MANILA, Philippines – Leave it to God to change the President.

Neophyte Senator Manny Pacquiao on Wednesday, September 7, defended President Rodrigo Duterte after his controversial remark against US President Barack Obama.

For Pacquiao, Duterte’s ally in the Senate, it is God – and not the people – that should change the 71 year-old Duterte.

“Hayaan natin ang Panginoon ang magbago sa kanila. Hindi tayong tao ang magbago sa tao (Let’s leave it to God to change them. We, people, should not change people),” Pacquiao told reporters.

“Hindi natin siya puwede pangunahan at hayaan natin kung ang Panginoon ang magbigay sa kanya ng (We should not judge him and let’s just allow the Lord to give him the) wisdom, knowledge to change his style,” he added.

What matters, Pacquiao said, is that the tough-talking leader owned up to his own errors – something that could not be expected of other politicians.

“Ang hinangaan ko lang sa ating Pangulo is alam niya ang pagkakamali at saka nag-sorry sya. May ibang leaders natin na kahit nagkakamali hindi tumatanggap ng kamalian, di ba,” the senator said.

(What I admire about the President is that he knows his mistakes and he apologized for them. We have other leaders who commit errors but they don’t accept that the made a mistake.)

Pacquiao added: “Humingi naman siya ng paumanhin at sorry sa mga nasaktan niya. Tao lang naman nagkamali (He already asked forgiveness to those he hurt. He’s only human, who commits mistakes).”

The boxing champion has credited God for helping him change his ways – he was once a womanizer and a gambler, but has since become a Bible-quoting pastor.

Pacquiao, also a Mindanaoan, is a partymate of Duterte in the PDP-Laban. He has since expressed support for all of Duterte’s policies, including death penalty and the strong fight against illegal drugs, the subject of interest both here and abroad.

Birth pains

Pacquiao said Duterte’s controversial remark is “understandable.” Duterte’s character, he said, is nothing new as the public elected the President knowing fully well how he is. 

What’s more important, the athlete-turned-pastor said, is that Duterte is honest to the people.

“’Yun ung style niya, ‘yun ang nakasanayan niya, so kahit before that alam na naman ng ano, so understandable naman na ganoon talaga siya ‘pag nagsasalita,” Pacquiao said.

(That’s his style, he’s used to that. So even before, the people already know it, so his way of speaking is understandable; he’s really like that.)

“Yung pagmumura niya, attitude niya hindi naman ngayon lang, even before he was elected president. Tumatakbo pa lang siya nakikita, naririnig na natin sa kanya ‘yan and yet binoto pa rin sya ng tao. Kumbaga tanggap ng tao, ‘yan ang importante, ‘yung tapat,” he said.

(His cursing, that’s part of his attitude not just now but even before he was elected president. It was evident when he was still running for president yet the people still voted for him. The people accepted that. That’s what is important, he is honest.)

The senator urged the public to continue supporting Duterte, who is barely 3 months into the presidency.

“Anuman ang issue o problema, suportahan natin ang Pangulo. Alam mo ‘yun, kung ikaw ang padre de pamilya at maraming problema sa pamilya mo, kumbaga tuliro at di mo alam ang gagawin mo; nabigla ka. Suportahan na lang natin,” he said.

(Whatever the issues or problems are, let us support the President. It’s like you are the head of the family and there are many problems. You are at a loss on what to do; you were shocked. Let’s just support him.)

Duterte was embroiled in an international controversy after his apparent cursing of Obama over the issue of human rights and extrajudicial killings in the country. Obama, in turn, cancelled the meeting with the Philippine president.

Duterte later expressed his regrets over the incident and a meeting between the two leaders had been reset to a later date. – Rappler.com