GRP Mail - 20 Dec 2021
Bong Go and President Duterte out of the race, Odette on the way out. What's next for the Opposition?
Dear GRP Insiders,
With the most recent typhoon on its way out, it's back to focusing on Christmas cheer.
Filipinos are, after all, a “resilient” people — or so we have been told selectively. Perhaps the Opposition and its “leader” Leni Robredo will beg to differ this time as they would like their “help” to be needed by “the poor” — as she and her volunteers strike poses before the cameras.
What next for the Opposition? It's back to the drawing boards as the admin camp comes out of this week stronger, even more unified, and far more organised. The alternative is an easy one — continue doing the same thing.
Regards,
benign0
In review and in prospect
The withdrawal of Senator Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte from the presidential and senate races respectively has resulted in an effective consolidation of the administration political camp last week. This has had a chilling effect on the Opposition. Surveys released and leaked over the same period consistently affirmed the huge lead admin tandem Bongbong Marcos and Sara Duterte enjoy over Opposition leading tandem Leni Robredo and Kiko Pangilinan.
Typhoon Rai (local codename “Odette”) hitting the Philippines on Thursday was a blessing of sorts to Robredo and non-admin rival boxing champ Manny Pacquiao. The two banded together in a well-publicised initiative to supposedly pool resources to contribute to the relief effort. Disaster porn is a boon to the hopelessly-inarticulate and the photo-ops that abound when seen, sleeves rolled up, on the ground “helping out” bolster hollow campaigns that are thin on of national-level statesmanship and strategic vision.
Typhoons don't last for more than a couple of days and news media cameras swivel towards the next circus within the 24-hour news cycle. The thing to watch over the coming week is what Robredo and her pinkies do next. It is likely that her little partnership with the champ won't survive the end of the misery porn bonanza that Odette served up over the weekend. This is the trouble with empty campaigns. Lack of underlying substance necessitates chasing the next big grandstanding opportunity. Until then, it's likely back to serving lugaw before whatever cameras remain to capture the moments.
Last week’s blog posts
Politics
“We need to make Leni WIN!” and other chilling Yellowtard ululations
December 16, 2021 by benign0
"Rather than offer them clear bases to make a smart choice, the Yellowtards routinely subject them to emotional appeal or, worse, emotional blackmail."
December 13, 2021 by benign0
"They continue to believe they will overtake Team Marcos – Sara Duterte over the remaining five months of the campaign (and delude their supporters into thinking the same), yet there is no evidence nor data to back their optimistic appraisal of their situation."
Media
December 13, 2021 by benign0
"Is this 'prize' really for Filipinos to behold? Take a careful look at Maria Ressa and what she really stands for and the answer to that question may not be as clear as her sponsors would like it to be for the rest of us."
Business
Philippine energy policy: more politics, less economics
December 15, 2021 by The Unpopular Opinion
"As the Philippines is blessed with volcanoes, strong winds, and large bodies of water, utilizing geothermal power, wind power, and hydropower will lessen the nation’s dependency on these hydrocarbons."