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OPINION: Trump has a lot to learn from Duterte on taming media

Article (news)

Ellen T. Tordesillas

<p>Oftentimes, when we read or watch on TV news about what’s happening in Donald Trump’s United States of America, you can easily find similarities in the Philippines.</p><p>It’s because Trump and the Philippine’s Rodrigo Duterte have many things in common: their contempt for the rule of law, their low regard of women, and their antagonism towards media.</p><p>The other day, Trump’s press, Secretary Sean Spicer, resigned. This inspired social media wit, Bernard Ong, to pen a letter to Trump with very exciting recommendations.</p><p>Here’s Ong’s letter:</p><div><em>“Dear Donald, </em></div><div><em>“Sorry to hear about the resignation of your spokesman, Sean Spicer. Constant lying and heaping praise on the president is a tough job. Sean&#x27;s skin wasn&#x27;t thick enough.</em></div><div><em>“May I suggest a Filipino as replacement? You can take your pick from among Andanar, Mocha and Abella. You will find them eminently qualified.</em></div><div><em>“We have a surplus of these characters over here so shipping one off to America is no big deal.</em></div><div><em>“In exchange, we want you to send to the Philippines Sylvester Stallone. We miss him a lot. We were hoping to watch him on Rambo XXVII and Rocky XXXIV by now.</em></div><div><em>“We urgently need Rocky/Rambo for several matters of national importance.</em></div><div><em>&quot;1. to fast-track the liberation of Marawi from terrorists. We&#x27;ll take the rest of his Expendables crew if he asks.</em></div><div><em>&quot;2. To train Pambansang Kamao Pacman for another comeback so he can pay his taxes.</em></div><div><em>&quot; 3. To whip our president into shape so he doesn&#x27;t look like a Butete in military uniform. “</em></div><p>It’s a pity that Spicer’s position was immediately filled up. The White House announced the appointment of Sarah Huckabee Sanders as the new press secretary.</p><p>Reports said Spicer resigned after Trump brought in a new White House communications director, Anthony Scaramucci.</p><p>Trump badly needs to beef up his communication team as more incriminating information are  being uncovered about the involvement of his son, Donald Trump, Jr.in Russia’s efforts to influence U.S. elections last year by providing him with materials against then Democratic Party’s candidate Hillary Clinton.</p><p>His son-in-law, Jared Kushner, who holds the position as senior adviser to the President, has also been dragged into the scandal.</p><p>Trump is getting a beating from media especially CNN, New York Times, and Washington Post.</p><p>He should learn from Duterte how to control media. Look at how Duterte was able to tame the Philippine Daily Inquirer, which he has lambasted for publishing that La Pieta photo of an anguished woman cradling the dead body of her husband, one of over 5,000 killed in his war against illegal drugs (3,200 drug suspects killed in presumed-legitimate anti-drug operations; 2,098 others killed in drug-related homicides, as of mid-June 2017).  </p><p>Duterte raked up the Inquirer owners or the Prieto family&#x27;s alleged questionable purchase of the Mile Long property in Makati as well as the tax payments of their other businesses.</p><p>The pressure must have been too much. Last week, Marixi R. Prieto, chair of the Inquirer Group of Companies, announced that they were selling her family’s 85 percent stake in the Inquirer to businessman Ramon Ang, president and chief executive officer of San Miguel Corporation. </p><p>Duterte is also threatening another major media outfit, ABS-CBN, of blocking the renewal of its franchise due in 2020.</p><p>Trump has a lot to learn from Duterte.<br/>                                                                                         <br/>---------</p><p>Blog: www.ellentordesillas.com<br/>E-mail: ellentordesillas@gmail.com</p>

<p>Oftentimes, when we read or watch on TV news about what’s happening in Donald Trump’s United States of America, you can easily find similarities in the Philippines.</p>

Oftentimes, when we read or watch on TV news about what’s happening in Donald Trump’s United States of America, you can easily find similarities in the Philippines.