Aquino on lack of empathy: Hindi ako tumayo dito para mag-showbiz

President Benigno Aquino III on Thursday defended himself over criticisms that he lacked empathy as a leader, saying that his priority has been to calmly find solutions to the problems before him.

Asked if finding a First Lady during his term would have changed this perception, Aquino replied by first reading definitions of the word empathy from Wikipedia and Merriam-Webster, then sharing anecdotes about being on-site during the Zamboanga Siege and after the onslaught of Supertyphoon Yolanda in Tacloban City.  

In both instances, Aquino said he preferred to "take active charge to calm" the people down. 

He noted that during the siege, he ordered the armed forces to prioritize hostage rescue, which ended the problem with less fatalities than what would have happened if a violent approach was carried out.

"Paano ba dapat ang reaksyon ko doon [sa Zamboanga siege?] Pinagsasasabunot ko 'yung natitira kong buhok? Sinabi ko, 'Anong gagawin natin dito?' Nakatulong ba ako doon? Dapat ba nu'ng hinarap nila sa akin 'yung problemang 'yun, nag-iiiyak na lang ako? Dapat ba nagdadabog ako doon?" he asked.

He then said: "Hindi yata 'yun ang pangulo. Ako, may responsibilidad, ama ng bayan... Gawin ang tama para pangalagaan ang interes ng lahat."

He added: "Ngayon, kung merong katabi ako, o meron akong asawa, ako ang gagawa ng desisyon, in control, [tapos sa] asawa ko, sasabihin ko, 'Darling, puwede bang ikaw ang umiyak?'"

"'Yun ang punto ko, ano? Hindi ako tumayo dito para mag-showbiz. Tumayo ako dito para gampanan ang papel ng isang papel ng isang pinuno... bawasan ko 'yung dinadaanan ng ating mga kababayan sa lalong madaling panahon, sa lahat ng pagkakataon, at kung anong meron ako," he went on.

Aquino then apologized for his lengthy answer.

"Siguro [sinasabi nila ngayon], 'Sana 'yan, nakita namin 'yung emotions mo.' Pero sorry, I'm not play-acting as president. I perform my role as president and I'd like to think every minute and every second of my presidency to include even my sleeping moments, 'yung mga problema minsan binubulong ko maski sa panaginip," he said. — Rose-An Jessica Dioquino/APG, GMA News