Davao-based reporter says Duterte had a ‘fight’ with them

As President-elect Rodrigo Duterte continued his silent treatment of news organizations with just days to go before his inauguration, a journalist based in Davao City  said on Tuesday that this was not the former-mayor's first “fight” with the press.

Freelance journalist Edith Caduaya, who has been covering Duterte for the past two decades, explained on GMA News TV's "State of the Nation with Jessica Soho" that even Davao City-based news organizations had gone through a rough patch with their mayor.

“Iyong sinabi nila na, ‘Kapag inaway mo si Duterte, matakot ka.’ Hindi iyon totoo. Kami, dumaan kami niyan. Three years kami na hindi nagkakausap. Nag-away kami. So, we mutually coexist, [pero] wala,” Caduaya explained.

Duterte, early in June, swore that he would no longer talk to the media until the end of his term. “Basta wala. Ayoko na,” he had declared. 

The president-elect committed himself to this latest vow of silence after an international press group, Reporters Without Borders, urged Philippine media to boycott Duterte until he apologized for his remarks on media killings.

In a press conference unveiling his Cabinet on May 31, Duterte said that many slain journalists were corrupt. Local and international press groups decried his statements, saying Duterte may have thus encouraged the killing of media professionals.

For "24 Oras Southern Mindanao" anchor Tek Ocampo, Duterte's shunning of media coverage may have been done because he had been hurt by the insinuations.

“Siguro nasabi lang niya out of sabihin na natin desperation. Galit siya. Siguro kasi iyong sensibilities niya, nasaktan siya,” Ocampo specualted.

Meanwhile, Caduaya added that the silent treatment may also be against Duterte’s own better judgment.

“He respects the workings of the media. Alam ko, Mayor. Alam mo iyon ngayon siguro, if you’re watching. Alam ko na dumudugo ang puso mo na hindi ka nagpapa-interview,” she said.

Caduaya then encouraged fellow journalists to take the time to learn how to handle Duterte.

“If this stage is giving us the time to learn how to interview you, siguro by June 30, siguro marami na kaming lessons, how to handle a source like Mayor Duterte,” she said.

Decoding Duterte

Duterte’s speeches, interviews, and other speaking engagements  before, during, and the after the presidential campaign had always been a mixture of policy statements, jokes, anecdotes, expletives, and many in-betweens that could last hours.

These long rambles can supposedly be misinterpreted, and the president-elect himself urged reporters to speak with Davao City's press corps for pointers on his speaking style.

“Kapag nagsalita kasi si Mayor, straight, sabihin niya kung ano ang punto," explained Ocampo. "[Tapos] Biglang, may marinig kang kaunting mura, may marinig na kaunting joke. And sometimes, iyon ang nakukuha and nagiging malaking isyu iyon, especially now na magiging presidente na siya. Kasi sanay tayo sa isang presidente na prim and proper, na kung magsalita, napakagalang. Ito, hindi eh.”

“Ang sagot niya sa iyo depende sa knowledge niya sa tanong mo. Parang ganoon. Kumbaga kung magtatanong ka sa kanya na sumagi lang sa isipan mo na itatanong mo, iyon lang din. He takes time to explain. Kung may bagong reporter, sabihin niya, ‘Uy, bago ito ah.’ ‘Bago iyan, Mayor.’ Usually, ‘Iha, makinig ka.’ Mag-e-explain nang mag-e-explain iyan. Iyon ang usual na Duterte na nadaanan namin,” Caduaya added.

She also said that Duterte’s body language does a lot his talking.

“Huwag mo siyang titignan na magno-note ka lang. Tignan mo ang mukha niya, tignan mo ang body language niya, i-relate mo sa storya mo. Kasi kung minsan, iba iyong sinasabi niya, iba iyong nagma-manifest sa body language niya,” she said. — Trisha Macas/DVM, GMA News