PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte's marijuana joke has caused no damage on the Filipino youth because the children are "incapable of understanding it", Malacañang said Tuesday, December 4.
"They're incapable also of understanding whether it's a joke or not. So if they're incapable of understanding it, so there is no harm. Hindi nila naiintindihan eh. Unang-una, 'yung mga bata, hindi naman nanunuod sa speeches ni Presidente (They don't understand it. First and foremost, the children do not even listen to the President's speeches)," Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo said.
"He has set a good example for being a good leader. One joke will not make him a bad leader," he added.
In a televised speech on Monday, December 3, Duterte quipped that he takes marijuana to keep himself awake during meetings, referring to the 33rd Association of Southeast Asian Nations Summit and Related Summits held in Singapore last month.
Duterte's joke, made amid his "relentless and chilling" war on drugs, drew strong criticism.
Panelo said the public should not regard Duterte's statement as true, emphasizing that "never in his life" has the President tried marijuana.
He also stressed that Duterte, even though he is the highest leader in the country, "is entitled to a joke."
"With respect to the joke, you know, you cannot deprive any person, not because he's the President, to crack jokes. As he said, he does it because usually, events are boring. So he gives some jokes to make us laugh," Panelo said.
"I think we're dwelling on this joke thing more than we should. Hindi importante 'yan. Let's talk more seriously about serious things, not jokes," he added.
Philippine National Police (PNP) spokesperson Chief Superintendent Benigno Durana Jr., for his part, said the people should already get used to Duterte throwing jokes about several issues.
“Well bakit po tayo mag-comment sinabi ng Presidente na it was just a joke. I think there is
no need for the PNP to comment any further sa joke ng presidente. So masanay na po tayo sa president,” he said in an interview with reporters in Camp Crame.
Earlier Tuesday, Panelo urged the public to "use common sense" to discern whether Duterte is serious or cracking a joke.
"'Yung marijuana, alam natin hindi naman stimulant 'yun sa pag-gising. O the fact alone na hindi stimulant 'yun, di walang logic sa sinasabi niya na iniinum niya 'yun para siya magising, kaya nag-tawanan ang mga tao," he said in a radio interview.
(Marijuana is not a stimulant to keep you awake. Or the fact alone that it's not stimulant there's no logic in his pronouncement that he's using it to keep him awake, so the people laughed.)
"One, we use common sense. Number two, makikita mong nag-bibiro siya 'pag tumatawa 'yung taong nasa harap na iyan. Kasi ang joke ay ginagawa 'yan para tumawa tayo, 'di ba? Ngayon, kapag hindi ka tumawa, meron kang sinabi na sa tingin mo joke, eh ibig sabihin offended ang mga nakikinig sa'yo,"
(One, we use comon sense. Number two, we can tell that he's joking if his audience are laughing, because a joke is meant to make us laugh, isn't it? Now, if your audience do not laugh at your joke, that means they're offended.) (With Third Anne Peralta-Malonzo/SunStar Philippines)