Once teased by President Rodrigo Duterte for his big teeth, human rights lawyer Chel Diokno offered some advice to Sen. Richard Gordon, whom the chief executive insulted for his weight—"Dapat chill lang (Just chill)".
In the schoolyard, in court and in politics, bullies win when their targets are affected, said Diokno, who declared his intention to run for national office in 2022. He lost in his first attempt at the Senate in 2019.
"I learned something as a trial lawyer. Sa amin kasi, bawal mapikon," Diokno told Summit Sandwich Sessions.
Diokno said that as a lawyer for three decades, he was used to opponents throwing "ad hominem attacks" in court, and the lessons he learned, he brought with him as he entered the cruel world of politics.
"Hindi ka pwede mapikon sa court. ‘Yun nga ang gusto ng kalaban minsan they would provoke you and do everything to make you lose your head and as a result, you don’t get to do your job properly inside the court," he said.
"Dala ko ‘yun when it comes to politics kaya when people throw those ad hominem attacks against me, it really doesn’t bother me at all. In fact, ang usual response namin is to make fun of it and that is what gets them even angrier I think," he added.
Addressing Gordon in particular, who is also a lawyer, Diokno said the senator should just stay chill.
"Tingin ko kasi if you engage on their level, then you are conceding something to them and giving them even more air time. I would not take that approach. Dapat chill lang si Senator Gordon," he said.
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