Wednesday, August 31, 2016
Tuesday, August 30, 2016
WE SUPPORT DUTERTE’S DRUG WAR
WE SUPPORT DUTERTE’S DRUG WAR
I am writing this in behalf of the 16 million Filipinos who voted for Rodrigo Duterte as the President of the Philippine Republic. First of all, we voted this so called “Punisher” because we believe that he is the only candidate capable of implementing the law in our crime-ridden country.
Philippines is a haven for drug syndicates for so many years. It is a common knowledge in the community that the law enforcers and politicians cuddle these influential drug personalities. It is primarily because of greediness for money and power, while some keep their mouth shut because of fear. As soon as Duterte took his oath, the Philippine National Police immediately took the streets like wolves searching for prey. They also provided the people with the names of politicians and police officers who are allegedly involved in the drug trade. Community leaders cooperate with the cops by handling out the list of suspected drug users and dealers in their respective territories. It is then followed by house-to-house visits by the law enforcers to have a dialogue with these suspected drug personalities asking them to surrender or stop their illegal activities. As a result, over 600,000 Filipinos stormed gymnasiums for a mass surrender. This was achieved because drug personalities were aware that the new government is serious with its campaign. However, not all who surrendered were serious. A lot of them are still using and selling drugs as expected. Police are still busy in getting rid of these personalities, knowing that a lot of them went back to their usual ways. Most of them were arrested, while some resisted prompting the cops to defend themselves.
“It will be bloody”, Duterte said pertaining to his drug war. We ordinary Filipinos obviously knew that this is how it should be. Why? Some of these criminals will rather fight to death than turn themselves in. The cops only have two choices, it's either to kill or to get killed. Almost 2 months since the campaign started, over 1000 drug personalities were reported killed. We can see it in the news every day and we applaud the government for its effective drug campaign. Some people around the globe are surprised why we appreciate this drug war. All I can say is, we are hopeless. Duterte defeated the most powerful presidential candidate under the previous administration because the people are hopeless. We are hopeless because we can’t trust the politicians and the police anymore. We are hopeless because the Philippines is turning into a narco-nation. We are hopeless because law abiding and innocent citizens suffer the consequences. We are hopeless because innocent deaths pile up due to meth-addicted criminals. We are hopeless because we feel unsafe. We are hopeless because no one cares to save the nation. We put Duterte in power because we believe that he can lift our hopes up high.
Now that the drug war is gaining momentum, some people want to slow it down. But before this, I want you all to know that the Philippines has a lot of corrupt politicians up to this date. Duterte presidency means problem for these greedy politicians. Politics in our nation means money, power and influence. That is why some of them kill just to take the post. In addition to this, anti-Duterte parties want to kick the president out of his post, and to do so they will destroy his image through his drug campaign. They are influential, they are rich, they can always put a price to seal the deal, and they can control everything. The media, the right groups, the people’s mind.
We all know how the media do the works. With all due respect to the good ones, a lot of them use biased reporting. In this drug campaign, they always publish the downsides. They even twist the headlines to make it look unappealing for the readers. The international media is also riding this hypocrisy. Many of us watched their news and we are totally upset about their unfair judgment and reporting. We are shaking our heads knowing that there is something wrong. Why don’t you ask the ordinary citizens about what is really happening? It was like hiding the truth behind the war in the Middle East. Then there is the Human Rights, oh come on we are sick and tired of this organization. This organization is obviously designed for the welfare of the criminals. They are a bunch of hypocrites and ignorants. Duterte is getting rid of these hoodlums for the welfare of his citizens yet they keep on whining. Human rights, have you conducted investigations or make a worldwide issue about what was happening in the United States where unarmed civilians were shot to death in front of a camera? Have you ever sanctioned the Coalition Forces who keeps on blowing civilian infested areas in Syria and Iraq? Did you ask Israel to stop bombing Palestine? How about the slaughtering of Christians in Nigeria? Did you put a finger towards Russia’s anti-gay campaign? Have you asked China to clean its environment to save its population? Did you mess with North Korea? Where were you during massacres here in the Philippines? Have you heard of Hacienda Luisita and Maguindanao massacres? Have you showed interest in solving the deaths of 44 Special Action Force members of the Philippine National Police? Did you make an issue about the controversial funds during typhoon Haiyan? I never heard your organization showing concern about the rape and murder cases perpetrated by drug addicts.
