Duterte to press: ‘I am not your enemy’

It’s the most wonderful time of the year, even for our dear President Rodrigo Duterte.

Yesterday, during a Christmas party held in Malacañang for cameramen, photographers, and reporters that cover the palace, Duterte said that should be no bad blood between himself and media practitioners.

“Never mind about our relations. It’s always adversarial….We’re not angry with each other. We do not fight with each other. I do not hate anybody here or else I would not be inviting you to my place,” he said.

The president expressed his understanding of the media’s duties.

“I am not your enemy. Your quest for truth, that is your business, not mine. At the end of the day, it’s not my property. It’s just public interest,” he said.

This is a stark contrast to the usual tongue lashing he gives to journalists and media organizations who cover him.

Was he just in the Christmas spirit?

Perhaps, but while the president acknowledges the importance of seeking out the truth, he said that there’s always another version of this truth.

“Like I say, there’s always two sides to a coin. Your truth, my truth, and the public perception.”

Duterte has criticized local and international media multiple times since he became president.

In September 2016, he called them “spin doctors” and accused the media of harping on his faults and allegedly leaving out pertinent facts and taking stories out of context.

Pro-administration bloggers who have a large number of followers of Facebook have also been waging word wars with mainstream media outlets for similar reasons.

For example, during a Facebook Live video, the admin of pro-Duterte blog Thinking Pinoy, RJ Nieto, called reporters who cover the palace “the fucking Malacañang press corps” and raised his middle finger multiple times. Nieto was once a social media consultant for the government’s Department of Foreign Affairs.

But does Duterte’s message of understanding foreshadow more peaceful relationship between the administration and media this 2018? Difficult to say, but let’s enjoy the peace while it lasts.