GRPundit

Priests like Ateneo de Manila University president Fr Jose Ramon "Jett" Villarin SJ just can't help but comment on Philippine politics. Villain cautioned Ateneans "against the excessive powers that it may grant a select few," then goes on to elaborate ... "[T]he RevGov [Revolutionary Government] proposition has a key weakness – it has a very simplistic theory of change. It contends that concentrating power in the hands of a few would give them the means to execute the key reforms necessary to move the country forward," he said on Wednesday, November 29. But if we recall, Yellowtardism is also underpinned by an even more simplistic theory of change -- that, given enough "freedom" and "democracy", Filipinos will prosper. History has proven that this foundation of Yellowtard ideology is false. The 1986 EDSA People Power "Revolution" supposedly resulted in Filipinos "winning back" their "freedom"...

While soldiers -- who fight for the flag and are funded by Filipino taxpayers -- battle the enemies of the Philippines, bozos like Tonyo Cruz are lionising terrorists ... Is this right? The New People's Army are the enemy. Filipinos should rally behind their troops in their efforts to kill the enemy. That's what Filipinos spend billions training and arming them for -- to shoot the enemy. When people like Tonyo Cruz publicly express messages of support for the enemy, what does that make him? He is supporting a camp who kill Filipino soldiers and require Filipino taxpayers to spend billions more to train and arm more soldiers.

A complaint submitted as #ADMURantbox2538 to a Facebook site called ADMU Rantbox tells of the plight of a student allegedly harassed by her Philosophy professor during an oral exam... #RBateneo Too scared to say anything publicly so dito na lang: my philo prof spent the better part of our oral exams just staring at my chest. It was a fifteen minute exam pero naging almost thirty minutes I ran off as soon as it ended and went straight to the bathroom to cry my eyes out it felt so disgusting and now parating na final orals ko and I'm so afraid because I know it's going to happen again. A number of commenters have encouraged the author of the post to file a case.

According to a certain Gideon Lasco, the government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte  suffers from a "culture of blame"... ...while conveniently forgetting who the real King of Blame is. Indeed, former president Benigno Simeon 'BS' Aquino III was renowned for being a pathological blamer. He just spewed bullets of blame like a Gatling gun on steroids. Not only did he blame his predecessors incessantly, he even tried to take credit for their achievements as he tried to do in claiming sole credit for the completion of the new Laguindingan Airport in Cagayan de Oro ! On the contrary, much of what BS Aquino "achieved" was on the back of foundations laid by the very predecessors he kept on blaming for much of the six years of his failed presidency.

Interesting that social media "influencer" Tonyo Cruz would be part of a panel organised by Rappler (of course) to talk about the "limits of free speech" of all things during a powow of like-minded personalities yesterday that "trended" the hashtag #FactsMatterPH. Perhaps Cruz should look at his own penchant for taking liberties to make unfounded claims about certain people on his own Twitter feed where he posts "blind items" about people that, it seems, he merely does not like . Who indeed should we believe, Mr Tonyo Cruz? For most intelligent Filipinos, the answer to that question is simple and straightforward. One should trust people who tell the truth . So are you telling the truth, Mr Tonyo Cruz? If so, show us proof that you are. There are, perhaps, "limits to free speech" as you and your amigos keep screeching about. But it seems you are the one who understands the notion the least among them. And we ...

The New People's Army (NPA) have persisted because we have allowed them to. Think of cockroaches. If you have them in your house – blame yourself. You allowed them to get in; you created the smell that attracted them to you; and you did nothing about it. The Filipino is his own worst nightmare; they just come in different colors – yellow, red, what have you. Talking of colorful lights, well it’s Christmas time again – and we have the longest of this season in the world simply because Filipinos just love the NPA mentality – which is best expressed by Jerry Maguire: Show Me The Money! The NPA mentality demands that you give Filipinos the money they don’t deserve or worked hard for, because Filipinos would rather sit on their assess all day and cry out injustice when they see Henry Sy, again, on the list of top billionaires in Asia. Filipino communists are willfully ignorant (stupid on purpose) when they blind themselves of the reality that the communist party in China...

Typically, we are a highly reactive easily butt hurt people. But we can mature when we try to win the opponent by helping them get back to their senses. When the Yellows call for “hukayin ang bangkay ni Marcos sa LNMB”, you can respond by saying “If will it add a single peso to your monthly take-home pay by doing so, go ahead”. If the Reds insist in fighting for their “never ending revolution”, ask them “have your actions so far brought in more jobs for Filipinos?” And if martial law cry babies bring up their “Never again” slogans, ask them if they are willing to be the ones in the front lines battling terrorists in the South. The purpose of a debate is to win the opponent over to your side; so that together you can unite and build the nation. We should also take the initiative to not just react, but also “Set the agenda – the topic of discussion”. The more we move away from emotionalism and personalities, and towards discussions on principles, strategies and solutions, the clo...

