Tag: Duterte

Duterte, purveyor of fake information

Published by Ellen on April 19, 2017

President Rodrigo Roa Duterte raises his fist as he takes the center stage during a meeting with the Overseas Filipino Workers based in Qatar at the Lusail Sports Arena in Lusail City, April 15. Malacañang photo by King Rodriguez.

Information empowers. But in the age of fake news which has found a fertile base in social media especially Facebook, lies being passed on as information have become a powerful tool for mass idiotization.

This occurred to us watching President Duterte regal the Filipino community in Saudi Arabia, with falsehoods which the audience lapped it up with gusto.

Before some 6,000 OFWs at the Lusail Sports Arena in Doha, Qatar last Saturday, Duterte repeated the false stories he had peddled before about Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and his fellow military officers stole utensil and beddings of the Manila Peninsula where they set up their base of resistance against the government of Gloria Macapagal Arroyo after walked out of a hearing in Makati City Hall on Nov. 29, 2007.

The curse of the mistresses

Published by Ellen on April 5, 2017

House Speaker Pantalon Alvarez brings with him Jennifer Vicencio in an official trip - President Duterte's state visit to Laos. Instagram photo by Rep. Rodolfo Farinas (front). — House Speaker Pantalon Alvarez brings with him Jennifer Vicencio in an official trip – President Duterte’s state visit to Laos. Instagram photo by Rep. Rodolfo Farinas (front).

When news reports about the feud between House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez and Davao del Norte Rep. Antonio “Tonyboy” Floirendo Jr. was brought into open and was traced to the quarrel of the Davao lawmakers’ mistresses, my initial reaction to suggest that they be given a copy of Jullie Yap’s book, “Etiquette for Mistresses.”

But I realized that Jullie’s advice are not applicable because the scandal is not a feud between the wife and the mistress. It’s a squabble between mistresses.

Jennifer Vicencio (Alvarez’ mistress) and Cathy Binag (Floirendo’s mistress) are a different breed of mistresses. They quarrel over privileges they feel they are entitled to because of their partners’ government position.

Pakiusap kay Wanda Teo: Kausapin mo ang Pangulo

Published by Ellen on March 26, 2017

Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo:Maling paki-usap

Parang naawa din naman ako kay Tourism Secretary Wanda Teo.

Hindi ka naman pwedeng magalit dahil mabait naman siyang naki-usap sa media. Despalinghado lang ang paki-usap.

Noong isang linggo sa Bangkok naki-usap si Teo sa media na i-tone down o bawasan ang pag-report tungkol sa extra-judicial killings o ang mga walang pakundangang pagpatay kahit hindi dumaan sa proseso ng batas ang mga napatay.

Yun din ang paki-usap niya kay Vice President Leni Robredo na nagbigay ng mensade sa pamamagitan ng video sa isang miting ng United Nations sa Vienna na kinukundena ang patayan kunektado sa giyera ni Pangulong Duterte laban sa droga.

The power of conscience

Published by Ellen on February 22, 2017

SP03 Arthur Lascañas relates the murders he committed in a press conference at the Senate. With him are Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV, human rights lawyers Alex Padilla, ArnoSanidad, and Cel Diokno.

“The torture of a bad conscience is the hell of a living soul.”

John Calvin -French theologian and reformer

The turnaround of SP03 Arthur Lascañas on the murders he committed as a member of the Davao Death Squad must have stunned Malacanang, all that it can come up with was Press Secretary Martin Andanar’s preposterous allegation that Senate reporters were given $1,000 each to attend the press conference morning of Wednesday at the Senate.

Senate reporters and the National Union of Journalists of the Philippines slammed Andanar for the irresponsible allegation.

Andanar immediately backtracked finding himself trapped in quicksand of dubious press statements with his destabilization angle. The more he tried to wiggle out of his “destab” story, the more that his credibility sank.

Transcript of the press conference of former policeman,SPO4 Arthur Lascañas at the Senate

Published by Ellen on February 21, 2017

SP03 Arthur Lascañas at his press conference at the Senate, Feb. 20. Photo by Voltaire Domingo,NPPA from ABS-CBN online.

