an overwhelming choice for president among taxi drivers around Metro Manila the past two months.

One reliable source inside the city police department in Mandaluyong said the majority of the city’s cops would be voting for Duterte, as they continued to hope for honest reforms around.

Of course, what stands out is Duterte’s iron-fist rule in Davao City, which has caused that metropolis in troubled Mindanao to be selected as one of the safest places in the world.

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This clamor for a Duterte presidency evidently reflects the frustration over the breakdown of law and order in the country, centering on the rampaging problem of drug addiction.

Those we had been able to talk to were one in looking up to Duterte as a messiah who could save the country from total ruin. The man could be coarse and crude, disrespectful and dirty. But what they find in him is a no-nonsense real-life reformer, his own man, no false sideburns, no borrowed heroism, nothing of the movie world fantasy many politicians love to ride on.

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In that well-applauded proclamation speech, Duterte went out of his way to detail some of his frailities, like having two wives and two girlfriends (“If I can love 100 million Filipinos, why can’t I love four women?”). He also confided how he had killed criminals, like a band that robbed, raped, killed and left human waste in the victims’ lair afterwards. He said he killed the criminals with his own hand, left them to roast and toast in their vehicle which he had ordered burned later.

Call it slip of the tongue, or going out of bounds, but he was heard and seen cursing at Pope Francis when he touched on official incompetence that created hellish traffic jams during the papal visit last January.

As expected, that irreverent portion of the Duterte speech went viral on social media, was headline stuff the morning after.

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Columnist Ramon Tulfo, a good friend of Duterte, received several text messages on Monday denouncing the outspoken mayor of Davao City.

“Please tell Mayor Duterte to keep his dignity, stop playing to the crowd,” said one message.

Another texter said in the vernacular that Duterte should be honorable, and quit behaving like an outrageous braggart—“Kailangan maginoong matapang, hindi bastos na mayabang.”

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A little loose of tongue, Duterte appeared dazed and tentative, a little high, during the touchy portions of his speech.

The Catholic Bishops Conference (CBCP) wasted no time and hit Duterte for immoral language and behavior.

The PDP-Laban, Duterte’s party, apologized on behalf of its standard bearer.

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Duterte later said sorry, claiming he won’t be a fool to curse the Pope. He claimed he was misinterpreted, adding he would readily step out of the presidential race if Pope Francis so wishes.

Anthony Andales later also received a text message wondering if Duterte would end up being a messiah or a godless gimmickero.

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Or do we all end up hooking another perfect fool for free?

Yesterday, there came a text message which said: “Tayo na sa tunay na pagbabago. Be counted in as Rodrigo R. Duterte volunteer. Please type in your name, address, date of birth. No money involved.”

A cellphone number was left for those interested: +63-922-0001501