MANILA, Philippines – The Commission on  Elections (Comelec) on Tuesday, July 26, said it decided to follow President Rodrigo Duterte and scrap the use of the title “honorable” to refer to its officials. 

“En banc unanimously approved my proposal to drop the use of ‘honorable’ for the whole Comelec organization,” Comelec Chairman Andres Bautista tweeted, referring to the Comelec en banc or the commission sitting as a whole.

Asked why the Comelec made this move, Bautista said in a text message to Rappler, “We are following the lead of President Duterte.”

Known for his simple ways, Duterte earlier ordered all government agencies to stop referring to him as “His Excellency.”

The Office of the President, however, said that “all government agencies and offices, in their discretion, may still use the term ‘Honorable’ in addressing their respective heads of offices in their internal communications and documents.”

The Comelec chose not to use the term “honorable” even if Duterte still allowed it. 

Since assuming the presidency on June 30, Duterte has repeatedly shunned tradition and chose to take his oath of office in the presidential palace instead of at a mass gathering in a national park to avoid causing heavy traffic in the gridlocked capital.

Even presidential fashion has changed, with Duterte wearing jeans at military parades and seen rolling up the sleeves of the traditional barong shirt worn for formal occasions. – with reports from Agence France-Presse/Rappler.com