I’m really a rude person. I’m enjoying my last time as a rude person,” President Duterte famously promised earlier. “When I become President, when I take my oath of office, there will be a metamorphosis.”
It was a statement of reassurance that compelled many to (mistakenly) presume that Duterte’s tough campaign period rhetoric — including those directed at America — was nothing but a clever gimmick.
Has the metamorphosis happened?
Many observe that in his global diplomatic debut as chair of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, he gracefully embraced his fellow Asian leaders who appreciate his pragmatism on the South China Sea disputes and relations with China.
On the other hand, Duterte has declared: “I will be charting a [new] course [for the Philippines] on its own, and will not be dependent on the United States,” thus, rapidly transforming the country’s foreign policy predisposition.
By law, the President is the country’s chief diplomat, whether he likes it or not.
In a ruling in 2005, the Supreme Court said, “In our system of government, the President, being the head of state, is regarded as the sole organ and authority in external relations, and is the country’s sole representative with foreign nations…. As the chief architect of foreign policy, the President acts as the country’s mouthpiece with respect to international affairs. Hence, the President is vested with the authority to deal with foreign states and governments, extend or withhold recognition, maintain diplomatic relations, enter into treaties, and otherwise transact the business of foreign relations.”
Many ASEAN leaders, who have excruciatingly shunned any collision with the Chinese goliath, appreciated Duterte’s pragmatic stance, bilateral negotiations with China, emphasizing the need for dialogue, despite bitter territorial disputes in the South China Sea, and the Philippines’ recent landmark legal victory against China.
Most ASEAN leaders respected Duterte’s existential policy response to the drug menace while 45 UN member-countries including the US, the European Union, and the UN have all criticized the recent extrajudicial killings in the Philippines.
Unless it involves global or regional security, countries rarely issue statements on the same issue involving another state, even after the newly- minted Foreign Affairs Sec. Alan Peter Cayetano spoke before a UN body to explain the current Filipino drug war policy.
Consistently, Duterte “does not seem to care” and said that other countries have no right to interfere in our domestic affairs. With his choice of “colorful” words, Duterte said his mouth “cannot bring down a country”.
Let’s just pray that the Duterte brand of diplomacy will bring positive results. Or else….
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Author’s email: whelmayap@yahoo.com
