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http://www.theatlantic.com/news/archive ... rte/494330

He joked about castrating overly amorous men in order to reduce the country’s birth rate.

Oh my! Sexual addicts like Winston better watch out!

The president himself is an "overly amorous man", so I would not take his jokes too seriously. He's a bit like Donald Trump, in that he is a man who likes to joke a lot and that his jokes tend to be widly inappropriate and politically incorrect. Duterte is the type of man, who talks even during press conferences and speeches the way he would over a beer with his buddies. He's very authentic, honest and down to earth like that.

Unlike Donald Trump and other men who are known for being politically incorrect and a bit off their rocker, however, Duterte is known as someone who actually gets shit done. He is experienced in politics, has been his nation's most successful and well-loved major for decades, and has truly moved mountains for the people of Davao and the people of the province. He is someone every Filipino, especially those in the province and of poorer background, can look up to.

The birth rate, of course, is not as problematic as some make it seem to be - it's actually going down in most places. Duterte is just a man who likes to joke. Nine out of ten times when he says something "controversial" and the media jumps on it and reports it, it turns out he just made a joke and it was taken out of context... there's a lot of journalists on Aquino's pay roll, and the Liberal Party Duterte dethroned is trying desperately to make him look like a raging madman, because his efficiency is making their previous administrations look ridiculously incompetent.

MarcosZeitola wrote:The president himself is an "overly amorous man", so I would not take his jokes too seriously. He's a bit like Donald Trump, in that he is a man who likes to joke a lot and that his jokes tend to be widly inappropriate and politically incorrect. Duterte is the type of man, who talks even during press conferences and speeches the way he would over a beer with his buddies. He's very authentic, honest and down to earth like that.

Unlike Donald Trump and other men who are known for being politically incorrect and a bit off their rocker, however, Duterte is known as someone who actually gets shit done. He is experienced in politics, has been his nation's most successful and well-loved major for decades, and has truly moved mountains for the people of Davao and the people of the province. He is someone every Filipino, especially those in the province and of poorer background, can look up to.

The birth rate, of course, is not as problematic as some make it seem to be - it's actually going down in most places. Duterte is just a man who likes to joke. Nine out of ten times when he says something "controversial" and the media jumps on it and reports it, it turns out he just made a joke and it was taken out of context... there's a lot of journalists on Aquino's pay roll, and the Liberal Party Duterte dethroned is trying desperately to make him look like a raging madman, because his efficiency is making their previous administrations look ridiculously incompetent.

You really couldn't have it phrased it any better, MarcosZ.

MarcosZeitola wrote: He's very authentic, honest and down to earth like that.

A contact of mine who used to live in Davao has met him several times says exactly the same.

Zambales wrote:

MarcosZeitola wrote: He's very authentic, honest and down to earth like that.

A contact of mine who used to live in Davao has met him several times says exactly the same.

Everybody in Davao can boast having met him in person, even once, took a photo with him, or shook his hand. I met him and shook his hand once, of course I was too shy to create a photo opportunity (and knowing he would have gone all the way to the presidential seat, I regret not doing it).

He's a man for the people, and a man of the people. I used to get a little teary when I first saw photo evidence of how he spends his birthdays, at the House of Hope, hugging children with cancer.



They might call him a cunning strategist, a relentless womanizer and a dirty mouth to boot. But there is no doubt, at least to Davaoenos and anyone who knows him personally, that he is the first Filipino politician of our generation who could strike so many chords, and so deeply and lastingly, with the people of his country.

Philippines is full with criminals of any kind you can imagine. Something has to be done about it, and so far Duterte is the only politician I know who is willing to fight it out. Not an easy job, very dangerous - playing with his life every day.

With Duterte, Philippines is not a place for Western-style do-gooders, human rights activists, religious bigots and similar idiots who give criminals more protection than their victims.

I think many ordinary people in Philippines who are fed up with crime support all his actions, politically correct or not.

We will see however if he survives ... not sure about it. There are plenty of people in the Philippines, who want to kill him. It's not only about some impoverished drug-dealers, it is also about the corrupt high society, politicians, judges, businessmen, landlords, etc. etc.

Good luck to him!