Analysis by Raïssa Robles
President Rodrigo Duterte is now trying to blame the press for his troublesome mouth, which gained him worldwide notoriety a few days ago.
After calling President Barack Obama the “son of a whore”, which his aides claimed he had apologized for, (an apology which didn’t alter Obama’s decision to cancel a personal meeting with the Philippine president) Duterte seems to have decided it’s all the journalists’ fault.
He accuses media of “misquoting” him and “spinning” what he said during that fateful press conference in Davao International Airport prior to his departure for Laos.
UPDATE as of 8:17 PM, Sept. 9, 2016: To those who are saying that I’m mistranslating putangina in another language and giving it more meaning than it deserves, let me say this. The Philippine is a macho society. Many men like saying putangina and they think it’s cool. It’s actually a highly abusive word. Whenever you say putangina to someone, you are cursing that person’s mother.
I have a challenge for those who say I’m mistranslating the word. Just walk down the street and say the word putangina to the first man you happen to meet going the opposite direction. See what he will do.
Duterte told Filipinos he met in Jakarta today that during his brief meeting with Obama in Vientiane, he told the US president – ‘President Obama, I’m President Duterte. I’ve never made that statement. You can check it out. Check it out.’
Duterte explained to the Filipinos in Jakarta, “I never made any reference to Obama. You can review the tapes. I did not say [son of a whore to Obama]. I did say [son of a whore] but not in relation to Obama. I said, ‘Do not disrespect me. Son of a whore, we will be wallowing in the mud like pigs if you do that.’ That’s what I said.”
To back up his claim, Duterte even told the crowd that TV5 News Anchor Ed Lingao had apologized for getting this story wrong.
The only problem is Ed Lingao did no such thing.
Lingao said on a Facebook post yesterday that he had apologized for a story that was based on an ambush interview in Laos and NOT for his reportage of that fateful Davao airport presser.
“That, we reported correctly,” Lingao said.
Before the public blames media for all these, I’d like everyone to look at a portion of the official transcript of Duterte’s Davao press conference. This extract was the only time he said the word “putangina”, when he was asked how he would react if Obama raised with him the matter of extrajudicial killings.
Duterte was mistaken. He did not say “putangina” when he mentioned the word “magkababuyan” or what he referred to as “wallow in the mud like pigs”:
Magka–gusto mo, yeah the right word, magkababuyan tayo doon ‘pag ginawa mo sa akin ‘yan. I do not accept that proposition that anybody is superior than me. We are supposed to be equal there. My country might be small, hardly keeping up with the economic problems but I will not allow myself—iinsultuhin mo, iinsultuhin mo ‘yung Pilipino. But there are others whose mental—who has the mental capacity of dogs who laugh at the ass of the Americans.
The only time Duterte said “putangina” was when he said:
Putang-ina, mumurahin kita diyan sa forum na ‘yan. Huwag mo akong ganunin.
The literal translation of this is:
“Son of a whore, I will swear at you in that forum. Don’t do that to me.”
If Duterte was talking about columnists, the sentence doesn’t make sense. Why would he and the columnists be in the same forum?
If Duterte was cursing the columnists – which is plural – he would have used a plural pronoun like “kayo“.
But notice that he used the singular pronoun – “kita“:
Putang-ina, mumurahin kita diyan sa forum na ‘yan. Don’t do that to me.”
“Kita” or “You” obviously referred to the person whom Duterte called “son of a whore”, which is singular. And the only singular person he was talking about at that time was Obama.
Besides, why would Duterte tell columnists – “Don’t do that to me” – when he feels far more superior than they. He’d simply tell them to get lost.
So I think, it’s Duterte who is spinning madly, trying to get out of a hole of his own making.
Below is the pertinent text:
PRES. DUTERTE: Extrajudicial killings?
Q: Yes, human rights.
PRES. DUTERTE: To whom shall I address myself to? And who will be asking the question may I know?
Q: Obama sir.
PRES. DUTERTE: You know, the Philippines is not a vassal state. We have long ceased to be a colony of the United States. Alam mo, marami diyan, sa mga kolumnista, they look upon Obama and the United States as if we are the lap dogs of this country. I do not respond to anybody but to the people of the Republic of the Philippines. Wala akong pakialam sa kaniya. Who is he? When as a matter of a fact, at the turn of the century, before the Americans left the Philippines in the pacification campaign of the Moro in this island, there were about six million ang population ng Moro. How many died? Six hundred. If he can answer that question and give the apology, I will answer him.
