Filipinos in America divided: Some praise Duterte while others want him to resign after tirade vs Obama

FILIPINOS in America are divided in their reactions after Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte threatened to curse U.S. President Barack Obama should he question Duterte about the human rights violations and drug-related deaths in the Philippines related to the all-out war against drugs.
Obama canceled what should have been their first formal bilateral meeting. The stock market in the Philippines took a plunge as investors reacted to the news about the drug menace in the Philippines, the killings and uncertainties in the foreign policy direction of the Duterte presidency.
Obama said in a news conference that he did not take Duterte’s statements personally, but told reporters that when they met informally in a holding room during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) summit in Laos, he told Duterte that the partnership between the two countries should be consistent with the rule of law and international norms.
Community leader, human rights activist and legal counsel of the U.S. Pinoys for Good Governance Atty. Ted Laguatan told ABS-CBN North America News Bureau Chief Paul Henson compiled in a Balitang America report that Duterte was an “embarrassment” and should resign as president.
“Kung unfit ang leader, nagsasalita ng ganyan laban sa president ng US against Filipino interest, dapat magresign siya…Obligasyon natin as a people is to pick good leaders. Kung masama, ibagsak natin.”
Laguatan said the problem lies in Duterte’s inability to control his mouth and his thoughts, which give the Philippines a bad image as a nation.
Even some kababayans who campaigned and voted for Duterte, and  those who did not vote for him — but support his mission to eradicate the drug pandemic and criminality in the Philippines — expressed that Duterte need not infuse profanity in delivering his message and that he should express his arguments and defend his position with respect.
But other Duterte supporters like Atty. Adnan Alonto of the Brotherhood for Duterte USA defended the Philippine president against those who contend that Duterte should change his tone and language as he is now representing the Philippines in the global arena.
“He needs to remain authentic. That is the mantra why Filipinos chose him to be their leader…and that is why the international community should get used to it, “ Alonto told Henson in a Balitang America report.
Fil-Am youth activists like Nicole Cababa of Bayan USA even praised Duterte and told Balitang America LA Correspondent Steve Angeles, “We think it is important President Duterte criticizes the U.S. government. He’s more about protecting the interest of the Filipino people. This is unprecedented in recent years and in many past administrations that were more subservient to U.S. policies and what [the] U.S. dictates…”
Meanwhile, Atty. Arnedo Valera of the U.S. Pinoys for Real Change (USPRC) and the Migrant Heritage Commission called for unity among Filipinos to rally their support for Duterte’s cause.
“Ang kailangan ay suportahan siya sa kanyang programa sa drug war, peace talks, independent foreign policy, industrialization, foods jobs,  katarungan at maging mapanuri pa rin at magbigay ng konstraktibong kritiko at alternatibong solusyon na akma sa ating pambansang kalagayan. Halos tatlong buwan pa lang siya bilang Presidente, dapat purihin ninyo ang mga bold initiatives na tinutulak niya para sa sambayanan, na gusto ng nakakaraming masa , ng milyon milyong bumoto sa kanya.”
The USPRC invites Filipinos in America to “join hands and show support to end the drug menace in the Philippines.”
On Sunday, Sept. 11, the group is slated to hold a peaceful gathering calling for “real change in the Philippines” in front of the Philippine Embassy in Washington, D.C.

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Gel Santos Relos is the anchor of TFC’s “Balitang America.” Views and opinions expressed by the author in this column are are solely those of the author and not of Asian Journal and ABS-CBN-TFC. For comments, go to www.TheFil-AmPerspective.com, https://www.facebook.com/Gel.Santos.Relos