“I think I’m a natural-born leader. I know how to bow down to authority if it’s authority that I respect.” –Tupac Shakur
When President Rodrigo Duterte arrived at the Iloilo Convention Center for the Philippine Councilors League 2nd Quarterly National Executive Officer National Board Meeting earlier this week, he was met outside by Iloilo City Mayor Jose ‘Joe III’ Espinosa III, who bowed before the president after shaking and holding the president’s right hand with two hands – a normal greeting, much like a sign of respect performed by officials in Korea, Japan, Vietnam, and China.
Aside from a welcome, bowing is also done before and after martial arts practice and competition, at tea ceremonies, and in religious shrines. The practice can be used to express deference, sincerity, humility, or remorse; and it is quite complex and – even if what the mayor did looked simple.
However, Joe III’s critics have provided their own interpretation of his body language. Some believe he was “starstruck,” others claim he was “intimidated” – or both! A handshake would have been enough, they noted, based on animal tendencies (such as coming face-to-face with a bear), “lowering ourselves” makes us look smaller and less threatening.
Nonetheless, since bowing is a normal practice in Asia, it’s fine for the mayor to do it before a sitting president, a person in authority whose reputation is worse than a bear when it comes to dealing with criminals.
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Police Regional Office-6 (PRO-6) director, Police Chief Superintendent John Bulalacao, said the Philippine Natrinal Police (PNP) will not condone police officers engaged in illicit affairs or keeping a mistress.
According to the PRO-6 chief, it gives the PNP a bad name. He referenced the PNP Chiefs of Police Manual where it lists morality, judicious use of authority, justice, humility, orderliness, and perseverance among ethical standards for police officers.
Bulalacao said womanizers within the police force are “answerable to God and to the laws of the land” – he is correct.
However, the PNP would be wasting precious time chasing personnel committing such sexual offenses. In the Philippines, some of those with more than one wife are police officers or members of the military; next would be politicians and media personalities – our culture is patriarchal by nature.
Some Filipino women have a “false sense of authority” and a “false sense of security;” wherein, if a male perpetrator has a gun or position, he is being looked up to as a “savior” and considered “powerful.” Even if he isn’t handsome or rich, women will easily fall for him./WDJ