I am not beholden to anybody. Iyong mga kolumnista diyan na ‘wait until he meets,’ who is he? I am a President of a sovereign state, and we have long ceased to be a colony. I do not have any master, except the Filipino people, nobody but nobody…
You must be respectful. Do not just throw questions and statements. Putang-ina, mumurahin kita diyan sa forum na ‘yan. Huwag mo akong ganunin. Tell that to everybody. Itong mga kolumnista, para ba akong tinatakot, anak ka ng — umalis kayo diyan sa Pilipinas, pumunta kayo doon sa Amerika. You write kung ano nasa isip — the lap dogs of this American. Who is he (Obama) to confront me? As a matter of fact, he has too many — America has one too many to answer for the misdeeds in this country. Hanggang ngayon hindi pa tayo nakatikim ng apology niyan. That is the reason why Mindanao continues to boil.
Fred says
Duterte said, “Putang-ina, mumurahin kita diyan sa forum na ‘yan. Huwag mo akong ganunin.”
The LITERAL translation of ‘putang ina’ into English is “mother is a whore” – NOT “son of a whore.”
(puta = whore, ina = mother)
“Putang ina MO” would then translate to “YOUR mother is a whore.”
Going back to Duterte’s statement above, the literal translation would be –
“Mother is a whore, I will curse (or swear at) you in that forum. Don’t do that to me.” – but no one talks that way here in the US.
In the Philippines, “putang ina” is used as an expression of anger, annoyance, contempt, impatience, surprise, or even just for emphasis. The equivalent here in the US (though not a literal translation of “putang ina”) is the word “fuck” or the phrase “son of a bitch.”
If Duterte’s first language was English or if he had lived here in the US, he would have said –
“Fuck (or “Son of a bitch”), I will curse you in that forum. Don’t do that to me.”
He did not say “putang ina MO,” but simply “putang ina.”
Same difference between saying “fuck” vs. “fuck YOU.”
Or “son of a bitch” vs. “YOU son of a bitch.”
To be clear, “putang ina mo” would be “fuck you” or “you son of a bitch” here in the US – which is an undeniable cursing of whoever it is directed to.
When I saw the media reports here in the US about Duterte cursing Obama, I had to shake my head in disbelief because I saw the TV Patrol report and I know that he did not curse Obama. Had he said “putang ina MO” – that would have been cursing him.
The translation given to Obama was erroneous, and the ruckus started.
raissa says
you forgot the phrase – mumurahin kita.
When you translate you place a contextual phrase.
Do you know how strange your translation “mother is a whore” is?
if you tell someone that his mother is a whore, then you are calling him a “son of a whore”.
joey orilla says
ms raissa, you have a good command of the english language but your reply on the comment of mr. fred seemed out of literal meaning so far as I am concern, literal translation of putang ina in english is motherfucker while anak ng puta is son of a whore mumurahin kita is another phrase.
raissa says
And if he called Obama a motherfucker, that would be ok?
George Paul Guzman says
The latest article from one foreign publication website dateline Thailand, a land so much akin to the Philippines. Here are some snippets of observations worth mentioning and contemplating for our current administration to ponder on.
– warned Duterte against making numerous enemies overseas.
– the Filipino head was criticized for sending verbal tirades against US president Obama, who has raised
alarm over the rising death toll in the country’s war against drugs and crime through extra judicial means.
– the country’s leader cannot pursue international policies with a litany of international opposition no leader
has attempted to pursue that were deemed inappropriate by the international community. (China and
Russia do this with caution and diplomacy).
– Duderte’s peculiar gutter language led to the cancellation of his planned meeting with Obama at the
ASEAN Summit this month. With the cancelled meeting, the Philippines lost a chance to affirm the
support of US over its conflicting claims with China over the West Philippine Sea. (Much to the regret of
Vietnam).
– Duderte’s typical braggadocio would achieve nothing but more problems for the image of his country.
Words that might reinforced his reputation as a maverick and a toughie, merely caused embarrassment
for his government and countrymen.
– Duderte made matters worse “by lying” when he denied making profane interjections about Obama. Even
US presidentiable Hillary Clinton had something to say regarding this matter.
– urged Duderte to temper his volatile loose cannon rhetoric and change course in his effort to purge the
drug menace if he wants to maintain good international ties. (the country tried much to improve its
reputation in the last administration).
