"A KISS is just a kiss." That's from an old classic, which I think was popularized by Louis Armstrong.

In the Philippine setting, Davao City in particular where the mayoral elections is heating up, a kiss done in public and a hug from an aging woman who can hardly walk and probably smells of earth are seen with malice by a prude lawyer who trivialized it in a government-sponsored program.

The target is Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who is not even in the running.

For updates from around the country, follow Sun.Star on Twitter

The lawyer, Elvira Sederiosa, thinks that when women, young and old, kiss the mayor the act constitute soft prostitution and is a violation of women's rights or maybe abuse. Unfortunately for Elvira, the more radical among the women's group -- Gabriela and Talikala -- do not buy her dramatics.

Rep. Luz Ilagan and Councilor Angging Librado-Trinidad even admonished Elvira to study her law. As far as the two lady politicians are concerned the kisses planted on the mayor and the hugs, which the mayor cannot just avoid, are actually expression of affection for their political leader, which Mayor Digong is to them.

Trifling with those public display of affection is not actually doing the Nograleses any good at all. The naughty media persons are now hounding Mayor Duterte about his reaction on the kissing issue. The mayor appears to be enjoying his celebrity status like he is now the Kissing King. The latest of mayor's meaningful repartees includes: "Dili man ko bayot. Niadto, morag mobayot ko pero ako man tong napugngan. Ambot anang uban," he teased.

In a serious mood, Mayor Duterte explained that he gets those kisses and hugs especially when he visits remote barangays. "I feel the warmth of the people, many of the women as old or even older than my mother," he said. Now I don't know if other politicians would allow themselves to be kissed by women some of whom smell of betel nuts.

In another interview, Duterte brushes the kissing issue off while saying some people would wash their hands with alcohol after just a handshake. He did not elaborate but instead breaks out in a guffaw and says: "nahibalo namo 'no."

Mayor Duterte is his own propaganda specialist. When some quarters trifled with the issue of barrio women coming up to him for a kiss and hug, he knew that he is going to make a big score out of it.

Already, some radio commentators, among them one who looks like Jun Gutierrez, says that this will only revive the Burlesk King issue. "Kumbati ni sa duha ka hari," Jun told me over a cup of coffee. He said he will elaborate his statement in his radio program.

Whether Duterte's kiss is soft prostitution as what Elvira Sederiosa interprets it to be, or whether the Burlesk King issue is a farce like it cannot cause a family breakup, is going to be the next menu on the political arena. As to who will benefit from this brouhaha is for everybody to guess.

But if one knew just the rudiments of propaganda this issue of a kiss should not have been raised. If I were the Nograleses, I will instead start asking this question: Who's my enemy and who's my friend?