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MANILA - Lawyer Larry Gadon on Tuesday named opposition senators Antonio Trillanes IV, Risa Hontiveros, and Francis Pangilinan among those who are "bobo" or stupid in the upper chamber.

"Para sa’kin bobo si Trillanes. Si Risa Hontiveros, bobo 'yan. Si Mr. Sharon Pangilinan, si Mr. Sharon Cuneta bobo yan," Gadon told radio DZMM's "Ikaw Na Ba" senatorial candidates' interview, referring to Pangilinan's wife, Megastar Sharon Cuneta.

(For me, Trillanes is stupid. Risa Hontiveros is stupid. Mr. Sharon Pangilinan, Mr. Sharon Cuneta is stupid.)

Gadon also downplayed the effect of popularizing "bobo" among the youth.

"Ang ibig sabihin lang naman ng bobo hindi ka mulat sa katotohanan. Hindi mo tinatanggap kung ano yung totoo at ano yung tama. Iba naman yung sa sinasabi na tanga or ignorant," he said.

(Stupid only means that you are not aware of the truth. You do not accept what is true and what is right. Saying someone is ignorant is different.)

"Kung susubaybayan mo ang social media ngayon, yung mga kabataan... makikita mo sila na balewala sa kanila yung mga mura at mga salitang bobo sapagkat mas gusto nila katotohanan ang sabihin sa kanila. Atsaka pagdating naman sa PI, tinatanggap na yan na isang expression lamang."

(If you observe social media, the youth... does not care about bad words and words like "bobo" because they prefer to be told the truth. When it comes to PI, it is accepted as an expression only.)

Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay, meanwhile, said proper discourse is needed to discuss government policies.

"The moment na nagmurahan na yung mga tao mahirap na tayong magkaroon ng isang matinong usapan tungkol sa polisiya. Yung usapan naging tungkol dun sa tao, hindi sa prinsipyo," he said.

(The moment that people start swearing at each other, it's difficult to have a proper discourse about policies. The discussion becomes about the person, not the principle.)

"Dahil pag minura na kita, hindi na rasyonal yung usapan, magiging emotional na yan. Hindi na tayo magkaroon ng civilized conversation na napaka-importante sa panahon na parang nahahati yung mga tao ayon sa mga tao, hindi ayon sa prinsipyo."

(Because If I swear at you, the discussion becomes emotional, not rational. We will not have a civilized conversation, which is important at a time when people are divided by factions, not by principles.)

Former presidential spokesman Harry Roque said he does not care whether a senator is "bobo" as long as he does his job.

"Immaterial kung sila ay bobo o hindi basta ginagawa nila ang trabaho nila. Ang pagiging senador ay paggawa ng batas kaya kung sila ay naggrandstanding lang, sinasayang lang nila yung pera ng taumbayan," he said.

(It is immaterial if they are stupid or not as long as they do their jobs. The job of a senator is to create laws, so if they are only grandstanding, they are wasting the people's money.)