Exclusive | ‘I smile when I’m fed up’: Philippine president Benigno Aquino defends ‘inappropriate’ grins that sparked international outrage
Philippine president has drawn criticism for body language deemed insensitive
Philippine President Benigno Aquino has explained why people sometimes misunderstand his awkward smile – including in the wake of the 2010 Manila hostage tragedy in which eight Hongkongers died.
“I have various smiles for various purposes,” he told the South China Morning Post in an exclusive interview, as he recounted the outrage his enigmatic expressions have caused.
“Usually I have a particular smile when I am so fed up.”
Aquino is well known for smiling during moments when it would seem inappropriate. Earlier this year, he set off a storm of controversy in the Philippines when he appeared to smile at the wake for 44 commandos who were killed in a disastrous anti-terror operation in country’s Muslim majority south.
In the aftermath of the 2010 Manila hostage crisis – in which disgruntled former Philippine policeman Rolando Mendoza hijacked a bus of tourists, leading to the deaths of eight Hongkongers – Aquino attracted furious criticism after appearing to smile at a press conference.
The backlash from Hong Kong was savage. The raw emotion surrounding the bungled rescue attempt was already intense and many interpreted Aquino’s reaction as betraying a lack of sensitivity. The Hong Kong government issued a black travel alert, warning people to avoid all travel to the Philippines.
READ MORE: Smiling Benigno Aquino ‘ridiculous’ and ‘lacking empathy’, Manila hostage crisis survivors say
Asked about his habit of smiling at seemingly inappropriate occasions, Aquino’s amiable expression changed to one of slight exasperation.
He explained that the people who know him well can interpret his various smiles. For instance, he said, one of his smiles is a signal for those around him to “stop it, you’ve crossed the line”.
“But in that particular instance, especially after the bus [hostage tragedy], it was the absurdity” that made him smile briefly during the press conference.
“Some people will curse, will shout to high heavens… [the smile] is an effort to control [my emotions and actions].”
During the hostage crisis, Aquino had instructed one official of the Department of Interior and Local Governments to relay his orders to Special Action Forces commander Leocadio Santiago to use the elite SAF commandos for the rescue.
Instead, Santiago disobeyed Aquino’s orders, and the poorly trained SWAT team of the Manila police was used instead.
“Maybe it’s my own coping mechanism, rather than strangling the neck of the person who could have avoided that tragedy if they had just followed the instructions.”
Aquino was shot numerous times, including once in the neck when he and his security escorts were surrounded by heavily armed troops on the grounds of Malacanang Palace.
“I got three of my security escorts killed and one lost an eye and had his arm shattered,” Aquino said in the interview.
“I got into a situation where there were five of us and we were up against 94 or so and one armoured personnel carrier at a distance roughly about 10 or 15 metres.
That incident had a lasting impact on Aquino.
“After I got ambushed, I made it a point not to act out of impulse,” he said.
But unlike the typical Filipino politician, Aquino believes displaying emotions is over-rated.
“If I go to somebody, a victim of a natural tragedy, who starts crying to me, ‘What happens to us, et cetera, et cetera?’ And I respond also by crying, how do I help him?” he said.
“If I can help to calm him down, if I can help to manage his expectations, to lessen his frustration, I think that is my role.”