Of Ineptocrats and Precariats (I'd rather be with the latter than the former)

     I'm back to nitpick again.

     A lot of political antics have taken place since I last wrote about ineptocrats in the local scene. Cha-Cha - no, not the dance move but the constitutional reform called Charter Change - was initiated by the clowns in the Congress led by then House Speaker "The Joker" Alvarez and now by former president Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo whose ascendancy to the speakership was nothing short of dramatic. And GMA, I'm certain, is more motivated than Alvarez in pushing for the shift as this will make her the prime minister. GMA still has a pending plunder case at the office of the Ombudsman, and if she becomes the PM we can definitely say ta-ta to that case.

     Pro-admin lawmakers are eagerly finding ways to please Duterte, top of which is the changing of the Constitution mainly to adopt the federal form of government. Former Chief Justice Reynato Puno has been assigned by Duterte to head the consultative commission tasked to change the highest laws of the land. Apparently, Puno accepted it with a heavy heart because he knows how the shift to federalism can further spur political dynasties and their corrupt practices. In fact, Puno had recently threatened to withdraw his support for federalism should the anti-dynasty provision in the commission's draft is taken out by Congress.

     As I've said in one of my previous posts, federalism is not the answer to our nation's woes. You put a new system of government to be run by the old timers - the trapos - and you're not going to improve things but derail everything instead. It's like buying a new bus but never replacing the people at the helm - people who never follow the rules of the land, who never care about the people they sideswipe, and who jump out of the window and abandon the passengers when the bus heads into a ditch.

     As many critics of the system shift say, we do not need a new set of laws but strict enforcement of what we have at the moment. Strengthen the systems we have, especially the check and balance aspect of political governance, and punish those in the government who use their positions to empower and enrich themselves. A weak penal code - or the weak implementation of crime and punishment in the country - is the root of what debilitates us all. When politicians and criminals alike go unpunished or are only imposed with just a slap on the wrist for severe crimes such as bribery and corruption, we send out a wrong signal that it's okay to steal and abuse power. What we really need is a drastic paradigm shift.

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     We're seeing it now and we've seen it before. Political vindictiveness has once again come to the fore magnified by the impeachment of Chief Justice Sereno. This is one of the main reasons why everything that we try to gain in one incumbency is quickly lost when a new leadership takes over. Appointees by previous administration are usually replaced by the incumbent and it usually doesn't matter if that appointee is doing a great work or not. I'm not saying the Sereno was the most competent for that position but it's obvious she was impeached by the House primarily because she's appointed by Benigno "PNoy" Aquino.

     Almost every House and Senate inquiry and/or impeachment proceeding is endorsed by the ruling party. The former Chief Justice Corona and the subsequent hospital arrest of Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo during PNoy presidency was motivated by politics. Granted that there were indeed plunder and corruption committed, there was never any doubt that had it not been by the arm swing of PNoy, their cases would have been thrown out of the window because both Corona (who died in 2016) and GMA did have strong political clout. But such clout easily disengaged when the president of the land came a-calling.

    But if ever there's one true role model of political and personal vindictiveness, I'd say Duterte would be It. The horrors our president has committed easily surpass Pennywise's predatory and maniacal tactics.   Duterte's favorite letter is V, as in V for Vendetta. There's Sen. Leila De Lima, one of Duterte's most vocal critics, whose cases had been railroaded (and possibly invented) to put her behind bars and effectively gag her. Then there is the impeachment of CJ Sereno as well as the inquiry on the Mamasapano and the Dengvaxia fiascos. The last two, in my opinion, are being blown out of proportions and are being spun and slanted by Duterte et al to have some issues thrown against PNoy. I didn't vote for PNoy and I thought him to be a very indecisive and uncharismatic leader but I consider him (but not all of his Cabinet, please take note) to be one of the most incorruptible of our politicians, past and present. Duterte has read enough of Machiavelli to decide that "an injury has to be done" and that "it should be so severe" to avoid retaliation so he's dumping all these issues on PNoy with the intent of shackling the former president.