– that nowhere else in the world apart from the Philippines are the police and the “vigilantes” encouraged
by the state to shoot people simply suspected of involvement or participation.
– that recognizing that Manila might gain credit in Beijing by veering away of Washington’s sphere
of influence, the American support in this matter is a bargaining chip that Duderte cannot afford to lose.
Smart leaders do not limit their international options in striking global beneficial deals particularly with the
most powerful country in the world.
– that Duderte’s blunder at his first international summit need not become a chronic syndrome. That he
needs to reconsider reconstructive policies with a careful strategy and …to curb out his bad manners.
andrewlim8 says
DUTERTE LIKELY WON’T WIN AGAINST DRUGS BECAUSE IT MAY BE THE CHINESE GOVERNMENT ITSELF HE’S UP AGAINST
Here’s an article that points in that direction:
http://www.nytimes.com/times-insider/2015/06/23/synthetic-drug-manufacturing-is-an-open-secret-in-china/?_r=0
As discussed in post # 33 onwards below, it is very advantageous for the Chinese government, through its intelligence agencies, to engage in covert support of illegal drug manufacturers in its territory because it gives them several options they can calibrate, depending on how the West Phil Sea issue develops.
They could either use it to further destabilize, or gain local Filipino support depending on how we behave.
drill down says
as long as there is profit to be made, criminals will take the risk and find ways to minimize the dangers involved. it is amazing that govt just rush headlong into this as if this is the only solution. there are likely other motives riding on the back of this war or drugs.
Dennis M. Resurreccion says
Secretary Alunan wants to give sanctions to journalists who said Duterte insulted Obama. Meanwhile, Dick Gordon wants to give Duterte emergency powers that include suspension of habeas corpus.
I admire your resolve Ms. Raissa. But there are many ominous signs that Duterte is going to have a major crack down on the voices of dissent. As one of the most prominent critics of Duterte, aren’t you getting worried already?
Maria Elizabeth Del Valle Embry says
no honey, no money
Open Letter to my U.S. President, District Senators, Congressman, and all:
NOT a Dollar, NOT a Penny to fund Philippine government’s Human Rights Violations
Greetings to all!!
Now here comes a time when this humble grandmother pleads with all elected officials to STOP funding from the U.S. taxpayer’s money the Philippine government’s human rights violations
The human rights violation of the Philippine government against her own citizens who are among the most vulnerable sector of her society, the poorest poor, has been brought to the attention of the world’s consciousness and conscience needing no further description
While it is true that the Philippines as a sovereign country determines its own destiny, however, every U.S. government officials are accountable for every penny that comes from public funding and such accountability requires that none will be spent on any activities that violate the human rights, not only of the American people, but also people from other countries
the continuing journey to achieve this dream, elusive as may it seem, did not come easy and not without cost
many had paid dearly the price, many had lost their very lives and today is not the time to surrender this noble principle that holds all of us, people of many nations together as one
Let it not be said by future generations that we closed our eyes, turned deaf ears to this challenge laid before us
Say NO to Extra Judicial Killings in the Philippines!!
Human Rights Are Not Optional
NOT a Dollar, NOT a Penny to fund Philippine government’s Human Rights Violations!!
Sincerely,
maria elizabeth embry
self funded anti human trafficking advocate
#FILIPINOslavesJOURNAL #BANTAYpoea facebook hashtags
https://www.facebook.com/mariaelizabeth.embry
Sept 9, 2016
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
https://www.whitehouse.gov/contact#page sent 9/9/2016 11:30 pm california time
https://www.feinstein.senate.gov/public/index.cfm/e-mail-me#form_771F98E4-236A-4CAB-B9C2-5A4E7E993948
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
E-Mail Me
Thank you for your comments.
From: [email protected] sent: to Sen Feinstein’ office 9/9/2016 10:52 am california time
Maria Elizabeth Del Valle Embry says
pag sabi ni Duterte ng p…ina, hindi lang yung nanay ng pinagsabihan nya ang ,minura nya kungdi indirectly pinababa na nya ang pagkatao ng sarili nyang ina…
parang sinabi nya na hindi sya tinuruan ng pagkakaiba ng matinong salita vs. saltang pambabastos…
andrewlim8 says
A PLAUSIBLE SCENARIO
Has it occurred to anyone here, including Duterte and his national security team that the Chinese government itself is covertly involved in supplying the drugs here?
Think about it. At the diplomatic level, they say the right things- we will help you in your anti-drugs campaign, we have caught and executed our own narcos. But they could very well be organizing the flow of drugs here covertly since it gives them a lot of options in dealing with us.