Stop with this hypocrisy and ignorance. We ordinary Filipinos support Duterte’s drug war. It is a matter of life and death for us. We want a better future for our children. We will never be a narco-nation. We will be enjoying this safe and peaceful nation very soon.
https://www.change.org/p/filipinos-we-support-duterte-s-drug-war
https://www.change.org/p/filipinos-we-support-duterte-s-drug-war
Duterte’s iron-fist leadership appeals to British investors
(The Freeman) | Updated August 29, 2016 - 12:00am
UK’s trade envoy Richard Graham said that Duterte's clear "rule of law" measure encourages people, specifically British businesses to consider the Philippines as investment site. FROM THE WIRES
CEBU, Philippines - The strong and firm governance espoused by the Duterte administration is sending positive signals to Great Britain’s investment community, according to a British envoy.
Richard Graham, the United Kingdom Prime Minister's trade envoy said that Duterte's clear "rule of law" measure, encourages people, specifically British businesses to consider the Philippines as investment site.
However, the member of the British Parliament warned that there is a need for the Philippines to improve its visibility and promotion to the United Kingdom, as the country is still not known to majority of the British community.
Graham, together with other British diplomats, was in Cebu Friday, as part of the British government active stance to strengthen trade ties in the Philippines, and other countries in Asia, following its exit to the European Union.
Graham specifically met with the officials of GMR-Megawide Cebu Airport Corp., and Lapu-Lapu City Mayor Paz Radaza.
At least four British companies are now working with GMR-Megawide to supply and provide services to the airport management, as well as the construction of the new Terminal 2.
While the British government is also concerned on the issue of extra-judicial killings, Graham hinted that this controversy shall be fixed and be defended by the Philippine government leaders.
What impressed the outside observers, including the British investors, he said is Duterte's strong leadership, especially the President's new thrusts and objectives in attracting foreign investments.
Graham added that what the British investment community finds interesting is the Philippines move for de-regulation, specifically mentioning the 60-40 foreign rule on business ownership for foreign companies in the Philippines.
Graham was referring to the existing provision in the 1987 Constitution, which limits foreign ownership of companies in the Philippines to 40 percent.
If this particular rule will be lifted, the British diplomat said Philippines stands to attract more investments from big British entities, such as schools, pharmaceutical manufacturing, among others.(FREEMAN)
http://www.philstar.com/cebu-business/2016/08/29/1618368/dutertes-iron-fist-leadership-appeals-british-investors
Leni Robredo's non-stop self-promotion: Can't wait to be President?
While Leni Robredo is “waiting for something to happen to the president”, she spends her time in numerous PR activities. Nothing new there, but today I saw a couple of pictures that bothered me.
Here is Photo 1, taken Aug 24, 2016 at the Jesse Robredo exhibit that was mounted in Gateway mall, a property owned by the family of Mar Roxas.
Here is Photo 2, taken Aug 29, 2016 at the launch of a Jesse Robredo book in Fully Booked BGC.
What do you notice about these two photos?
The design of the visuals is very reminiscent of the imagery associated with Philippine presidents.
Photo 1 shows a classic “trooping of the guard” image. Photo 2 shows a book cover with a head bust that has a Philippine flag prominently displayed in the background.
Does the late Jesse Robredo, as respected as he was, warrant this level of presidential imagery? Most of his political career was spent in Naga City. He occupied a national position for only about 3 years, as DILG secretary. But the way these visuals were selected and designed, you would think Jesse Robredo was a former president.
What message is Leni Robredo subliminally sending with this imagery?
It seems she really cannot wait for something to happen to the current president. If Duterte makes it past the first half of 2019, the yellows will be in an even weaker position than they are in today. A number of yellow senators up for re-election in 2019 will have a hard time winning if the present anti-yellow climate continues and they have no more access to Smartmagic. Time is of the essence.
Robredo is capitalizing so much on the memory of her late husband, but there are also rumors that she is in a relationship with QC congressman Bolet Banal that is carefully kept out of the media spotlight. (There are photos of them floating around on Facebook.)
Assuming the rumors are true, it would be understandable why Robredo would want to keep the relationship under wraps—how would it look if the rumored affair becomes full public knowledge, and Robredo still keeps talking about her late husband in her speeches and using his image in her brand-building activities?
(A quick web search shows that Bolet Banal was the person identified by the PS Bank manager in the Corona impeachment trial as the one who approached her regarding Chief Justice Corona’s bank records. At that time, the prosecution team against Corona was claiming his bank records were left on a gate by an anonymous “little lady”. They had to attribute the documents to an anonymous source because obtaining bank records without client permission is a violation of the Bank Secrecy Law.)
Whether or not the rumors about Banal and Robredo are true, Robredo’s non-stop self-promotion activities are the reason why it is impossible to believe there is no Plan B. Robredo’s camp would not be spending this much time building up her brand if they were not up to something.
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Yellow Media will NEVER be fair to the Duterte government. Ever.
Many people have noticed over the past few days that the old yellow troll accounts on social media and the blogosphere have been reactivated. Someone is funding them again. Rappler and Inquirer are also now heavily censoring pro-Duterte comments on their websites.
