There has been a lot of hoopla recently about Isabelle Duterte’s photo shoot inside Malacanang palace. People have been using the photos as proof of the Duterte family’s opulence and drunkenness with power. I agree with most of the criticism, especially with the photo using the seal of the President of the Republic as a background prop. The photo shoot was done in bad taste and another clear example of how bad Malacanang’s press and communications team is. How could they not have seen this as a public relations problem? Beyond it being bad optics, I see nothing else wrong with the photo shoot.
When I saw the photos, my first question was, was public money spent directly for this photo shoot? The answer was a clear and resounding no. That being said, the only issue with this photo shoot is how bad it looks. There is no actual corruption or abuse of power. However, the Malacanang press and communications team should have realized that optics in politics is everything – especially in the Philippines.
Real corruption and abuse of power is when a family member of the President actually use public funds and assets for a non-government activity. A good example is when Kris Aquino used a handful of government helicopters to attend a Liberal Party political rally. That is a clear example of corruption and abuse of power. How did the Liberal party supporters say about it? She is a member of the Presidential family so she is entitled to such treatment. She is one of the highest tax payer in the country so she deserves such privilege. In short, they are again entitled to it.
After all is said and done, one thing I realized with this issue is the fact that Duterte is most vulnerable from people around him – including Family. The Malacanang press and communications team should do a better job making sure the President’s image is not exposed like this again. Duterte himself and his immediate family are clear examples of humility – just ask anyone who has lived in Davao city and have seen these people in public. I cannot fault Isabelle for taking advantage of such a privilege. A young girl’s debut is a big milestone and they always want it to be unforgettable – what better way to make sure it is than with a photo shoot inside the Malacanang palace. The fact that no public funds was used in this photo shoot makes it appropriate. The political climate in the Philippines was just not right for these images.
So when does optics in politics become problematic? When the political climate is not appropriate and when public fund is used for personal promotion and gain. In the Kris Aquino case, it hit both points. In Isabelle Dutert’s case it missed the mark in the appropriateness of the political climate.
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