Ramos to Duterte: Always say less than necessary

Former President Fidel Ramos has urged President Rodrigo Duterte to refrain from trying to impress by saying too much.

A report from Mike Enriquez on 24 Oras quoted Ramos as saying a leader appeared less in control whenever he tried to impress with words.

"Always say less than necessary. When you are trying to impress people with words, the more you say, the more common you appear, and the less in control," Ramos said in his opinion column for a national broadsheet.

Instead, Ramos said Duterte should win public opinion through actions. He also said Duterte should stop isolating himself.

"Win through your actions, never through arguments," Ramos said. "Do not build fortresses to protect yourself—isolation is dangerous."

Ramos also reminded Duterte to preserve his reputation and stop rushing himself.

"So much depends on reputation—guard it with your life. Reputation is the cornerstone of power... Never seem to be in a hurry - hurrying betrays a lack of control over yourself, and over time," he said.

Ramos said the column he also gave the same unsolicited advice to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo.

In the end, the former president said it was still up to Duterte to "take it or leave it."

This is the third commentary piece that Ramos wrote to assess the Duterte administration.

In his first column on October 9, Ramos said the Philippines was “losing badly” during the first 100 days of the Duterte administration, blaming the government for failing on leadership and teamwork.

A week later, Ramos compared the Philippines under "skipper" Duterte to a leaky and slow-moving ship due to internal strife and disunity. —Joseph Tristan Roxas/NB, GMA News