This made me realize something—the yellow media will never be fair to Duterte. Ever.
The yellow media are a lost cause. It is time for the president's team to switch from a reactive approach to a proactive approach. The best way to counter the yellow media's black propaganda is not to keep trying to correct them (reactive), but to build a new communications infrastructure around President Duterte and his men that is completely independent of the yellow media (proactive).
President Duterte is an easy sell. People always want to see him and know what he's doing. He has his own crowd-drawing power. With internet technology and access to government channels, it is not impossible to build a communications infra large enough to counter the Yellow Ecosystem within a short span of time, say, 3-6 months.
The media networks of the large religious groups that support President Duterte like Igelsia Ni Kristo's Net 25, UNTV, Pastor Quiboloy's Sonshine Channel can also be tapped.
A big percentage of the content produced by the yellow media comes from announcements and disclosures of government agencies. If the government diverts this content to its own well-run news channel and website (including the government procurement notices and job ads), it can attract a big audience very, very fast.
There are so many people who are sick and tired of the toxicity, negativity, hypocrisy, and duplicity of the yellow media. Many of us would stop watching the news on ABS-CBN and stop reading Rappler and Inquirer completely if we had more alternative sources of news.
The hardworking, responsible, productive citizens of this country are longing for positive, constructive reporting. We want stories that help us learn more about the useful things that the government, police, and military are doing, like the 911 helpline, the OFW one-stop shop, the simplified business application and tax filing procedures, etc. We have already seen glimpses of this from video clips on YouTube. For example, when Sec. Art Tugade explained the root causes of the traffic problem in Metro Manila and his recommended solutions at the Senate, it was very educational, like a class on transport management. We need to see more of this type of healthy, constructive, informative, mentally uplifting content.
We have entered a once-in-a-lifetime period of genuine public service since the new administration took over, and it is a crying shame that the oligarch-backed media—now also the drug-lord-backed media—are trying to distort everything to obstruct the Duterte admin's ability to deliver the reforms and services that we Filipinos need. The yellow media and their backers, in their selfish obsession to take back the power that they lost after Duterte won, don't care if they destroy our country's reputation in the process and block the government's efforts to improve the lives of our countrymen. They just care about getting what they want. They won't stop, so the only thing we can do is walk away and leave them behind.
Sobra na, tama na, palitan na. Enough is enough. We slammed the door on Daang Matuwid during the elections, now let us slam the door on the destructiveness of the yellow media who feed us nothing but poison and hate. Sec. Martin Andanar, please give us a new well-produced primetime news program to watch and a new comprehensive news website to read so we can log off the yellow media once and for all. If you're concerned about criticisms on lack of editorial independence, please don't be. The world we live in today gives us vast access to information so we can decide for ourselves which version of the truth to believe. Editorial independence is a myth, anyway, because every journalist has his biases, whether he admits it or not. Besides, the yellow media's concept of editorial independence is so Eighties, like hairspray and shoulder pads. Most of them are stuck in a Martial Law time warp (including the younger journos whom the seniors have infected with their jaundice), so their causes revolve around a very narrow set of worn-out themes (i.e. censorship, ill-gotten wealth, a simplistic understanding of human rights). This outdated 1980's brand of yellow journalism is so pointless and counterproductive, it should be left behind to the dwindling few who refuse to move forward and embrace change. Magsawa sila sa ka-ek-ekan nila, basta tayo, move on na. Tara na!
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http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2016/06/philippine-corporate-media-failed-filipino-people/#comment-1715456
Duterte style: common-sense wisdom and bias towards ACTION
People who have seen enough in the business and corporate world know that sometimes the most effective performers are the ones who do not think or operate in the conventional, linear fashion that we have been trained to believe is the "right way".
Recall how well-structured and well-oiled Noynoy Aquino's organization seemed to be. He had all these Ivy Leaguers working in his administration. Yet the bureaucracy grew so bad under Noynoy that we could not even get license plates for our cars or ID cards for our driver's licenses.
Duterte, on the other hand, seems a lot less structured. But in 50 days, he, among other things, got rid of tanim-bala, rolled out the OFW one-stop shop, rolled out the 911 emergency hotline, reduced the processing time in several government offices, and brought the crime rate down by a significant percentage.
Of course, his team is still a work in progress and I also hope they will address the administrative weaknesses you have pointed out, especially the communications group. (I think Martin Andanar is okay, he just needs to be supported by more people and maybe a senior strategist who can monitor the big picture while he looks after the day-to-day.)
But I would like to note that Duterte's unconventional way of doing things may not necessarily be a negative. Judging from his track record in Davao, his non-linear approach may really just be matter of management style. For instance, how many "unstructured" college drop-outs have we seen who became very successful businessmen, and how many "structured" valedictorians and PhDs have we seen who simply failed to take off in life outside the academe?
