President Duterte’s latest joke that he will put a cap on spewing Taal volcano was simply an attempt to “lighten the mood” of the people in the aftermath of a natural calamity, his spokesperson said on Monday, July 5.
In his virtual media briefing, Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said it was only the Chief Executive’s way of coping with the adversity caused by the volcanic eruption.
“The President of course was trying to lighten the mood dahil ano ba naman ‘yan, may pandemya na, meron pang pagputok ng Bulkang Taal (because of what’s happening, there is a pandemic, then we also have eruption of the Taal volcano),” he said.
“So, that’s the President’s style,” the Palace official noted.
The Chief Executive found himself again in a hot seat after he cracked a joke about the crater of Taal Volcano which was placed under Alert Level 3 and released a one-kilometer-high “dark phreatomagmatic plume.”
READ: Duterte on Taal Volcano: Maybe I’ll put a cap on crater
Duterte also downplayed the situation, saying that it is “not really a grave concern at this time.”
This was not the first time he made a joke amid an emergency situation. Last year, Duterte said he will eat ashfall and pee on Taal Volcano.
His critics were not amused, taking these jokes against him for his lack of empathy and being insensitive at a time when given the lives of Filipinos are threatened.
Roque said they can’t do anything if that’s the way Duterte’s critics will interpret his latest joke to put him in bad light.
“Sa mula’t mula ganyan na kayo mag-isip, ipagpatuloy n’yo na. Anyway, matatapos naman na ang termino ni Presidente. Kung liligaya po iyong mga taong ‘yan, pabayaan n’yo na sila (From the very start you think that way, you continue with it. Anyway, the President’s term will be over. If it will make those people happy, let them be),” he said.