Former Philippine President Benigno Simeon 'BS' Aquino III seems a bit too quick to jump to the defense of embattled Chief Justice Lourdes Sereno. Specifically, BS Aquino seems to be focusing on highlighting the difference between Sereno's case and the case of the late former Chief Justice Renato Corona. Corona, if we recall, was the victim of a vilification campaign many believe BS Aquino himself personally led. According to an ABS-CBN News report , Aquino insists that the evidence against Corona came from Corona himself, whereas the evidence against Sereno in the current case comes from unreliable sources. History is on Corona's side , however... Corona was never found to be guilty of corruption by a real court. His only offence was in the discrepancy in his Statement of Assets and Liability Net Worth (SALN), which by law, government officials are allowed to correct whenever discrepancies are found. Most public servants would be guilty of that but they are ...

According to a certain Sandro Marudo it is. This made me curious. What exactly is a "horseshit blog"? More importantly, did Marudo have a basis for calling Get Real Post a "horseshit blog"? A mystery for now, but presumably not one that need stay a mystery forever. So I asked Marudo the only sensible question  given this tabled assertion... Which brings us to an even bigger mystery. Has Sandro Marudo read any Get Real Post articles to begin with? If not, then how did he conclude that it is a "horseshit blog"? Abangan ang susunod na kabanata .

People like this guy Sandro Marudo believe everything should be politicised, including beauty pageants such as the on-going Miss Universe contest just because a favoured contestant -- in this case, Ms Rachel Peters -- is a supporter of a politician he does not like. Marudo gives too much credit to beauty pageants, to begin with. Beauty pageants aren't about any sort of "advocacy". Contestants' advocacies just come out during the interview section of the show. Other than that, the show is really just all about eye candy. Marudo takes the whole spectacle -- and himself -- a bit too seriously.

According to "social media influencer" Tonyo Cruz, in a Facebook post , a rebellion is brewing and an underground movement is rapidly achieving critical mass. Filipinos, Cruz insist, just need to look to the past for inspiration... If or when Duterte imposes a reign of terror, we have lots of past and present-day heroes to look up to and to follow. If Duterte would manage to crush the aboveground movements, he would only bolster the recruitment for the underground, which is said to be ready to accept us in any region of the country. Cruz's vision is for a united Opposition of some kind to step up and provide a compelling alternative to the approaches and methods espoused by the current government of President Rodrigo Duterte. Unfortunately, Cruz's backward-focused proposal and its underpinnings founded on obsolete ideas was what actually cost his kind the election in 2016. It is this restrospective feature of his advocacy and that of the wider Opposition tha...

In other news, the Pope reportedly sent a rosary to Senator Leila De Lima who is in prison on charges of drug trafficking. The report is being widely-circulated by critics of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as if to send across a message that De Lima is backed by no less than God himself. De Lima earlier wrote a letter to Pope Francis  asking for "blessings" and "prayer" so that she could "have the strength to continue the fight against the injustice that is happening not only to me, but to thousands of Filipinos who are victims of extrajudicial killing." "I cannot thank Pope Francis enough for his thoughtfulness. I'm deeply, deeply touched by the Pope's gesture. This gift will constantly remind me that, despite the political persecution I am experiencing right now at the hands of a vengeful President, I should keep the faith and fight tirelessly for the welfare of the Filipino people," De Lima said during a Mass inside h...

Former Solicitor General Florin Hilbay tweeted today that he cannot support Ms Rachel Peters who is representing the Philippines in the Miss Universe beauty pageant because she expressed her support for Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in an interview published on the Inquirer in May. You just gotta wonder why Hilbay even went there . Filipinos' support for celebrities is at a vastly different wavelength to the brainwaves used to evaluate national politics. Hilbay not only wastes his time going there, he just proves that he is, plain and simple, a dimwit for connecting two dots that make no sense to connect.

Recall a 27th March 1987 Newsweek article, that reports a "critical Washington source" revealing how then Philippine President Cory Aquino authorised the United States' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) to "launch undercover political activities" against communist insurgents. According to the same report, there were various local vigilante groups already taking matters into their own hands against these insurgents and that the Aquino government at the time seemed "to endorse the vigilantes".