What Duterte has going for him is his common-sense wisdom and bias for action. Typical example of his common sense thinking vs. yellowtard thinking:
The other day, Lourdes Sereno made another public statement that the police should under no circumstances make arrests without warrants. Duterte corrected Sereno by saying that the police can make arrests when a crime is being committed in their presence. He said, "If there is a terrorist na hawak na ang granada, tatakbo ka pa ba sa korte para kumuha ng warrant?"
Pak!
So my point is, in the end, it is not the style of doing things, but the results that matter. I'll take this streetsmart raging bull over the structured "disente" crowd any day, because he is practical and he gets things done.
That said, I think it won't hurt Duterte if he had more people like Sec. Art Tugade in his team—streetsmart na, structured pa.
As for Duterte's reforms being persona-based vs. institutionalized, I think there is no choice as of now. Given our current maturity level as a country, we are still a long way from being able to completely separate personality from principle. But there is consolation in knowing that at least our president today is not trying to paint every object in sight yellow, and not trying to name every road, school, building, airport, and holiday after his family to perpetuate their cult of personality.
The shift to federalism and the current government's focus on systemic change will help institutionalize reforms in the future. What do I mean by systemic change? Let's take corruption as an example. Noynoy Aquino's idea of fighting corruption was selective prosecution of his political enemies, to satisfy his thirst for vengeance. Duterte's approach to fighting corruption is to clean up government agencies starting from the frontlines all the way to the heads, to make life smoother and more equitable for ordinary Filipinos. There lies the difference.
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http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2016/08/three-fundamental-weaknesses-duterte-administration/#comment-1716034
Majority of Filipinos approve of Duterte’s War on Drugs
Here’s the elephant in the room the Yellow Camp seems to be ignoring. For all the complaining and criticism they lob onto the government of President Rodrigo Duterte, none of them seem to be considering that much of what makes up the challenges being faced by the newborn administration today are problems either created or that festered under previous governments. In the case of the highest-profile issue these days — Duterte’s “war on drugs” — there is no denying, even from among the most rabid members of the Yellow Camp, that the drug menace reached critical proportions under the watch of former President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III.
Indeed, it is common knowledge nowadays that Aquino’s key people who were in the best position to control that problem were duds. The Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) under then Secretary Mar Roxas seems to have been snoozing while tens of millions of pesos worth of drugs exchanged hands under the noses of his police generals. Roxas himself did not know the whereabouts of his own elite police troops — not even until after 44 of them were massacred by Islamic terrorists in Mamasapano. The Department of Justice (DOJ) under then Secretary Leila de Lima was worse than useless. Its chief was alleged to have actually contributed to the problem, allowing Bilibid Prisons, the national penitentiary in Muntinlupa City, to be used as a comfy bastion of the drug lords themselves.
Yet despite all that, Duterte looks forward, rather than backward. This is in stark contrast with Aquino who spent the better part of his term blaming his predecessor, former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, reminding Filipinos of the evvviiiilll of the Martial Law regime of former President Ferdinand Marcos, and citing the heroism of his parents Cory and Ninoy. Duterte, on the other hand, is all about the future and proves this by holding himself accountable for the tough objectives he had set for himself. With objectives like these, there is no time for vendetta, no time for video games, no time for ancestor worship, and, yes, no time for Noynoying.
More importantly, it seems Duterte reportedly has no time to make friends with both local and foreign media either…
“Media, wala akong pakielam, [kahit] unpopular sa international press [I don’t care even if I am unpopular with the international press,” Duterte told reporters after visiting the wake of a cop killed in an ant-narcotics operation.The president also cursed foreign media, as he emphasized that he needs to crush the drug problem in the Philippines.“Wala akong pakielam, p*******a ninyo. May problema ako sa bayan ko [I don’t care, son of a b*tch. I have problems in my country],” Duterte said.
It all makes sense. After all, popularity counts when you are in the midst of an election campaign. But Duterte is now President, and president’s make unpopular decisions if necessary. Then again, what is unpopular to corporate news media does not necessarily spell unpopularity amongst the Filipino masses. Outside the self-styled “human rights” activism that pervades Philippine society’s mainstream journalism circles and liberal social media cliques, it seems people no longer buy the emotionalist softly-softly of the Yellow Camp. Evidently, Filipinos now have a big appetite for giving badass a chance.
The important thing, then, is that Duterte not squander the immense political capital he currently enjoys. He’s the James Bond president, a man with a license to kill issued by the Filipino people. And why not? The irony that flies over the chattering heads of the Yellow Camp is that this is the very principle they held dear for 30 years, that the power of the people trumps all else — so much so that when called to the streets in big enough members, “people power” could unseat a president extra-constitutionally. Duterte’s license to kill, in principle, draws from the very same concept held as sacred dogma by the Yellow Camp.
