MANILA, Philippines - The government of President Duterte has been a “huge disappointment and letdown,” according to former president Fidel Ramos, bucking popular sentiment and a high poll rating for Duterte’s first 100 days in office.

Ramos is the only president to score higher than Duterte in an opinion poll traditionally conducted after the first 90 days of each presidency. Duterte has publicly thanked Ramos for persuading him to run for president.

The 88-year-old former president said in a newspaper column on Sunday that the country was “losing badly” by prioritizing a war on drugs at the expense of issues like poverty, living costs, foreign investment and jobs. But Ramos also called for continued public support for Duterte.

Presidential spokesman Ernesto Abella said Duterte is a reader and is aware of the commentary. Abella said Ramos, who was in office from 1992 to 1998, was acting like a father and the government respected him.

Duterte picked Ramos as his special envoy to China to manage the fallout from an arbitration case Manila won in July that dented Beijing’s claims over most of the South China Sea.

In a radio interview yesterday, Ramos also said Duterte’s foul language against the Americans offends him, saying the long-time US-Philippine alliance has not been a one-way road.

But then Ramos still exhorted Filipinos to throw their support behind the incumbent President, who needs to address other Philippine woes aside from illegal drugs.

Ramos said it is natural to hear negative comments on the President’s drug war and offensive remarks.

“It’s only natural to hear negative comments from those who are hurt because we have four million Filipino-Americans who are either American citizens or green card holders – but their love for the Philippines stays and they don’t forget the Philippines,” Ramos said in Filipino in an interview on radio dzRH.

“So, if the words get too abrasive, then all of these people would be hurt. So am I,” he said.

Ramos, whose daughter is married to an American national and living with their children in the United States, said he had given unsolicited advice to Duterte.

But Duterte, he lamented, would not listen.

“Lagi ako nagbibigay ng advice pero pasok sa kaliwa, labas sa kanang tenga. Paanong gawin natin (I would always give him advice, but it just goes into his left ear and out the right ear. What do we do)? Take it or leave it. Unsolicited advice,” Ramos said.

“Ang Cabinet ang dapat mag-advice sa kanya at kanilang idiretso at ipatungo sa kung saan yung tamang direksyon (The Cabinet should be the one to advise and straighten him out and steer him in the right direction).”

The Philippines, Ramos said, should continue to reach out to its old friends and partners like the US, even as the President wants improved relations with China and Russia.

The former president said the Philippines’ relationship with long-time ally US has not been one-way.

“Gusto ko lang makita ng lahat, lalo na ng mga leader natin, yung mga benepisyo nitong last 70 years mula nung tayo ay nagkaron ng kasarinlan in 1946 at hindi naman one way na kuha sila ng kuha dito sa atin at tayo walang benepisyo, meron naman (I just want everyone to see, especially our leaders, the benefits we have gotten from our last 70 years of alliance with the US since we had our independence; and it’s not one-way that they are the only ones taking from us – we also benefited),” he added.

But then, Ramos said Filipinos should support Duterte, as the President now needs to address other important issues aside from the drug war. – With Alexis Romero