The Buck-Toothed, Janitor-like Talking Chel Diokno

Amid coronavirus outbreak, President Rodrigo R. Duterte lashed out at Chel Diokno in a late-night address yesterday saying, “Diokno is talking like a janitor. You know why you didn’t win in the last elections? Because you have big teeth. The way you talk, half of your jaw is showing.” The president just used a faulty logic to make a point and this is nothing but a blatant personal attack. This fallacy occurs when someone refutes another's ideas or action by attacking the person, in this case his physical attributes, rather than his thinking or deeds. I do not remember Diokno resorting to such remarks on the president ever.

Many of us are wondering why the president did say that Diokno is “talking like a janitor?” How does a janitor talks, by the way? This is just a guess: Duterte assumed that in general, janitors are trash talkers (with all pun intended)!

For some office people or those in the so-called white collar jobs, the term “janitor” is derogatory because it indicates a low-skilled, low-paying position in the workplace. Do not get offended, you DDS janitors, “janitor” is not a dirty word, but the president has a divan-full of it.

He called Diokno “buck-toothed”. It cannot be denied that Atty. Chel’s front teeth are so prominent that the protruding teeth are the first thing you notice about him. Buck teeth can be a problem with tooth angulation, tooth position, or jaw relationship according to dentistry materials that I’ve read. Among other things, being buck-tooted may cause speech impediments because the relationship between the upper front teeth and the lips are impacted by buck teeth, it affects the speech. 

There may be a minimal problem with Diokno’s way of speaking but he always talk sense in public just like his father. He may have lost in the recent senatorial elections but still, he is one of the most prominent and distinguished human rights lawyer in the Philippines.

Atty. Chel just tweeted this a while ago: “Mr. President, may mga kliyente akong tinutulungan na tinitiis na ang sakit at gutom, ngunit wala akong sinabihang manggulo o lumabag ng batas. Okay lang na pag-initan n’yo ako, pero tutukan n’yo rin ang pangangailangan ng mga tao.”

It is imperative that the government take measures that do not lead to violation of our basic rights and proportionate to the goals and objectives of the Bayanihan to Heal as One Act, officially designated as Republic Act No. 11469 along with other laws of the land, specifically Article III of the 1987 Constitution, no matter how old it is.

Even in this chaotic situation, human rights are central for enabling the public’s confidence and participation in the governance of the current circumstances. How can we expect cooperation from someone whose rights been neglected or trampled upon? 

COVID-19 poses a serious menace. But with unity, justice, corruption-free approaches in battling this virus, decency, determination to protect human rights, Philippines will overcome it.

I salute those who defend the right of others even in the time of pandemic disease specially those medical frontliners who fulfill their patients’ right to health…

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(Photo taken at Freedom of Expression Conference 2 in November 2018 where Dean Chel Diokno was guest speaker. The event was organized by the Human Rights Online Philippines)