Like most licenses, of course, this one can be revoked. Duterte has to ensure that he uses it well and delivers results. Wars against formidable enemies exact a huge toll on the societies that wage them. Duterte’s “war on drugs” is one such war. The challenge is to prove the long-term benefits far outweigh these costs — before the license expires.
Saturday, August 27, 2016
Foreign media outlets criticising Duterte’s “war on drugs” are clueless about Philippine politics
Articles critical of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte from foreign media outlets are coming out from left, right and centre lately. Unfortunately, they are mostly one-sided. One can’t help but think that they have an agenda — to damage the reputation of the new President and undermine his leadership. This is something that the members of the Liberal Party and their supporters would want.
Take the case of that TIME magazine article. The writer interviewed Senator Leila de Lima for comment about the government’s ongoing “drug war” without realising that the Senator is the last person to ask for a “fair” or “objective” assessment on Duterte’s policy. Aside from De Lima having an axe to grind against Duterte for her failure to pin him down back when she was still the Human Rights Chairperson on his alleged involvement in the Davao Death Squad when he was still Davao City Mayor, De Lima also is very defensive about her failure to eradicate the drug trade inside the country’s penitentiary – The New Bilibid Prison in Muntinlupa City when she was the Secretary of the Department of Justice.
Sen. Leila de Lima: The last person expected to make a fair assessment on the ‘war on drugs’
De Lima already lost her credibility to the public. The only people who support her are rabid Liberal Party supporters. Bringing up her sordid love affair with her former driver at the DOJ would only be considered wrong if the driver wasn’t linked to the drug lords operating at Bilibid prison. The driver would have had access to a lot of contacts inside because of his connection with then Secretary De Lima. Besides, as mentioned before, former President BS Aquino set a precedent for naming and shaming. It’s not surprising that Duterte is continuing the tradition. What’s surprising is how some people expect Duterte to play fair since he has always been brutally honest. De Lima, for her part, has a lot of explaining to do including her failure to deal with drug manufacturing inside the compounds of the Bilibid prison and how the drug epidemic in the country became worse under her watch.
Perhaps he didn’t have enough time to understand the complexities of Philippine politics because it seems Rishi Iyengar, the TIME article writer, was aiming to paint a very gloomy forecast for the next six years under the Duterte leadership. The writer obviously failed to question De Lima’s role as head of DOJ. He could have asked her what measures she instigated to clamp down on the drug lords operating with impunity inside Bilibid. He would have understood why Duterte blames her for the problems he has to deal with today. Pictures of her mingling with known drug lords at a party have been making the rounds on social media. The TIME article would have been more balanced had the writer mentioned it.
What is quite disturbing about the TIME article aside from getting mostly the side of those who are against Duterte’s policy on drugs is the notion that the Philippines’ drug problem is not that bad. Iyengar seems to think that Duterte exaggerated to scare the public so he can convince them that there is a need for drastic measures. He even called his move “the oldest autocratic trick in the book”. Comments like that serves as evidence that the writer applies a strong bias against Duterte in his writing.
In proving that Philippines’ drug problem isn’t that bad, he even compared crime rate figures from other places overseas against the crime rate in the Philippines:
But how bad is the Philippine drug problem? According to UNODC data, the highest ever recorded figure for the prevalence of amphetamine use (expressed as a percentage of the population aged 15 to 64) in the Philippines is 2.35. That is a high figure, but then the equivalent figure for the U.S. is 2.20, and the world’s real amphetamine crisis is among Australian males, where the prevalence is 2.90.When it comes to illicit opioid use, the Philippine prevalence rate is just 0.05, compared to 5.41 in the U.S., and 3.30 in Australia. For cocaine, the Philippine figure is only 0.03. In the U.K., it is 2.40, in Australia 2.10 and in the U.S. also 2.10.In other words, the statistics show what any visitor to the country may easily see: Filipinos are not degenerates, who need to be protected from themselves, but are mostly a nation of decent, sober, law-abiding and God-fearing people. The most revealing Philippine statistic is this: 37% of Filipinos attend church on a weekly basis. Less than 20% of Americans do.Nonetheless, Duterte has succeeded in convincing large numbers of his people that drug use constitutes such an emergency that the very existence of the nation is threatened, and that only his rule can save the Philippines. It’s the oldest autocratic trick in the book.