February 20, 2017

Ako po si Arturo Barikit Lascañas, 56 years old, isa pong retiradong pulis na miyembro ng Davao City Police Office. Ako po ay pinanganak at tubong Davao City. Dito sa gagawin kong isang public confession, ito po ay pagsunod ko po sa kagustuhan ng Diyos, at labis na takot sa Diyos, pagmamahal sa bansa natin at sa sarili ko pong konsensiya. Dahil po dito, dito po nagwakas ang blind obedience and loyalty ko sa isang tao – kay Mayor Rodrigo Roa Duterte, na ngayon po ay Presidente ng bansa natin.

Dito po, una ko pong tatalakayin ang mga sinasabi ni Edgar Matobato. Totoo po ang existence ng Davao Death Squad o DDS. Si Edgar po ay isa sa miyembro namin, at isa po ako sa pasimuno nito. Ang pag-umpisa po ng Davao Death Squad, before po ito nag-umpisa, sa una pong pag-upo ni Mayor Duterte bilang Mayor ng Davao City ay nag-umpisa na po kami na tinatawag ng ‘salvaging’ ng mga tao. Ito po ay mga suspect na gumagawa ng krimen sa Davao about illegal drugs. Naimplementa na po namin ang personal po na utos ni Mayor Rody Duterte sa amin.

Trillanes to Duterte: sign waiver of bank secrecy law addressed to BPI

Published by Ellen on February 19, 2017

Pres. Duterte and Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV

The public should be more discerning this time with President Duterte’s bluster when confronted with the issue of his BPI bank accounts which have been recipients of deposits amounting to over P2 billion from 2006 to 2015 from several sources.

News reports Friday quoted President Duterte as ordering the Anti-Money Laundering Council to give information about his “net worth.”

The news item was based on what he said at the dinner with Philippine Military Academy class of 1967, where he is an honorary member, at Baguio City Country Club. This is what he exactly said:

“Kaya ang gusto ko lang sabihin sa inyo, because it’s politics again. It’s a rehash of what they… it is pure garbage. But you know I’m President, I’ve ordered AMLC and everybody to give information sa ano ang… what’s my worth in this… in terms of pesos in this planet. So hindi ko kayo hiyain. Walang anak ko o ako mismo, sa totoo lang. I have not signed any voucher even for myself. I only receive a salary and that’s it. I do not accept my allowances – wala po ako. I avoided it. And it will be so until the end of my term.”

FVR has earned the right to critique Duterte

Published by Ellen on October 12, 2016

The critique of former President Fidel V. Ramos of President Duterte’s first 100 days should be a warning to the latter that he cannot go on with his “Kill, Kill” mantra with five years and nine months more to go in his presidency.

FVR burst the bubble of Malacañang’s euphoria over the President’s 76 percent satisfaction rating (Social Weather Stations September 24-27, 2016 survey) with a commentary in the Oct. 9 issue of the Manila Bulletin that “..we find our team Philippines losing in the first 100 days of DU30’s administration – and losing badly. This is a huge disappointment and let-down to many of us.

“Team Philippines” refers to the 101 million Filipinos.

Threatening reporters, not journalism, is a crime

Published by Ellen on October 4, 2016

Once again, warped thinking was on full display when a Yolly Reyes Junto posted on Facebook her rant against Reuters reporters Manny Mogato and Karen Lerma over the story of President Duterte comparing himself with Adolf Hitler.

Junto’s Oct. 1 post started with a purported disclaimer: “I am no Duterte fanatic. I criticize him more scathingly than anyone when his mouth is out of line. But this time, Duterte really didn’t say anything wrong. ‘

Duterte to visit China Oct 20 -21

Published by Ellen on September 29, 2016

By Charmaine Deogracias Vera Files Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte will visit Beijing on Oct. 20 and 21, in what reliable diplomatic sources say is a…

Duterte: a poor drug user is also a pusher

Published by Ellen on August 2, 2016

Photo by Raffy Lerma of the Philippine Daily Inquirer.

A drug user who is rich is not necessarily a pusher because he has the money to buy the illegal substance. But if the drug user is poor, he is also a pusher.

That’s according to President Duterte.

In the President’s meeting with soldiers and policemen in Camp Nakar in Lucena City last July 28, he said “But a user is a pusher. Pwera na lang kung anak ka ni Ayala o ni Consunji o ni Gokongwei, ‘pag nalulong ka sa droga eh maghanap ka ng tao na isusuporta rin ang — sa bisyo mo. Then the other idiot will also contaminate and this must not happen.”

That explains why those killed (465 since Duterte assumed the presidency on June 30, according to the Philippine Daily Inquirer) were all wearing rubber slippers. Too poor to even afford shoes .