Rody’s ‘talkalese’

More talk, more mistakes; less talk, less mistakes; but no talk, no mistake.

This popular proverb could be the best piece of advice to government functionaries if they want to stay out of trouble.

But for President Rodrigo Duterte, it seems talking a lot has its own merits. President Duterte calls it “talkalese,” which he apparently coined to mean plain talking, whether it makes sense or not. Perhaps, his “talkalese” took off from the word “legalese” which means complicated language of lawyers whether it is understood or not.

The first time I heard the word “talkalese” from  President Duterte was during our courtesy call to him by us Star editors at Malacanang last Aug.3. President Duterte used the word “talkalese” to describe the initial negotiations by then newly designated “special envoy” to China, former president Fidel Ramos to break the ice with Beijing.

The second time I’ve heard President Rodrigo Duterte mentioned the word “talkalese” was in his latest extemporaneous remarks at the graduation rites last Friday of police and military men who completed a motorcycle-riding course held in Davao City. The President cited his “talkalese” policy to describe the government’s ongoing peace negotiations with both communists and Muslim secessionists groups.

“As I’ve said, we cannot wage war against our own people. And you cannot build a government over the bones of the soldiers and the rebels,” President Duterte pointed out. “I’m talking with everybody. Ayaw ko naman ng gulo. Papatayin mo man lahat ‘yang kaharap mo, wala rin. This (problem) has been going on for so many years…Chika-chika lang muna. We’ll talk. Hindi naman sana ma-offend ang military, but that is really the best solution there. Talkalese lang muna tayo. Wala naman tayong magawa eh,” President Duterte cited.

At the same ceremony, President Duterte took the occasion to shed light on the swirling controversy over alleged “kumpare” who called up Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Director General Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to reinstate Supt. Marvin Marcos. Because of the supposed phone call by this “kumpare” of Bato, the PNP chief earlier disclosed, he reversed his earlier relief order against Marcos as chief of the Criminal Investigation and Detection Group (CIDG) Region 8 chief after being accused of receiving drug money from Kerwin Espinosa.

Fueling further this controversy, Sen. Leila de Lima revealed information from her unnamed “source” that this ?“kumpare” of Bato is actually Presidential Management Staff (PMS) secretary Christopher “Bong” Go. Himself also a lawyer, Go vehemently denied De Lima’s tagging him as merely hearsay and unsubstantiated.

Without mentioning the name of De Lima, President Duterte broke his silence on the controversy and cleared his most trusted aide as not the “kumpare” who called up Bato to reinstate Marcos. Obviously trying to make light of the controversy, the President—by way of joking— said someone has to take the blame for it. He then pointed to his erstwhile Davao City police chief and now Interior undersecretary Catalino Cuy as the one who should take the fall for it.

As the PNP chief, President Duterte stressed, Dela Rosa anyway has the prerogative to remove any of his men, or retain them in their posts whether or not they were being investigated or not.

But then President Duterte went on to justify the reinstatement of Marcos as something necessary while building up the case against the accused CIDG officer. Aside from Kerwin’s accusations that Marcos was one of his protectors in his illegal drugs trade, the accused Region 8 CIDG chief is also being investigated for his involvement in the killing of Albuera Mayor Rolando Espinosa, Kerwin’s father who was slain while under detention.

“Maski na sabihin niya kriminal ‘yan. Teka muna. Let the law take its own (course). Huwag tanggalin na may nag-pro-programa pa kami dito kung totoo ba o hindi,” the President further went on to explain. Secondly, the President pointed out, it might cause “low morale” among the police who all are under his command to carry out his administration’s war against illegal drugs. “So (if) you do that, it will create a ripple in the entire country,” he warned.

President Duterte, who was in Peru attending the APEC Leaders’ summit last month when the Mayor was slain, initially stood by the police involved in this incident. The President reiterated his policy declaration to assume “legal responsibility” for policemen if they have acted in accordance with arrest procedure to shoot at the suspect if there is resistance.

After he cleared Go from the controversy, President Duterte abruptly wrapped up his speech without a clear ending of the matter. The President would finally admit in a subsequent ambush interview after the event that it was Go  who called up Bato. But the President admitted it was him who personally talked to the PNP chief and ordered the latter to reinstate Marcos, citing the same explanations he did in his remarks.

What is clear though, it was Bato who started the controversy. Appearing in a TV talk show program last week, the PNP chief casually mentioned about an un-named “kumpare” who asked him for the reinstatement of Marcos.

When PNP reporters later pressed Bato if it is President Duterte he alluded to as “kumpare,” Bato denied it was not because the President is his “ninong” (godfather). The President’s admission saved the day for him.

As the country’s top cop — or any military men for that matter—he should know better about following the chain of command. The direct superior of the PNP director-general is the Department of Interior and Local Government Secretary Miguel Sueno, as the “alter ego” of the President who is the Commander-in-chief. There is no “kumpare” on the chain of command that Bato allegedly obeyed the order from.

Under fire, Bato earlier invoked his “honesty” in admitting that his all-expense-paid trip to Las Vegas was a “gift” to him by Sen. Manny Pacquiao to watch the latter’s boxing match. Honesty does not count if the full force of the anti-graft law would be strictly applied on Bato’s lapse of judgment.

While it is admirable for him to be honest and transparent, the PNP chief’s weakness for publicity stunts and being too talkative for comfort are causing unnecessary troubles for him and the President.

When the situation calls for sensitive or confidential matters, it would be a better part of virtue for them perhaps to talk less, opposite of President Duterte’s “talkalese.”