Dear GRP Insiders,
With the Lacson-Sotto tandem now an effective challenge to the incumbent administration camp of the Dutertes, let’s start regarding the discredited Liberal Party (Yellowtard) and communist camps as the traditional opposition. The latters’ ways are political traditions best discarded as these did not build and only sought to destroy.
Opposition is about alternatives and better options whilst continuing to build upon what works. Filipinos deserve no less than an opposition that regards their role in Philippine politics as such.
Regards,
benign0
In review and in prospect
Last week had proven again that experience and gravitas are currency in political campaign. The dust has settled a bit in the horse trading and coalition building is in full steam. The interesting observation to highlight here is in how for years the Yellowtards (the leading Opposition bloc of partisans loyal to the Aquino-Cojuangco clan) have fashioned themselves not just as leaders of the opposition but The Opposition no less suddenly find themselves taking a back seat to the the tandem of Senators Ping Lacson and Tito Sotto.
The Lacson-Sotto tandem and the party they lead are the closest to a true Philippine opposition in decades — one that offers alternatives, a consistent position, and a focus on construction — to challenge a formidable incumbent camp. This is a far cry from the flavour of “opposition” the Yellowtards and their communist pals have long subjected Filipinos to — one characterised by demolition, obstruction, and blanket anti-incumbentism. For both the Yellowtards and communists, seizing power trumps vision and any initiative to map a path to it. This explains why, even this late as May 2022 looms, the Opposition as we once knew it have remained guileless and bereft of competent leadership. There was just nothing to work with.
Nonetheless, the traditional opposition have evidently not learned any lessons over the last several weeks even as the rug has been pulled from under their flat feet. Tradition continues to dictate to them and their no-longer-feared communist pals that praises be sung to the Dead Aquinos and hails be accorded to their preferred leader “vice president” Leni Robredo despite the latter being still undecided on her presidential bid and still stammering out policy-sounding sound bytes in her trademark Taglish in a lame effort to remain relevant.
Last week’s blog posts
Politics
President Rodrigo Duterte as Vice President in 2022? Only Filipinos hold the RIGHT to decide!
July 18, 2021 by Benedict Exconde
"Is an incumbent president running for vice president when his term of office ends a form of 're-election?' Even a grade school-level child would say no because the positions of president and vice president are not the same."
July 18, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"It will be an interesting race because neither personality is prone to mudslinging. Lacson has been pushing for issues-based rather than personality-based politics. Daughterte only resorts to insults when insulted first."
July 17, 2021 by Roman Surtida
"So it comes as a bit of a shock when a media-savvy and relatively intelligent candidate like Isko Moreno also devolved into that blatant TRAPO maneuver many thought he was above from ever using."
President Rodrigo Duterte’s last State of the Nation Address will be chock full of achievement
July 17, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Duterte is the only post-Marcos President who has been able to maintain his approval rating from start to finish. Filipinos are generally satisfied with his performance."
July 17, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Foremost on the minds of voters are economic recovery, public health and education. Lacson understands what ails the bureaucracy having developed a reputation as the budget expert of the Senate..."
July 15, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Isko also does not have a running mate yet. A natural would be Grace Poe. It would be the Fernando Poe Jr (FPJ) fanbase against the Dabarkads of Eat Bulaga. That’s a good match-up."
After “Achievement War,” Yellows fail to Prove that their Admin was “clean”
July 15, 2021 by ChinoF
"I think Aquino worship is already the sign of a mental disorder, since people are willingly blinding their eyes to obvious signs."
July 13, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"You need to destroy first in order to create. Duterte may have had this in mind when he ran for President. He destroyed the political template. He destroyed the Office of the President in terms of how things get done."
President Duterte running for VP is perfectly legal, Opposition fails to propose a BETTER option
July 12, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Those who are preparing to challenge the administration in 2022 still don’t get this. If they don’t put forth a disruptive platform then they will most likely lose."
July 12, 2021 by benign0
"According to Trillanes, President Aquino’s instructions to him were 1) de-escalation of the tensions between the two countries and 2) the agreement to confidence-building measures between the two countries as indication of good faith."
Media
July 16, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"These outfits continuously churn out negative propaganda about Duterte and his admin. It is safe to assume that they have the tacit support of the US gov't which needs a friendlier admin in place for the US to establish bases in the country again. "
ABS-CBN is not worth being made into an election issue because Filipinos couldn’t care less about it
July 14, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"PNoy did more not to have ABS-CBN’s franchise not renewed during his admin than Duterte ever did during his incumbency. Despite an all-out media campaign at the height of the hearings in Congress, ABS-CBN did not get the support it needed from the public."
Health
COVID-19 Delta Variant a bigger threat than “downgraded” credit ratings
July 14, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"The Delta variant has proven that the vaccinated can still be infected but the risk of mortality is manageable. The economic recovery will be derailed by a new surge fueled by the Delta variant."
Foreign affairs
Philippines no longer a US lapdog, now a respectable ASEAN member and a REAL Asian nation
July 12, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"Given the fluid environment we are in, foreign policy should become an election issue. It is important because a President who does not continue with the policy set by Duterte will not be able to manage the economy well."
History
Opposition prefers a Philippine sellout to the US over working with China
July 17, 2021 by Ramon Ortoll
"The problem with our public intellectuals is that that they are so beholden to Western ideology. US and Europe are good. China is bad — because it is an authoritarian dictatorship. It is not as simple as they make it out to be."
July 13, 2021 by benign0
"It would appear that the administration of then President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III failed to provide for payment of attorneys’ fees in the national budget for the services rendered by Foaley Hoag."
Environment
Dumaguete City Government Signs Joint Venture for 174 Hectare Reclamation Amidst Raging Protests
July 12, 2021 by Paul Farol
"What the… It’s bad enough that the Chinese have gotten a couple of rocks in the West Philippine Sea, swathes of Pasay City and Paranaque City… NOW THEY’RE GOING TO GET DUMAGUETE CITY TOO?"
Important dates
30 Aug 2021 - National Press Freedom Day
01 to 08 Oct 2021 - Filing of Certificates of Candidacy (COC)
Notebook
"Past and current studies have tried to identify what factors influence Twitter users’ decisions to retweet other tweets. This is interesting both as a window into human thought and because resharing posts is a key mechanism by which messages are amplified or spread on social media." (Full article)
COVID-19 disaster in Indonesia; “The government has downplayed the pandemic since the beginning, both underestimating the risk in its pandemic planning, and understating the harms in its public communication. There has been little transparency and poor public communication about the disease.” (Full article)