     Of course, retaliatory attacks against Duterte will not happen during his presidency - that's not how things work around here. Wait until his term is up (provided he's unable to extend it through Cha-Cha), and then the issues that would confront him are the EJKs (extra-judicial killings), his family's alleged involvement in rice and drug smuggling, and the Marawi Siege (a riposte to Mamasapano). What goes around, comes around.

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    I went to SM a few weeks ago, and I noticed these two chairs. They may just be ordinary plastic chairs but what caught my attention was the writing in them: "For Resting Employees".

     SM employees are the poster people of unfair labor practices belonging to the social group called precariats. Precariats, I just learned,  are individuals whose lives are "precarious" because their employment status provides them with so little security, financially and/or ethically speaking.

     SM is notorious for the "endo" (short for end of contract) employment scheme, which basically relates to contractualization wherein employees are hired on a short-term basis (usually six months)  so that companies can avoid paying for health and other insurance benefits.  SM employees, especially the sales ladies, are one of the most abused groups of local precariats - working long hours and were previously not allowed to sit down during their shift while wearing high heeled shoes. These chairs are signs that the giant retail company is finally taking notice of the complaints voiced out by their own employees and concerned citizens. And there has been news that SM plans to regularize 10,000 employees this year, and I hope this will push through.

SONA or Later - Duterte's Roadmap or Highway to Hell?

     Yes, I watched Duterte's speech for two grueling hours last Monday.  And I was not disappointed to see and hear our president to once again ad lib, punctuate his points with expletives, launch personal attacks against whom he perceived to be enemies of the State, as well as advertise philandering.

     He was able to stick to his written speech for the first 25 minutes or so, reading from the teleprompter. Then, as expected, he started going off-script. Duterte is obviously more at ease and more effective when he does impromptu. And, without failure, he displayed this charisma during his second state of the nation address, going rouge in selling his views (popular and unpopular) to his audience at Batasan Pambansa and TV sets across the country. He stood there in the rostrum like an angry rooster as he spewed his usual rhetoric about the war on drugs, how he would "hound to hell" those who would harm the nation's youth, etcetera. He also made disparaging comments against the US and the white race and resumed mimicking and mocking Obama (who is black BTW).

     And not surprising (but still was able to raise my hackles) was the fact that most of those in the plenary were laughing and clapping with our bad-mouthed president.  I noticed though, as Brillante Mendoza's panned through the gallery, that members of the diplomatic corps were sober and solemn. And of course, the opposition senators were not laughing most especially Risa Hontiveros. Vice-President Leni Robredo, when the camera angled towards her, likewise displayed a serious demeanor. 

(Photo credit:https://i.ytimg.com/vi/8j5PtBsXJ8w/maxresdefault.jpg)

      Duterte, in my opinion, failed to present a roadmap for our country to take until the next time he addresses the nation next year. His big announcement was probably the 2018 budget, the tax reform bill, and his threat against mining companies. He also failed to mention the accomplishments or the "changes" he had promised during his first SONA, except for Mighty Corp's Php25-B tax settlement.  What he did was used that rostrum and his privilege speech to attack his critics - from the media to Jose Maria Sison. What he did was appealed to the emotions of the Filipinos, trying to awaken our sense of pride and patriotism. He mentioned the Balangiga Bells, the three church bells which the US army have taken as war loot in the battle of Balangiga in Eastern Samar way back in 1901. 

     "Give us back those Balangiga bells," Duterte said. "They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage." 

     I was hoping that those words should be directed to China.  "Give us back those islands," he should have said. I don't want to undermine the importance of those bells to our history and our fight for independence; however, the present is more important to me than the past. If Duterte has wanted to gain respect and admiration of the world and be considered as a strong leader,  he should have made a firmer stance on the West Philippine Sea issue, not just mentioned it in passing in his SONA. His stance on WPS would have created a more resounding noise, much louder than those three bells clanging together.