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte had recently announced moves to declare the New People's Army (NPA), the armed unit of the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP), a terrorist threat. "I'll be issuing a proclamation. I will remove them from the category of a legal entity or at least a semi-movement which would merit our attention, placing them pareho sa (the same as in) Amerika, terrorist," Duterte said in a speech, Saturday. Shortly after, online news site Rappler recently published an article written by CPP chairman Joma Sison  - a person Rappler editors consider to be a "thought leader". In that article, Sison suggests that the president may not be "mentally fit" to lead the country. Much of Sison's argument revolves around a certain set of "common drafts" being worked on by the Philippine government and the CPP's front organisation, the National Democratic Front (NDF) that, among other demands of the CPP ...

Social media "influencer" Tonyo Cruz got it right this time . Filipinos cheer unimportant "achievements". Like winning beauty contexts, for example. Indeed. To win at the important things -- like protecting your geographical assets and your own economy from foreign domination -- requires real substance and real chops .

What is the point of this tweet by a certain Bart Guingona? Ok so hello "BBM trolls". And so now what? We know who they are. But what exactly is your argument against the messages of the people in this photo? Or, for that matter, do you even know what their messages are?

Count the number of faces in the photo accompanying a link to a news report in this tweet by Ed Lingao. Just 32... But there were 58 people killed in the Maguindanao Massacre in 2009. Are the lives of the other people less-commemorable than those of the media professionals featured in this shrine?

There's something not quite right about an established mainstream news site like Rappler soliciting donations to fund coverage of war zones. But here is rapplerite Carmela Fonbuena doing just that ... Is this right? Or at least in good form for a large media organisation like Rappler ? For that matter, why do they even feel entitled to be funded by their own readership? Perhaps this goes with being regarded (or regarding themselves ) as "God's Gift to Philippine Journalism" and their reportage as some sort of Mission from God.

Apologists of the Philippines' Commission on Human Rights (CHR) should stop using the excuse that the agency only investigates abuse perpetrated by police or military personnel. Malacanang spokesman Harry Roque has finally clarified what protecting and upholding human rights is really all about... Roque, a lawyer who has represented human rights victims, added it is wrong for the CHR to claim that its primary mandate is to watch out for abuses committed by state actors.  “So far, I’ve not heard any investigation conducted by the CHR on the atrocities committed by the Mautes,” he said.  “It is always atrocities allegedly committed by state agents ‘no. And their position has been consistent, [their] role is to document abuses of human rights committed by state agents, which is wrong, because international humanitarian law punishes everyone, even non-state actors," said Roque.  Makes perfect sense.

Why criticise Mocha Uson for expressing an opinion and stating that said opinion is her opinion and nothing more? Current "vice president" Leni Robredo always starts her statements with "Ang sa akin lang naman..." (or something to that effect) to qualify an assertion she is about to make.

"Kami nagpapasweldo sa inyo." It's a popular admonition thrown at government officials by Opposition partisans today - implying that as taxpayers, citizens are paying for the salaries of their public servants and are, such, effectively the boss. This harks back to the old campaign line of former President BS Aquino who actually quipped in reference to the Filipino public, "Kayo ang boss ko." But then Filipino taxpayers also pay for another expensive trinket of their democracy - their national elections. Billions of pesos is spent to ensure the will of millions of Filipinos is captured in a counting system to determine who the majority choose to be their leaders and representatives. Let's not be too quick to lap up glib statements like "Kami nagpapasweldo sa inyo," used by Yellowtards as the core argument in their "criticism" of the government. It does not make sense outside of the overall context of what it means to be a "demo...

Yellowtards are trumpeting yet another international news media organisation coming to their side to sing off the same page of the "Fake News aArmy" hymn book. The Diplomat article, " Beware Duterte’s Troll Army in the Philippines ", reads like a typical Yellowtard screech fit... What is clear is that the Duterte government has appointed several bloggers and social media personalities in the government’s communications department. It even gave media accreditation to some pro-Duterte bloggers. Unfortunately, some of these bloggers have been accused of peddling fake news and spreading hateful comments against critics of the Duterte government. Some are criticized for behaving like trolls especially those who think that members of the media are too biased against Duterte. But is this really a bonafide Diplomat article we are reading? To answer that question, one only needs to check out who authored the article. The author is none other than Mong Palatino, an ...

Rather than howl and screech about the prospect of Mocha Uson running for the Senate, the talking heads of the Philippine Opposition should, instead, ask the more important and more intelligent questions: What is her platform and vision for the Philippines? What is her legislative agenda? What does she stand for? Esteemed political commentator David Yap neatly summarised  an effective rebuke of the inconsequential noise stirred up by the Opposition around news of Uson's supposed candidacy... A person running for elected office might be extremely offensive to you - but your disgust does not make his or her candidacy wrong.  He or she has rights in a democracy just like you do. The trouble with the louder voices in the chatter originating from these Opposition cliques is that none of the right questions are being asked .