What the heck is the writer trying to say? That the Philippines can still wait a while before addressing the problem? It’s like saying that since the drug problem is not as bad as Mexico, Duterte’s tough stance on drugs is not justified. I don’t think the writer considered the fact that some crimes involving drugs do not get reported anymore and so the data showing the crime rate could be a conservative estimate. Besides, who is he to tell Filipinos when to deal with the country’s drug problem? Most people prefer to nip the problem in the bud. That is why Duterte has the support of the majority of the public. Indeed, foreign media should be focusing on the problems in other countries that are not addressing their own drug problems.
Speaking of other countries, in the U.S. the role of one of its own government agencies – the Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) – in importing cocaine into the country was exposed in the 1990s. They were alleged to have allowed the drug syndicates to sell cocaine to ghettos in California targeting the African-American community the purpose of which was to raise money for the Nicaraguan Contras rebel army. There was outrage when the stories were made public. Imagine your own government being a party to the proliferation of drugs. No wonder some people consider the U.S. war on drugs a “failure”. One government agency was fighting the drug trade while another was fuelling it. That’s just crazy. The investigative journalist who made a series of exposés on this was demonised and met a suspicious death that was ruled as “suicide”. His story was made into a film called Killing the Messenger.
Stories like that make one think that some members of the international community have lost any moral high ground to tell the Philippines how to mind its business. What happened in California in the 1990’s gives Filipinos enough reason to take most foreigners’ criticism with a grain of salt.
Foreign media writers need to put the issues they write about in the proper context. Not all those who were killed died in the hands of the Philippine police. If we are to follow the DOJ’s Operational Guidelines on what can be classified as “extra-judicial killings”, death of suspected drug lords and dealers aren’t even considered as such:
Extra-Legal Killings (ELK) or Extra-Judicial Killings (EJK) – For purposes of operationalization and implementation of A.O. No. 35, the ELK/ElK will refer to killings wherein:a. The victim was:i. a member of, or affiliated with an organization, to include political, environmental, agrarian, labor, or similar causes;or ii. an advocate of above-named causes;or iii. a media practitioneror iv. person(s) apparently mistaken or identified to be so.
Homicide where victims are allegedly drug dealers or drug lords cannot be considered “extrajudicial killings” under Philippine law.
For everyone’s information, here is an official tally of “deaths” in Duterte’s war on drugs as of today:
Yes, I know what you are thinking. It seems people have been reduced to numbers and one death is one too many. But this is the Philippines where most people were apathetic to victims of heinous crimes as a result of the drug epidemic in the last six years. It’s quite suspect the way some people are acting so “outraged” now especially since these same people routinely turned a blind eye to the BS Aquino government’s neglect.
Wednesday, August 24, 2016
Ninoy is NOT a hero: Let’s rename NAIA back to “Manila International Airport”
Ninoy, Salamat sa demokrasya. August 21, 1983. “Handog ng Pilipino sa mundo…”, “Magkaisa at magsama…” Yaaawn… OK, change the channel please!
Now that the Filipino people have been awakened to the reality that there are better channels to watch on their TV and that the many years of fairy-land “democracy” that Ninoy’s death at the tarmac that fateful day ushered the nation into was nothing but a sham or shall we say – our worst nightmare gone haywire, it’s time to shake off the hangover, rise up to our feet, dust ourselves, and get back full-throttle in the game. Did you see that? Speeding Vietnam is already about to zoom past us.
Why “Bury” the Memory of Ninoy
The simple answer: Ninoy is NOT a hero. Just look at what Yellow crap Cory democracy brought dumbfounded shortchanged Filipinos:
- Unbridled senseless local media controlling the minds of star-struck hypnotized zombies. It has programmed all to bow to the fake Yellow Saint-Queen and her “special child” Noynoy. To keep the masses from staging an uprising, the key strategy had been to dumb them down (removing English and education/intellect-oriented programs) with senseless romance entertainment and Tito-Vic-Joey folly (“yumaman kami ng dahil sa katarantaduhan”).
- The reign of deep-seated pocket-lining corruption and shameless incompetence at all levels of government, all in the guise of decent politically correct bleeding-heart human-rights and rule-of-law-advocating public service. They brought Filipinos to the lowest ebbs of political taste when people became allergic to anything that had to do with intellectualism – considering it an association to dictatorship.
- A lost three decades of economic and technological advancement.Filipinos have basically given up an important ingredient that turns third-world ghettos into first-world super-states like Singapore, Taiwan, and Korea: discipline. Filipinos have exchanged true greatness (that of character and mind) for “liberty”, taking pride in OFW-remittance-fueled consumerism rather than core engines of intellect-driven growth such as home-grown automotive engineering, semiconductors, railways and rocket science.
