By Manny Piñol
People who believe that President Rody Duterte has focused on nothing more than his campaign against drugs, simply do not understand the governance and management style of the former mayor of Davao.
I have known Rody Duterte for 24 years now and my friendship with him was strengthened by his involvement in my personal life.
He stood as the only baptismal Godfather of my son, Bernhart Immanuel, and as sponsor in the wedding of my daughter, Maria Krista.
I cannot claim to know him better than other members of the Cabinet who virtually grew up with him.
Finance Secretary Sonny Dominguez is his childhood friend, Peace Adviser Jess Dureza was his high school classmate, Executive Secretary Bingbong Medialdea was his lawyer for a long time, Cabinet Secretary Jun Evasco was his chief of staff as Mayor while Presidential Management Staff (PMS) Secretary Bong Go has been with him 24/7 for so many years now. They know Duterte better.
During the time I have known him, however, I tried to study the Duterte style of governance and management and I would like to share what I know with people so they would understand how this man works.
Duterte delegates responsibilities which is why he tediously chooses people who he would like to work with.
As soon as he is able to form his team, he focuses on what he believes is the foundation of his governance – the campaign against crime, drugs and corruption.
During the presidential campaign, Duterte has repeatedly declared that Davao City is his Exhibit A in his belief that for a community to progress, people must feel safe, drugs must nodestroy the children and there must be zero corruption in governance.
This is his style and this actually leads some people to believe that he is only focused on crime, drugs and corruption.
Of course, there is a downside to this style and that could happen if the people chosen by Duterte to form his working team do not perform as they are expected to.
So, how do you gauge the performance of President Duterte during the first 100 Days and the remaining years of his presidency?
I believe it should be by looking at the whole landscape rather than just the path that Duterte treads. It should be by listening to the voices of people whose lives he has touched rather than just his cussing and swearing.
There is more to Rody Duterte – the leader and manager – than just his cuss words and I believe the great majority of Filipinos understand that.
The soaring approval ratings prove that.
During the campaign, I told people who were uncomfortable with Duterte’s use of words to buy a lot of cotton balls and stuff their ears with these so they would not hear the cuss words.
“Look at his face and you will see the genuine emotions of a leader who loves his people and look at where he points his fingers because that is where he would like to lead the country,” I said.
Duterte is an enigma and it is a waste of time trying to decode or decipher him.
Just look at the results.
After all, that is what governance is all about.
(Video of Masinloc, Zambales fishermen courtesy of CNN Philippines.)
https://www.facebook.com/CNNPhilippines/videos/1760114204228471
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