Po and opo are usually linked with respectful or deferential address in Tagalog. Although this association is genuine, it does not apply in all cases. A speaker is able to disagree, correct, refuse, or stay angry while still using po. It is also possible to show respect in a close relationship even when po is not used. The problem arises from this inconsistency. This preliminary study looks into what Tagalog-speaking adults believe po and opo are achieving in situations where the form used does not match the stance they report. The research method includes scenario elicitation, stimulated semi-structured interviews, judgments of paired utterances, and a small comparison between spoken and typed responses. The analysis maintains a separation between the form employed, the relationship between the speaker and the person being addressed, the stance that the participants themselves report, and the function that they assign to the form. Human-AI interaction is included merely as a comparative case. A conversational system can use po and opo fluently, which allows the respectful form to be examined without having to assume that the system has a human-like attitude. The study does not interpret using more po as proof of greater respect, fewer instances of po as evidence of cultural decline, or AI as a cause of language change. Its question is more specific: when po is used, what can that fact show, and what still needs to be learned from the relationship, the situation, and the speaker's own explanation?