Toppling Down the Remaining Yellow Pillars
The Philippines is finally witnessing the demise of the Yellow political cancer and all that it stands for, as represented by
- Noynoy Aquino the fallen “prince” who has finally lost immunity and is now facing charges over incompetence that led to the loss of many lives (fallen SAF44),
- Leni Robredo whose very mandate as VP is crumbling under the weight of Bongbong’s battering-ram charges of obvious election fraud, and
- Leila De Lima who is now slipping into a dark den where unfed lions await her and the lover-driver, both of which are being subjected to the constant barrage of missiles from Duterte himself in fuming rampaging anti-corruption mode.
Well, remember the statue of Lenin that was taken down at the fall of communism/USSR, we as a people must likewise take a symbolic step of denouncing the crap stupidity that we were all fooled into believing in.
Mayor Duterte (as he still likes to be called) has just given us the magic formula: it is iron-fisted rule + incorruptibility that can fix this country and get us moving again. We have tried various experiments in the past, and even kept repeating some poisonous concoctions that we already knew would make our nation sick – such as voting in another incompetent Aquino into high office merely on the basis of emotional highs.
It is high-time we demolish the reminders of incompetence: such as the idolatrous EDSA shrine and the sickening name of our premiere international gateway. It’s time to topple down the symbols of a dumb and empty ideology that had cast our nation under a long and dark spell.
Regaining MIA’s Original Name: Regaining Freedom from Ninoy and Cory’s “Demon-crazy” World
There was a point when NLEX was supposed to be changed to “Cory Aquino Expressway”. Now let’s swing the pendulum all the way to the other end by pushing for the change of our national airport’s name back to “Manila International Airport”. We can finally all say goodbye to name that represented our shame: worst airport title and the birthplace of the laglag bala scam.
It will be a new era of airport modernization with first-class amenities/comfort rooms (yung wala nang balde at tabo sa tabi), wall-to-wall carpeting for our vital tourists, a train line from the airport to the main MRT-LRT system, and excellent services without the hassles of cumbersome OEC/added-tax requirements for our OFW heroes.
Tapos na ang panahon ng kabulokan na dinadala ng malas na pangalang“Ninoy Aquino International Airport”. Malaya na tayo sa kalokohang “demon-crazy”. Let’s get moving from where we left off 30 years ago, when our monument of greatness, the iconic eagle-winged edifice, was called “Manila International Airport”. Pilipinas: It’s your time to fly.
Tuesday, August 23, 2016
Hypocrisy of Philippines' "disente" crowd exposed by President Rodrigo Duterte
The problem with the "disente" crowd (i.e. Mar Roxas, Risa Hontiveros, Winnie Monsod, wannabe hangers-on like Leni Robredo and Leila de Lima etc) and their oligarch backers is that they only care about themselves and about appearances.
Notice how the words they use to criticize Duterte like "unpresidential" and "foul-mouthed" are all premised on some form of pakitang-tao. It's like they don't care that the guy has cut processing times at government offices, given OFWs a one-stop shop, significantly lowered the crime rate after less than 2 months in office. They just fixate on how he talks, his broken English, his bombastic demeanor, and fret "oh, what will the world think of us?"
Mas importante pa ba ang iniisip ng UN at ng mga ambassador at mga foreign media kaysa opinyon at kapakanan ng mamamayang Pilipino?
Even the very use of the word "disente" by this oligarch-backed group as their tagline reeks of condescension and disdain for the ordinary Filipino.
But doesn't the "disente" crowd also work with the NGOs and the poor, you might ask. Yes, they do, and they do it out of self-interest and to feel good about themselves (plus tax breaks). These "disente" folk engage with the masses to indulge their imagined sense of noblesse oblige. They feel superior when they "help" the poor. The ones in government positions do it to build up a base for the next elections.
The yellows always want to stay in power because they think it is their entitlement. They think the presidency of the Philippines is part of their family inheritance, along with properties, cars, paintings, and jewelry. Para sa kanila, monarchy ang Pilipinas, at sila ang royal family.
Now here comes Duterte, an outsider who doesn't pander to the "disente" crowd and focuses more on the ordinary Filipino, disrupting all that. The "disente" crowd can't stand him because he has exposed their hypocrisy and woken up the masses, so now the masses are not as easy to manipulate.
The man has his flaws, plenty of them (for one, he should stop those excruciating live press conferences), but even the "disente" crowd can't dispute that his heart is in the right place and he has the balls to do what needs to be done.
So, to the "disente" crowd, leave him alone so he can do his job. Pasalamat kayo that there is a president like him who is willing and able to clean up the mess you yellows left behind. The most "disente" thing you people can do at this point is to shut up and stop stirring up issues where there are none. EJK ng EJK kayo diyan (extra judicial killings). Alam niyo naman na mga drug lord yan na nag-uubusan. Kailangan niyo lang talaga ng issue.
