Former President Rodrigo Duterte has been urged to be mindful of his criticisms toward his successor, President Marcos, as they may send the wrong signals to the Filipino public and the international community.
Deputy Majority Leader and Iloilo Rep. Janette Garin cautioned Duterte that his statements require careful consideration due to their potential implications.
“I think with due respect to former President Duterte, sometimes it is necessary to decipher because even when he was President, sometimes he would make candid jokes, then he forgets that due to his stature, his statements become official,” Garin told reporters on Friday.
The lawmaker was reacting to the string of criticisms leveled by the former chief executive against President Marcos, particularly addressing the latest insinuation that the incumbent leader was merely indulging in leisurely travels during his trips abroad.
She added: “Statements like that can actually diminish the respect of other countries to our country. It’s not the person of President BBM that is tainted, it’s the personality of the whole Philippines, of the Filipino.”
The Iloilo solon said that if those remarks were intended as jokes, the former president should be mindful of the context in which certain jokes are made.
“It’s a bit necessary to put those other jokes into perspective. But in the context of whether it’s right or not, although it’s his right, maybe he’s joking. But that bigger impact is not good,” Garin said.
The House leader underscored the “responsibility and accountability” attached to being a former president, saying that each uttered word carries weight and influences public perception.
Garin cited examples of other former presidents who exercised discretion in their public statements, opting for diplomatic language over personal jokes.
She also cited the need for Duterte to align his remarks with the gravity of his position and the potential repercussions they may have on the country’s international standing.