Pahayag ni Senador Ping Lacson: 'Digong never pretended to be somebody else, he's just being himself'

Maynila, Philippines – Sinabi ni Senador Panfilo "Ping" Lacson noong Martes na dapat tanggapin ng mga Pilipino si Pangulong Rodrigo Roa Duterte kung sino talaga siya. Sinabi ni Lacson ang kanyang komento matapos sinabi ni Pangulong Duterte na gumamit siya ng marijuana upang lagi siyang gising, lalo na dahil sa kanyang hectic schedule sa opisina.

Sinabi ng senador na si Pangulong Duterte ay hindi nagpanggap na ibang tao sa panahon ng presidential campaign ngunit karamihan sa mga tao ay bumoto pa rin sa kanya at siya ay inihalal na Pangulo. Idinagdag ni Lacson na dapat tanggapin ng mga tao kung paano i-conduct ng pangulo ang kanyang sarili.“He is really like that, he never stops joking,” sabi ni Lacson.

“He was like that during the campaign, he was voted, we are in a democracy. He never pretended (to be somebody else) during the campaign but he was elected (as President anyway),” dagdag pa niya.

Nanalo si Duterte noong 2016 poll via landslide sa 16.6 milyong boto - isang napakahusay na istatistika laban sa pangalawang placer at previous administration’s bet na si Mar Roxas, na nakakuha lamang ng 9.9 milyong boto.

Sinabi ni Lacson na ang presidente ay inihalal ng karamihan ng mga Pilipino na botante, kaya tanggapin natin ang kanyang pagka natural. “We will have to live with whatever he is for the next four years or so,” dagdag pa ng senador.

Kahit na ang dating presidential rival ni Duterte na si Senator Grace Poe, ay nagsabi na joker talaga ang pangulo. “I don’t know why others would be surprised. I wasn’t surprised, not because I thought that he did that. But you know, the President has said so many explosive things,” pahayag ni Poe.

Nagbigay din si Poe ng credit sa pangulo na nagpapaliwanag sa kanyang pahayag sa marijuana at sinabi na maaaring magkaroon ito ng masamang epekto. “If you are the President of the country, whatever you say, right or wrong, will be magnified,” ayon sa senadora.

Sinabi naman ni Presidential Spokesman Salvador Panelo na si Duterte ay may karapatan na mag-joke kahit na siya ang country’s chief executive.

“Everybody is entitled to a joke,” ayon kay Panelo sa mga reporters noong Palace briefing. “He does it because usually events are boring… First, marijuana is not a stimulant to make you awake. It’s the opposite, so obviously there was no logic there, so he was joking.” pahayag ng spokesman.

Ipinaalala din niya na, “One joke does not make him a bad leader,”