Why the Media Love �Digong�

He is comfortable around journalists, who are, in turn, easily fascinated by him.

By Germelina Lacorte
davaotoday.com

DAVAO CITY — Just by looking at how media people swarm City Hall every time he is around, he is probably the city�s most covered mayor.

He attracts journalists without even trying, says Jon Joaquin, editor of the local paper Mindanao Daily Mirror, referring to Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, the city�s mayor for four terms now, going on five. �He�s someone who knows his way with people,� Joaquin says. �He uses harsh words on camera, using expletives in the presence of media, but his tone of voice changes when he talks to the poor.�

Duterte�s actions and his stance on issues — from his indignation over the hanging of Filipina maid Flor Contemplacion in the 1990s which led to his burning of the Singapore flag, to his penchant to give quick-fix solutions to problems of the poor — have a way of attracting attention. He is comfortable around journalists, who are, in turn, easily fascinated by him.

(more…)