     Those islands are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage. They are not mere inanimate symbols. Ang mga isla ay sumasagisag ng ating kasarinlan, karapatan at kayamanan. I am hoping Duterte, the ever charismatic and populist demagogue, would have this epiphany sooner than later. 

The Duterte Series: Just (Wido)Do It

     It looks like our Pres. D  is fast becoming Mr. Ambiguity.  Latest incident involves Indonesian President Joko Widodo concerning the case of convicted Filipina drug mule Mary Jane Veloso. According to news reports, Duterte has said to "go ahead" and carry out the execution if Mary Jane is found guilty under the Indonesian judicial process. Our local media has picked up the news after D's statements made headlines in Indonesia. A lot of us were dismayed because during the previous administration extra diplomatic efforts were carried out to save Mary Jane from execution.

      Mary Jane's case grabbed headlines because she insisted that she was duped into carrying 2.6 kilos of heroin into Indonesia in April 2010.  She was sentenced to death in October the same year but was spared via moratorium enacted by then Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.  Her execution was reinstated thereafter with her death by firing squad set April 29 of last year but was granted a stay just minutes away from her execution. The Indonesian government decided to postpone her execution due largely to our government's appeal for reprieve while her case is being reinvestigated and also because of the public outcry the case has elicited across the globe.

Mary Jane Veloso: Living on a prayer

     D's camp is on the clarificatory stage ever since the news broke, saying that the president didn't really give the green light.  And today Widodo has clarified that what D actually told him was to "go ahead with the process in line with the law in Indonesia." But still the fat fact is our president didn't make an appeal to save Mary Jane.   For those who expect him to do otherwise, particularly Mary Jane's family, I'm sure they're disheartened by the news.  I personally didn't expect D to appeal because of his obvious stand against the illegal drug trade and its perpetrators.

Duterte: I didn't say "just do it" to Widodo (Photo source:www.ofwnewsfeed.com)

     Why is D so often misquoted, misinterpreted or misunderstood as his men alway allege whenever the president elicits criticisms for his statements? D blames the media or the people around him but never himself for the negative publicity.  His men always scramble to correct his numerous faux pas, both intentional and otherwise.  Maybe it's not the media who's on the err here as D and his men always like to point out.  I mean, if it only happens once or twice or is being committed by one or two reporters, he can argue that he's just being misquoted/misinterpreted/misunderstood. But it happens almost always.  It happens whenever he opens his mouth, whomever is listening to him.  It's obvious D lacks the communication skills needed for an effective national leader.  Our leader should espouse clarity, never ambiguity,  into which our country is being led to.  You don't say you do not condone extrajudicial killings in one interview then promotes bounty hunting and democide in another.  You don't say you respect human rights then later on adorn suspected criminals with bullet holes and placards.
 

     
   

The Duterte Series: My Pilot Monologue

     Today, I'm starting a series on Pres. Rodrigo Duterte.  Please forgive me, if along the way, I offend some of you because of my strong opinions against our president. This is just my way of blowing off steam when I get frustrated  with the goings-on in Malacanang, particularly the enigmatic man of the manor.

     Let me make it clear that I didn't dislike D at the get-go. In fact, in the last quarter of 2015, when I was randomly surveyed via my mobile number about the possibility of D joining the presidential race I gave a favorable answer for him. I think the question was "Would you like Mayor Duterte to run for president?" and I quickly replied yes.  Days later I was asked "Should Mayor Duterte run for president would you vote for him?".  I answered yes.  I was thinking then  that here's a viable presidential candidate that was a non-trapo. I knew of his no-nonsense attitude, he's known to be fearless and has worked hard for Davao to make it a world - class city. Truly, his reputation preceded him. For me, at that time, D really stood out among the bland choices the electorate were offerred. Kumbaga sa hapag-kainan natin, si D ay kare-kare katabi ang prito at paksiw na isda lang.

