SEVERAL weeks ago, three of my Ipra Philippine chapter colleagues and I gave our unsolicited advice to then newly elected President Duterte, or Digong, as he is more popularly known, on how he should improve his PR if he was going to be an effective and successful Chief Executive of the country.
Speaking for myself, I believed then that, contrary to what many people, including some of my PR colleagues, thought, Digong was actually more naturally and experientially PR-savvy than he is given credit for.
PR is art of persuasion
PR, at its very basic, is the art of persuasion; the ability to persuade others to believe one’s point of view and do something to help actualize it. The ultimate measure of PR is not how friendly and outgoing one is as a person, or how articulate and diplomatic one is in communicating with others. Rather, it is in how successful one can be in convincing the public, or most of the public, to believe in him and subsequently follow and support him.
There is a story told by historians about two of the leaders and best orators in Ancient Rome, Cicero and Demosthenes. After Cicero addressed an audience, the people said: “How well he spoke.” But after Demosthenes did the same, they shouted: “Let us march!” Demosthenes, undoubtedly, was the better PR man of the two.
During his campaign, many people, especially those belonging to the upper class in society, were turned off by Digong’s coarse and brutally frank manner of speaking and constant use of expletives. I believe that, coming from a de buena family himself, having gone to respected schools like Ateneo de Davao and San Beda, and having been a lawyer and public prosecutor, Digong was capable of communicating in more formal and decent language.
But knowing from his experience as mayor of Davao City that the majority of the voters not just in that city but in the rest of the country come from the lower class, Digong spoke to them in the “street” language, usually peppered with profanities, that they use in their milieu. Since the people understood and identified with Digong more than the other candidates who were more refined and eloquent than he was, they voted for him as President by an overwhelming margin.
‘Metamorphosing’ into a President
WHEN he finally became the President, Digong was able to “metamorphose” (to use his own word-which attests to his ability to speak the language of the educated upper class) into a more presidential-looking and -behaving head of state. He wore a barong Tagalog (albeit over khaki pants!) at his inauguration, even if he obviously felt uncomfortable in it. He gave his inaugural address in English (albeit with a Visayan accent), using a teleprompter which he was evidently unaccustomed to.
But toward the end of his speech, he spoke off the cuff, expressing in simple English and Filipino his determination to serve the country and our people, especially the poor, and to make the Philippines a better, safer and more prosperous nation. In PR terms, it was a masterful inaugural address, a captivating mix of the ideal and the imperfect but real, which made the public respect and appreciate him more than before.
Authenticity is key
THE key word here is “real,” or what PR men with our penchant for using important-sounding words would call as “authenticity.” It validates another PR and marketing principle that no amount of PR or promotion can gain support for a product that is fake and lacking in substance and quality. For, as the old saying goes, “the truth will out in the end.” And the reality of Digong as a basically good and sincere, if flawed, person who has faith in God and loves his country is one worthy of admiration and trust.
Another PR principle related to authenticity that President Digong has so far followed with positive effect is that “actions speak louder than words.” This may be seen from his issuance of a directive right in his inaugural speech for all government agencies in the Executive branch to facilitate and cut down the time of processing of all transactions with the public. This was followed later by the issuance of an executive order mandating the adoption of freedom of information in all offices and agencies in the Executive branch. These were big steps toward reducing corruption in government, which was one of his main campaign promises.
All-out war versus illegal drugs
THIS may also be gleaned from the intensification of the Philippine National Police’s efforts to go after drug dealers and pushers, resulting in the surrender of thousands and the death of many who allegedly resisted arrest and fought back. President Digong topped off his all-out war against illegal drugs with his announcement of the names of five current and former PNP officials believed, based on “intelligence” gathered, to be implicated in the illegal-drugs trade.
These unprecedented actions made by President Digong may have shocked the nation, especially human-rights advocates and the legal community, which believed, and rightly so, that one is innocent until proven guilty. But these made most of the citizenry realize that Digong was deadly serious in fulfilling his campaign promise to put an end to, or at least reduce significantly, the illegal-drugs menace in the country in three months.
Positive PR moves
OTHER apparent signs of Digong’s awareness of the importance of PR—or at least his willingness to listen to PR advice—were in the critical area of media relations. One was his replacement of lawyer Salvador Panelo, his initial appointee for the position of presidential spokesperson, by Ernesto C. Abella. The press people were leery of Panelo, since the latter was one of the lawyers of the Ampatuans, who were accused of the 2009 Maguindanao massacre that counted many members of the media among the victims. Abella, who carried no such “heavy baggage” and was himself a former journalist and onetime evangelist, proved to be more acceptable to the media. Another good PR move on Digong’s part was his appointment of Martin M. Andanar, an experienced and respected broadcast media personality, as head of the Presidential Communications and Operations Office.
It also helped in reducing the negative image of Digong as a “macho” man having no respect or high regard for women when he appointed several members of the opposite sex in his Cabinet and as heads of government agencies. Most notable and widely welcomed among these was his designation as head of the Housing and Urban Development Coordination Council of Vice President Maria Leonor G. Robredo, who was not only a woman, but a member of different (Liberal) party from that of the President’s PDP-Laban.
President Digong’s only PR misstep so far may have been in his deciding to stop holding press conferences and interviews open to all media and just do these through the government station PTV 4. This was supposedly to avoid being misquoted and misinterpreted in his answers and actions by the media as have happened previously. But I would not be surprised if President Digong will eventually lift this ban once he realizes that it would hamper, rather than foster, his communication and dialogue with the public.
Highest trust rating
IT was for his being perceived as a real, unpretentious and sincere person who acted true to his word, and for his various aforementioned positive and pro-active moves, that President Digong received the highest trust rating ever of any sitting President as per the surveys done recently by SWS and Pulse Asia.
Whether President Digong continues to maintain his high trust rating in the months and years ahead remains to be seen. But given his apparent PR savvy and ability to “metamorphose” and adapt to future developments—without giving up his authenticity—President Digong may just be able to continue getting the public’s support in working to achieve his laudable goals for our nation. For the sake of our country and our people, we cannot, but hope and pray that he succeeds.
PR Matters is a roundtable column by members of the local chapter of the International Public Relations Association, the premier association for senior professionals around the world. Rene Nieva is the Chairman and CEO of Perceptions Inc.
We are devoting a special column each month to answer the reader’s questions about public relations. Please send your comments and questions to askipraphil@gmail.com.