Observers listed at least five wayward instances during the ceremonies, including the President’s throwing a flying kiss towards a lady reporter as he stood on a military jeep beside a stiff PAF chief Lt. Gen. Edgar Fallorina during a pass in review of military troopers.
The President, arriving about 10 minutes late for the program at the PAF’s Haribon aviation complex here, wore denims to match his simple “barong Tagalog” amid fully uniformed military personnel and their formally attired spouses. Civilian audience seemed to like his attire as being “pro masa.”
“Talagang simple,” one observer was heard to have remarked.
But the President was still apparently getting used to the protocols, failing to issue “Tikas pahinga” command to the hundreds of air force soldiers standing still in rows in front of the flower-decked stage, until his fourth sentence.
In another part of the program, the President went to the podium to thank the PAF for its role in securing the country, instead of getting down the stage as motioned to by an air force officer. He went back to his seat after a few sentences of thanks, but was again asked to alight from the stage for the pass in review on board a white, roofless jeep.
Duterte was, however, very presidential standing erect beside Fallorina on board the jeep, saluting the troops and the flag they passed by.
But apart from his speech that shocked the audience with his expose of police generals allegedly into illegal drugs, the President made his mark in the anniversary event when, as his jeep was about to end the review of troops near the stage, he threw a flying kiss apparently directed to female reporter Doris Bigornia, causing some laughter among reporters nearby.
“I think he was endearing. He was being like us, ordinary people,” said one female air force cadet who asked not to be named.