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This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion!
http://www.getrealphilippines.com/blog/2016/08/wrestling-with-pigs/#comment-1712917
10 Foods Made in China That Are Filled With Plastic, Pesticides and Cancer Causing Chemicals
China is incredibly important in the modern world, and apart from its incredible tradition and specific, delicious cuisine, it also manufactures numerous products we need and use daily.
Yet, its industry has been under the public eye recently, due to the deficiency of standards, and people have started to avoid Chinese imported products.
Namely, there have been some outrageously cheap Chinese products on the market, full of toxic ingredients, and these have been sold in the United States and all over the world.
We will reveal 10 Chinese illegal foods that you should avoid, as they are rich in dangerous toxins, and are commonly shipped from the other side of the world:
Fake Ginseng
The ginseng root as a popular medicinal plant, and it has been commonly used in China for over three millennia. Its prices have been raised rapidly, so numerous ginseng tried to find a way to make a profit and started boiling it in sugar, in order to make the root heavier.
Wei Feng, a Chinese medicine expert from the National Institute for Food and Drug Control (NIFDC), claims that it is a major issue, not only the retailers are ripping off the customers, but also because this procedure actually removes the nutritional values.
He found that the natural ginseng has 20% content of sugar, and the fake one includes up to 70% sugar, and it highly harmful for health.
Fake green peas
Reports claim that fake peas have been produced from the Hunan province, China, in 2005. The story published in a local newspaper claimed that these peas were hard even after boiling, and turned the water unnatural green color.
Manufacturers profited hugely by these peas, and investigation found that one of these illegal workshops were producing fake peas for 3 years, and was then shut down.
Fake peas were made of snow peas and soybeans, with the addition of green dye and sodium metabisulfite, which served as a preservative and bleach. This dye is banned due to its properties which cause cancer and also inhibit the ability of the body to absorb calcium.
Sang Liwei, a Beijing-based food safety expert, claims that this product was also used in Hunan and Guangdong before. According to him, Chinese officials only label a case a food safety incident when at least one person dies due to it, so potential adverse effects of such products and the misuse of additives are not labeled, nor banned.
Imitation Eggs
There are some instructional videos on Chinese websites which show a way to make $70 a day by producing and selling fake eggs. These fake eggs contain harmful ingredients, including Gelatin, Alginic Acid, Calcium Chloride, water, Potassium Alum, and artificial color.
They eggshells are made from Calcium Carbonate, and the consumption of these eggs leads to memory loss and dementia.
Fake Sweet Potato Noodles
The Chinese authorities found that a facility located in Zhongshan city, China, which produced at least 5.5 tons of fake noodles. Numerous people complained about the strange taste of the sweet potato noodles.
The investigation of the authorities found that these noodles consisted of corn with an industrial ink, which provided a purple color, and paraffin wax.
Plastic Rice
Chinese authorities have found fake rice sold in China. This rice is believed to consist of potatoes and a synthetic resin! This rice stayed hard after boiling and caused the same adverse effects as fake peas, and its long-term use leads to cancer.
Once again, the purpose of the manufacturers was to profit from the fake variant, while selling it as the popular type of Chinese rice called Wuchang.
Industrial salt sold as table salt
Due to the adverse effects of its consumption, the industrial salt is labeled as “unfit for human consumption,”, but it is much cheaper. Within the last 13 years, 788 tons of it was sold by at least 12 people.
This harmful salt leads to mental and physical issues, including reproductive system disorders and hypothyroid issues.
Making beef out of pork
Pork is much cheaper in China, so it has been sold as beef in Chinese restaurants. It is chemically processed, added a beef extract and a glazing agent to “marinate” it in 90 minutes. Experts recommend people to stay away from the fake beef meat, as its long-term use leads to deformity, poisoning, and even cancer.
Baby formula
The CBS News reported that almost 50 people were accused of manufacturing fake instant baby formula, which caused numerous deaths in children in the Fuyang province, China in 2004. This instant baby formula included only a few nutrients, and it was mostly made of chalk. All the children who consume it developed a “big head disease”, manifested by swelled heads, and slow deterioration of the rest of the body.
Mud sold as black pepper
This is shocking as well! In China’s Guangdong Province, it was reported on the local news that a market vendor sold local mud as black pepper. Also, the white pepper was mainly made out of flour, and when he was caught by the authorities, he only said that his product would not kill people. Unbelievable!
Walnuts stuffed with cement
In 2012, a Chinese guy has purchased shelled walnuts in Zhengzhou city, China, and he found broken concrete pieces inside. The concrete has been wrapped in paper to prevent the suspicious noise when the nut was shaken.
He intended to sell these walnuts and profit a lot, as they are much heavier than the real ones.
http://healthcancercure.com/2016/08/06/10-foods-made-china-filled-plastic-pesticides-cancer-causing-chemicals-2/
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