When China says that they will help build rehab centers for us, doesn’t that make it a seamless, end-to-end fully integrated operation for them, with the added capability of either destabilizing us or boosting partnership (depending on how cooperative we are with the resources of the West Phil Sea) ?
If we willingly give up control of the resources of the disputed area, then they can cut the flow of drugs. But if we fight it out with them, then they increase the flow. Di ba?
Duterte, in his narrow mindedness may be playing into Chinese hands perfectly.
raissa says
That’s also what Alan told me.
Dennis M. Resurreccion says
China is the no.1 source of ephedrine and pseudoephedrine which are the raw materials in the manufacture of shabu/ crystal meth. These are supposed to be controlled substances, yet tons of the material still somehow wind up in the hands of international drug cartels. I have worked in the drug industry before, and I know that even 1 kilo of lost raw material needs to be accounted for. That’s because there is always a danger of unintentional contamination or overdose when it comes to drug manufacturing. You do not want a 250 mg capsule to contain 500 mg of the active drug. So how can tons of this controlled material get into the hands of the drug cartels without Chinese government approval?
Chinese drug syndicates earn billions of dollars from the drug trade. And where does it go to? If the profits are laundered and brought back to China, then the Chinese economy is actually getting billions of dollars as benefit. And one of the major customers of the shabu are Filipino drug addicts.
We need to track the flow of money coming from the Philippines and going to China. Look at how HSBC was fined 1.9 billion US dollars for helping the Sinaloa cartel transfer narco profits. If we could strictly monitor financial flows, we will make it much harder for foreign drug cartels to operate within our country. The problem is that we have severe secrecy laws which makes our country attractive to terrorists and drug cartels. If we loosen banking secrecy laws, we might be able to review old bank transactions to see if money had been transferred from dubious sources to bank accounts of politicians, or perhaps, even the president himself.
The problem with Duterte’s approach is that syndicates with annual profits in the billions of dollars can simply respond by arming themselves. This violence will simply weed out/ scare the less vicious gangs out of the picture, concentrating profits even more. It will just help the HR of drug cartels do the screening to find their best candidates. This survival of the fittest will make our gangs evolve into ruthless gunslingers. Look at the streets that have been transformed into battlefields in Mexico. In Acapulco, soldiers in full battle gear now patrol the beaches where once, Hollywood actors cavorted.
Active violent will also make it much more desirable for drug peddlers to bribe the police. I saw one video in youtube where a retired PNP official estimates that 90% of policemen are not clean, while most of the rest accept money just to keep silent. Drug peddlers with inside connections can of course use it to add their competition to the kill lists. Good for the Chinese since competition from the Sinaloa cartel had pushed down the price of 1 kilo of shabu from 9 million to less than 1 million. (Still not bad for a product with raw materials costing 5 thousand pesos per kilo.) The market can absorb a price increase.
A BBC special alleges that the US DEA actually had an agreement where the syndicate would provide information on other drug syndicates in exchange for certain concessions. I can just imagine the Sinaloa cartel big boss caught in the Philippines offering the same deal to authorities. Or perhaps, the Chinese decided to make a deal with the Philippine government themselves, knowing the Sinaloa cartel’s tactics. In any case, communications between government officials and drug syndicates can easily become an avenue for bribery.
The financial rewards of the the drug trade in the Philippines are just too great. Great enough, in fact to hire an army of mercenaries and arm them with weapons that can put our military to shame. We need to reduce the incentives that drive the drug lords first. Make it hard for them to get their money back to China. Make it hard for them to transfer their money to bribe corrupt politicians and policemen.
raissa says
Thank you for this.
beachbum says
The chinese have a south (america), south (africa), south (asia) strategy to complement their northern silk road strategy.
The approach they have adopted in the latin american and african countries is starting to be played out in the philippines. They see their chance and will seize it.
The advantages to china go beyond trade, or minerals, but the creation of a group to compete with the UN.
China are building up the numbers, and even if it is a smaller country, numbers count when it is votes that matter. A divided world looms with untold consequences.
The chinese asian infrastructure investment bank, (AIIB), and the shanghao co-operation organisation (SCO) are the 2 main vehicles.
The card which china has played in s america and africa is to commit to no political interference and understandably this has been a big selling point in countries which are often authoritarian and attract criticism from western countries.
