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| President Rodrigo Duterte. - File Photo |
President Rodrigo Duterte hit local and international media "spin doctors," and cautioned Filipinos to "watch out" because they can supposedly make people appear worse than they really are.
In his speech during a meeting with the Filipino community in Indonesia, Duterte accused the media of "spinning stories several times over," or allegedly leaving out relevant facts and telling lies to crucify him, and recounted this week's international headlines on how he allegedly called US President Barack Obama a "son of a b****" or "son of a whore."
"Hindi ko sinabing 'p********.' May sinabi ako, pero not in relation to Obama," he said.
("I didn't say 'p**** ina.' I said it, but not relation to Obama.")
He was expressing his frustration with the media, he clarified, as they kept asking him questions he considered improper.
"You can write an article about the President of the Republic of the Philippines being put to task, but even if it is true na talagang pinatay ko lahat, p******** di ako sasagot sa iyo, wala akong pakialam. Who are you [to ask me such a thing]?" he said.
("You can write an article about the President of the Republic of the Philippines being put to task, but even if it is true that I did kill everyone, son of a b****, I won't answer you, I don't care. Who are you [to ask me such a thing]?")
Duterte criticized the "American press" for showing him in the worst light possible.
"Itong Amerikano, mahusay talaga. Americans can spin a story. They use a predicate or adjective that is worst to hear," he said, emphasizing that people are really good at condemning others.
("These Americans are really good. Americans can spin a story. They use a predicate or adjective that is worst to hear.")
One example, he said, is the foreign media's translation of the Filipino expletive "p********". According to Duterte, the translation used in the news was the worst translation of the expression, and not a term any Filipino would use.
The media could have used a less "terrible," more colloquial translation, but did not, he said.
"When they are after you, they make it appear to be the worst of you. Kaya ako, bantay sa press. They can spin everything," he said.
("When they are after you, they make it appear to be the worst of you. So I watch the press. They can spin everything.")
However, he emphasized that he does not care about what the foreign press say, because he is not the president of the international community.
"I am the president of the Republic of the Philippines, not the Republic of the International Community. You can all go to hell. I will do what I think is best for my country for the best interest of the Philippines," he said.
Source: ABS-CBN