![]() All it takes is Duterte to buckle down and appreciate the occasion as a golden opportunity to remind the Filipino people that they can have it all. Possibly even the kind that will stand out in history and get quoted by future generations. I tell you, after witnessing those first few minutes of the Duterte SONA, I do think we can be witness to a truly great SONA within these next five years. Full of flourish but lacking in eloquence, Pnoy’s SONA was appetizer and dessert with no main course. Furthermore, in contrast to Duterte, his idea of a SONA was blaming the previous administration and lifting his own bench. Pnoy had a great voice but he insisted on speaking in Tagalog, the dialect of so-called “imperial Manila”. They all had lousy speaking voices that tended to put you to sleep. None of the recent Philippine presidents were great orators. He can rally people to patriotism, convince people to support his plans and agenda, and further increase his already high popularity. It is not, by far, the end all and be all of leadership, but there is no questioning the President, by virtue of his office, has an excellent pulpit by which to address and convince the people. The power of well-timed oratory cannot be dismissed. Still, my shallow self wonders at missed opportunities. (For a complete list of substanive pronouncements look at the Presidential Communications Group’s FB page.) Even on a personal level, how can one not appreciate the extended validity of drivers licenses and passports? The promise of universal health insurance for all Filipinos? The lower corporate and income tax? Here is meat, meat, meat! It was a veritable Brazilian Churrascaria. It is as if the chef said, forget the appetizer, the soup, the anti-pasti. ![]() The man who eschews form over substance delivered substance in spades. He has told people to stop calling him “Your excellency”, and instead call him “Rody”. He does not care much for the frivolities or even conventions of his office. Instead of dwelling on the appetizers, he would just rather go straight to the main course. Antithesis The evil that men do lives after them, The good is oft interred with their bones Antithesis So let it be with Caesar. Clearly, the man has the impatience of the executive. Friends, Romans, countrymen Exordium, lend me your ears Synecdoche I come to bury Caesar, not to praise him. We all know Duterte is not one to stand on ceremony. He would have sneered at the script and done adlib too. ![]() Fonzie is the gangster-image toughie with the heart of gold. In this regard, Duterte actually reminds me of the Fonz from the old tv show Happy Days (millenials look it up on YouTube). Making a nod to convention, he initially did some of the flowery, soft stuff, but soon tossed it aside as if in disdain, and went off script. The rest of the SONA was pretty much trademark Duterte. Subscribe to our Substack newsletter, GRP Insider! Opt into a paid subscription and you'll get premium insider briefs and insights from us daily. Subscribe to our Substack community GRP Insider to receive by email our in-depth free weekly newsletter. ![]()
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