MANILA — Donald Trump’s apparent ascension to the presidency of the United States bears a striking resemblance to President Duterte’s own path to electoral victory in the Philippines, according to an opposition lawmaker.
As the Republican candidate looked poised to secure a stunning win over Democratic candidate Hillary Clinton on Wednesday afternoon, Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman said winning elections seemed to be a question of the “loudness” of a candidate’s message.
“All you have to do [to win] is to make loud statements to capture the imagination of the voters,” he said Wednesday.
In a press briefing a day earlier, the independent minority lawmaker had suggested that a Trump presidency would be a bad combination with Mr. Duterte.
“I could not imagine a state visit by President Duterte to a United States where the President is Trump,” Lagman said.
“This is not interfering in the political affairs of another country but between me and the lamppost, I think the rightful candidate to be elected as President of the US should be for the first time a woman,” he said.
A number of commentators have likened Mr. Duterte’s firebrand style to Trump’s proclivity for throwing outrageous insults against his enemies.
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte AP Photo/Bullit Marquez
A recent Huffington Piece piece titled “In The Philippines, Trump Is Already President” explored the similarities between the two men. It had a cautionary note at the end: “America, consider yourself warned.”
Albay Rep. Edcel Lagman (INQUIRER FILE PHOTO/ RYAN LEAGOGO)
Meanwhile, relations between Manila and Washington have cooled in the wake of Mr. Duterte’s anti-US rhetoric and pivot toward China and Russia.
Albay, a leader of the so-called “Magnificent 7” congressmen in the independent minority, said a victory by Democratic Party candidate Hillary Clinton would have been more beneficial to the Philippines than that of the Republican candidate.
Asked what he thought of Mr. Duterte’s similarities to Trump: “That is why we want Clinton to win in order to erase that kind of impression.”
Another independent minority lawmaker, Northern Samar Rep. Raul Daza, shared Lagman’s views, saying it would be “good for democracy not only in the United States but the world” to have Clinton win the election. SFM