GRP Mail - 12 Jul 2021
Getting real is hard when you've forgotten what it's like to be authentic.
Dear GRP Insiders,
July 12 is the anniversary of the arbitration ruling in favour of the Philippines in its dispute against China.
As infighting between various factions within the Opposition over what really happened five years ago play out, GRP will be there. Stay tuned!
Regards,
benign0
In review and in prospect
Over this past week parties and individuals continue to dither on their plans even with less than eleven months to go before the 2022 elections. The hot-button issues that resonate with Filipino voters are obvious and staring everyone in the face but traditional politicians remain beholden to traditional campaign templates despite the pandemic and the measures it has forced states to impose on its citizens forever moving the goalposts.
The leading Opposition blocs remain committed to pushing topics in their messaging that simply do not resonate with ordinary people. The pandemic and the uncertainty it blankets life with simplifies the call to action for most politicians — get back to basics, chart a roadmap, and understand what keeps Filipinos awake at night.
That all just seems a bit too hard when one is inauthentic. That is basically the problem of the Opposition today. They simply cannot match the authenticity — or the perception of it — that the incumbent administration camp are able to bring across to the public.
How to be for real. That's the challenge politicians and their parties need to come to grips with in the coming weeks and months.
Last week's blog posts
Politics
Opposition SPOOKED by a possible Digong 2022 VP run because they know he will likely WIN
July 10, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"The Opposition is just piqued with Duterte’s audacity. No good boxer telegraphs his punches. The Opposition did not see this coming which is why they are seething."
Attention Ph Opposition: Show us INTELLIGENT alternatives, or LOSE in 2022
July 10, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"When in survival mode, people tend to be more conservative, less open to diversity, more suspicious of novelty, and more inward-looking — the latter, in the Philippines’ setting, translating to an increased focus on family interests and security."
July 7, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"If Isko Moreno does run, the Liberal Party pragmatists will likely support him, even if he doesn’t like it. He can’t afford to welcome them under his wing because that would be the kiss of death."
Philippines running out of qualified leaders because current system encourages stupid politicians
July 6, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Then look at the present crop of future leaders in the Senate and House of Representatives. There isn’t any one rising star you can pin your hopes on because no one has even come close to the level of a Juan Ponce Enrile or Miriam..."
PDP-Laban circus leaves Manny Pacquiao a political orphan, possibly split Duterte admin camp
July 5, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"By then, the fates of Senators Pacquiao and Koko Pimentel will be known. Both may be ousted which leaves the President in control of PDP-Laban or worse, it splits into two factions..."
July 5, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Opposition seems to be pursuing a divide-and-conquer strategy. Split the Vis-Min vote which is the Duterte base and win in vote-rich regions in Luzon as the path to victory in 2022. The key to this strategy is Senator Manny Pacquiao."
Society
July 6, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"We are in a quandary because our legislators will never work against their interests. Though we don’t run the risk of becoming a financial pariah, the country’s image as a foreign investment destination suffers."
History
A pitch to continue Duterte’s record of ACHIEVEMENT will determine the 2022 election winners
July 10, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"[The Opposition's] exploitation of former President Noynoy Aquino’s death ended just as quick as it began. Only their diehard supporters were nostalgic. The general public did not respond to the appeal to emotion..."
July 8, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"It may just be that the oligarchs behind Carpio and Del Rosario were hoping for a ruling before the end of the Aquino administration or they were complacent about a Roxas win in 2016."
July 7, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Manila has been overrun by greedy parian real estate developers and informal settlers. Perhaps the message in Peque Gallaga’s magnum opus, Oro Plata Mata is true. No one was the same after the war."
Education
July 5, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Candidates should have a clear plan of action in their platforms, specifically those who are aspiring for the Presidency. There is no time to waste. The pandemic will not end anytime soon."
Important dates
12 July 2021 - Fifth Anniversary of the ruling in favour of the Philippines issued by the Permanent Court of Arbitration on its South China Sea dispute with China
17 July 2021 - PDP-Laban National Assembly
30 Aug 2021 - National Press Freedom Day
01 to 08 Oct 2021 - Filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC)
Notebook
"But this angst-driven reaction of locking down with low community transmission of COVID is not a viable long-term strategy. This is because the coronavirus is increasingly likely to become endemic, meaning it will settle into the human population." (Full article)