Admit it: You love beef. Whether the meat kind or the juicier online type, a lot of us are drawn to confrontation (particularly those that don’t involve us). There are different ways of dealing with pent-up anger, and it often shows character.
Speaking of character, an interesting video of Mayor Vico Sotto confronting a businessman in Barangay Bambang which was posted on Sakto News’ YouTube channel, made some noise over the weekend. It’s basically another episode of Mayor Vico just doing his job, but the points raised were pretty valid.
We even got a few tips on how to diffuse drama so we took some notes for y’all, in case you’re curious how a public official pulled it off.
Get your facts straight and lay down your receipts
A lot was happening throughout the video: a lot of yelling and some “make it make sense” moments here and there. The businessman argued that they’re not demolishing anything (later on saying they are… confusing but okay) and that people somehow placed a child at the site while they were demolishing? (We know, we’re just as lost.)
It pays to have receipts, not just juicy screenshots or actual receipts of your purchases. We’re talking documentation―paperwork, video evidence, anything that proves your point. As raised in the video, taking action based on rumors isn’t a smart move.
The businessman did air his side in a four-part series also uploaded on the news site, which gives a bit of context to the whole beef. But the point still stands―you need to back your argument up with some hard evidence or that’s no good.
Cite the law
If you know something’s up and you’re treading on illegal territory, drop that legal knowledge. Mayor Vico repeatedly reminded the businessman that there’s due process to follow and proper authorities to contact in situations like this.
Mayor Vico even cited an existing law―RA 7279 or the Urban Development and Housing Act of 1992, which states that eviction or demolition of property is discouraged but allowed under certain circumstances in the presence of local government officials and uniformed police.
Don’t pull out every card on your deck
Throughout the video, the businessman pulled several cards that had us all thinking “make it make sense.”
- The victim card – “Biktima kami rito!”
- The elderly card – “Wala kang respeto sa matanda.”
- The drug pusher card – “Protektor ‘yan ng mga drugs.”
- The taxpayer card – “Taxpayer kami!”
Lest you want to risk looking like a fool, try to gather your thoughts first and listen to the other party before you lay down your points.
Don’t point at people. Just… don’t
If you want your point in an argument to be fairly considered, jabbing your finger at people to assert dominance probably isn’t the best thing to do.
We can hear the word “tapang” being brought up in the video, but you don’t get your point across by yelling over people and pointing menacingly at them. It’s quite rude, and frankly may not even help at all. You can be brave and stand by your points calmly, it’s possible.
Wear your masks properly
In the video, we could see that the businessman’s mask only covered his mouth, his nose exposed to the air. Meanwhile, everyone else wore their masks over their mouths and noses, and Mayor Vico even had his face shield on.
This is not really an argument tip per se, but if you’re a law-abiding citizen and you can prove that, then everything else follows.
Read more:
Vico Sotto really is everywhere (including TikTok)
Vico Sotto thanks frontliners, like all public servants should
Empathy with action is Mayor Vico Sotto’s winning combo
Art by Yel Sayo
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