     So when D finally, albeit reluctantly, announced his candidacy I was excited.  But as the campaign went on, as his media exposure broadened, my excitement deflated. It was not a sudden "pop", but a gradual death of my excited optimism that ended up with "pfff", a sound of disgust and disappointment.  D has had no platform of governance but he was drawing crowds and cult following through his colorful language and dirty jokes.    I have to admit he made me laugh with his very informal political speeches; he really was an engrossing speaker and downright down-to-earth guy. However,  not long after spewing against the corruption and criminality in the land, there came spilling out the profanities and sexist and insensitive jokes. That's when I decided to part ways with D.

Davao Blast, Duterte's Bluster

     I was up late last night, alternately browsing and drowsing, when all of a sudden my Twitter got flooded by news of the Davao blast. When I turned on ANC, there it was the grim vestiges of another terrorist attack in Davao. Bodies were everywhere; they were bloodied, strewn, and riddled with the fragments of the IED (improvised explosive device).  The blast came just a few hours after Pres. Duterte's early evening presscon.  I caught the last portion of the presscon when Duterte, as usual, was justifying his war on drugs.  He was replying to a question by a foreign journalist apparently about the extralegal killings and violation of human rights allegedly being committed at the behest of the government.  Duterte  was saying the international community should not just rely on the death toll of his anti-drug campaign but they should come here and see for themselves what his government is actually accomplishing. He mentioned his beloved Davao, clearly making the city as the model of how successful his dealings with the criminal elements are. "Don't fuck with me," he once again told the international community and anyone who criticizes his method. He invited the journalist to walk the streets of Davao, and if the journalist got mugged or murdered or "even lost his wallet" Duterte said he will resign as the president.  I hope the journalist didn't heed Duterte's advice to walk the streets to may be ending up in Roxas Night Market where the explosion occurred.

     It is a slap in the face of Duterte that shortly after his pronouncement to the reporter, the blast rocked Davao killing at least 14 and injuring more than 70 innocent people. And for the Davaenos, and the rest of us citizenry, it is a wake up call; that despite our politicians' dictum of them keeping us safe, any one of us could be a collateral damage - whether it's the war on drugs or  the war on terror. I'm sure no amount of words or gestures would appease the hurt of those left behind.

     Morning came and the chaos continued. That is, chaos amongst the president's men. There was confusion if the state of lawless violence so informally announced by Duterte is confined in Davao, or the whole island of Mindanao, or the entire country. Later on it was clarified that is in full effect nationwide.

     I know a lot will take umbrage at my take on our present leadership. But I take offense when someone (whatever his/her standing in our society) talks with so much bravado, with tactless dictates then fails to follow it through with action. I would appreciate it more if it's otherwise - a lot less talk, a lot more action.

     So I would admire our president more if he actually severs tie with the UN and not just threaten it with words. Or much better, he should not have declined Ban Kin- moon's request for meeting so he can tell the UN chief to his face to not meddle in our internal affairs. I would admire our president more if he seeks an audience with the Chinese leaders during the Asean Summit in Laos next week and tell them, to really tell them, that they should abide by the verdict of the arbitration case over the South China Sea. Tell them to be damned with their nine-dash line. That way Duterte doesn't have to jetski all the way to the Spratlys to stake our claim on the islands, as he had blabbered on during his campaign.  Face to face, Duterte can tell his Chinese counterpart to do something about their nationals going to our shores to smuggle in drugs. And by the way, it is not only drugs that Chinese are illegally bringing in with them. They are also smuggling in rice, meat, gadgets and other commodities and we are losing a lot in the form of tariffs because of this. It is reported that the bulk of smuggled goods in the country comes from China, that from 2010-2014 alone they snuck in products amounting  to Php2 trillion according to report by The Manila Times. With these I am hoping that our president is able to say to the Chinese "Don't fuck with my people. And don't fuck with me." But, alas, according to the Palace our president is not going to do bilateral meetings with China in the Asean summit or talk about the issue of the South China Sea thereat.

(Source: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/87/aa/b4/87aab4a36ae6eddf3b928a0e8102e7ce.jpg)