Duterte’s critism of US and UN is too vitriolic to suggest it is just a negotiation stance. The die has been cast.
Who knows, but i think duterte has given in too quickly and too easily. There will be consequences, but these take a long time to play out.
China knows duterte responds to flattery and that drugs are his personal passion. They will help and applaud the work he is doing.
They will fete him in china and seal the deal with the mindanao railway.
I hope somebody looks very carefully at the risk analysis rather than setting strategy for the next 100 years on a whim.
vander says
hindi na hahayaan pa ng tsina na mabawi natin ang kinamkam na nila.
naranasan na nilang magpasasa sa yaman ng dagat natin.
alam na nila kung gaano kalaking yaman ang pawawalan nila.
hindi nila hahayaang ang kwarta na ay maging bato pa.
hindi na kayang tuusin pa ang yamang nakulimbat nila.
at kung may alas si bduts na pwedeng gamitin para bawiin ang karboro, iyan ay isang himala.
isang mapait na alaala na lang ang karboro.
matatandaang sinisi na ni bduts si pnoy sa pagkawala ng karboro.
paalam karboro.
canadadry says
totoo ka mapait….
The Arbitral ruling could have been a good platform to rally all Filipinos to freedom and prosperity, ipakita sa mga Communist chinese na we don’t need need their help kung gagamitin nila ang pagkagahaman nila sa teritoryo, we dont need their trade. Pnoy already gave the platform for continued prosperity to him.
Pero ang nangyari du30 turned against us.Bakit tayo ang pinarurusahan hindi China.
PInapapatay pa ang mga walang laban sa atin, nagpapapapasok pa ng sangkaterbang Mainland intsik, nakakaalis pa ng bansa ang mga Chinese druglords, sa halip na magtuon ng pansin sa pangaagaw ng China, nagiging “garrison state” pa bawat kalye natin. , Ipalilibing pa ang Putang Inang diktador na ilang dekadang lumapastanagan sa atin. Minumura pa ang UN at US president na siyang makakatulong sa atin laban sa China. .
China ang kalaban hindi ang mamamayang PIlipino. Bakit Pilipino ang ginagantihan?
Tama ka vander, napakapait.
Ngayon paalam Karboro, bukas paalam Pilipinas?.
vander says
matagal nang nasakop ng banyaga ang bansa.
ang pinakamayayaman sa atin ay ang mga may maiikling apelyido.
pinahahaba na lang ng iba para hindi mahalata.
umiikot ang kalakal at sila-sila ang may kontrol.
ang komersyo ay isang salita lang sa atin at hindi pinoy ang kumukumpas.
ang tubig, ang hangin, ang mga lupain at mineral nito,
pag-aari na ng mga nagkukunwaring pilipino raw.
oo, dumarating sila langkay langkay, pinupuno ang bawat isla natin.
ngayon di mo makakausap, after a year, pinoy na at may baluktot ng pananagalog.
isa o 2 taon pa, mas maunlad na sa mag-iisda at mag-gugulay sa palengke.
pukpok na lang anluwage.
karga pa estibador.
magsilbi ka sa tunay na may-ari ng pinas.
ang mga mangangamkam.
sam says
I just can not imagine how will manner be taught in school ..
senario :
Student : PI MO teacher
Teacher : Don’t use that word .. it is bad
Student: Ma’am our president has use that word so many times and yet he was called brilliant .. i just thought you were a brilliant teacher ma’am
Cookie says
there is no argument we have a very passionate president who truly loves the country & filipinos
unfortunately his image does present a challenge as he represents us
you may have a great product but if the packaging is weak and worse to the point of being ‘repulsive’ no one will bother with it no matter how good your sales people are
and didn’t our president say “There will be a metamorphosis of the mind. From being a caterpillar, it will blossom into a butterfly,” in response to criticisms to his ‘gutter language’ and replace his casual shirts with the barong tagalog ?
canadadry says
From a caterpillar wishing to metamorphose into a beautiful Monarch butterfly he turned into a Bangaw who loves to feast on dead bodies.
Newark2002 says
Saludo ako sa ‘yo @Canadadry. He..he…he.. nice response to Cookie. Natumbok mo ang ipinaglalabang metamorphosis ni Cookie. Good job!
George Paul Guzman says
The Filipino people who voted for Duderte argued they need a real “CHANGE”. Truly now we have a new president for a change, One that is a “putang ina ” loving cursing loose cannon leader to contend with for six long years. Hopefully shorter with the benevolence of Divine Intervention.