It's bizarre that people who keep screeching about the Philippines' supposed descent to authoritarianism are the same ones who also screech about Filipinos being given the option to vote for Mocha Uson. Uson had recently been fielded by the PDP Laban as a senatorial candidate... Partido Demokratiko Pilipino-Lakas ng Bayan (PDP-Laban) Secretary General and House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez said Friday the three are on the party's list of candidates for the Senate.  He made the disclosure at the mass-oathtaking of new members of  PDP-Laban at the Plaza Independencia in Cebu. This is, indeed, the power accorded to a democratic people that Filipino democrats supposedly fought for -- the right to choose Mocha Uson. The word Laban after all means "fight". Laban encapsulates the ideology of the current Philippine Opposition led by the Liberal Party whose members and leadership flash the renowned "L" hand gesture at every opportunity. Mocha Uson...

Why so shocked about the announced candidacy of Mocha Uson for Philippine senator? This is just democracy at work. Popularity wins in a democracy. Mocha Uson's critics are better off focusing on convincing Filipino voters why they shouldn't vote for her rather than second-guessing the decision of PDP-Laban to field her as a senatorial candidate. The simple fact is, Uson is winnable . She has a huge social media following that could be used to influence the vote. Qualifications? Since when did that matter in a Philippine election? Two Aquinos won the presidency not on the basis of qualifications but because of a pedigree platform . So that precedent had been set a long time ago by the very bloc of partisans who, today, are issuing the loudest howls of protest over Uson's candidacy. If Filipinos are sold on the idea of being a democracy, they should let Mocha Uson run for senator and let the voters decide if she is meant to be a Philippine senator.

In a tweet posted on the 15th November 2017, popular essayist Sarah Kendzior described Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte as a man who "orders the mass murder of his own citizens". Kendzior seems to have impressive credentials as laid out in the About section of her website... I am currently an op-ed columnist for the Globe and Mail, where I focus on US politics. I also am the US correspondent for the Dutch news outlet De Correspondent. Previously I was an op-ed columnist for Al Jazeera English, where I wrote about exploitation, particularly in higher education, the diminishing opportunities of America’s youth, and gentrification. I have also covered internet privacy, political repression, and how the media shape public perception.  My April 2013 article “The wrong kind of Caucasian” is the most popular AJE op-ed of all time. Is Duterte a "mass murderer"? Perhaps we could expect a proper answer to that simple question from Kendzior after she...

A photo published on the Philippine Star of a street protester in the act of delivering a "flying kick" against a riot police officer during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) Summit in Manila raises questions around what the consequences of violent behaviour exhibited by self-described "activists". The law actually provides latitude for police officers to use lethal means to defend themselves when threatened with bodily harm as in the case of U.S. v. Mojica, 42 Phil. 784 (1922): A police officer, in the performance of his duty, must stand his ground and cannot, like a private individual, take refuge in flight; his duty requires him to overcome his opponent. The force which he may exert therefore differs somewhat from that which may ordinarily be offered in self-defense. Bearing this in mind, we do not think that the appellant in using his revolver against the deceased can be said to have employed unnecessary force. The deceased attacked him...

According to Hollywood celeb Bette Midler, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a "murderous dictator". She says so in a tweet gone viral . But murder is hard to prove. You need to prove premeditation and produce a smoking gun. As to being a "dictator", well, many would beg to differ - particularly his own critics who are totally free to express their dissent and physically demonstrate this on Manila's streets. The only thing protesters could be charged for in the Philippines is for their lack of originality and innovation in their "activism". Facts straight, eyes forward, move along. Nothing to be seen here.

It takes a special level of stupid to be put on the spotlight for breaking road rules in a country where breaking road rules is more the rule than the exception. But that's just what actress and former beauty queen Maria Isabel Lopez just did. Lopez's biggest mistake, actually, was boasting about her traffic offence on Facebook .  She later attempted to excuse her own behaviour reportedly admitting that she was, by nature, a defiant person... “Aminado naman ako na pasaway talaga ako. ‘Di naman ako nagmamalinis although alam ko naman na maraming nagalit naging insensitive sila pero as human nature to survive you'll also have to do it,” Lopez said in a televised interview with GMA News’ 24 Oras.  “‘Di lang naman ako, sobrang dami naming. I become a second class citizen in our own country,” she added, referring to the inconvenience caused by the country’s hosting of the ASEAN Summit.  Lopez said she is sorry to those who got hurt and affected b...

In a tweet fielded by Rappler CEO Maria Ressa today, the causality reader could be led to believe that Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte was ordered to sing by US President Donald Trump. But was he really? It seems Ressa is just being too quick to selectively interpret a common Filipino colloquialism that is no different to the way we use terms like "bossing" and "chief" to address peers or even subordinates in a tongue-in-cheek manner. Ressa is most definitely grasping for straws here.