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Unfollowing @rapplerdotcom: On the growing irrelevance of Maria Ressa

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How the mighty have fallen—Maria Ressa, former CNN bureau chief and former head of the ABS-CBN news department, has been reduced to picking fights with Mocha Uson. Ressa’s website Rappler has been posting a series of articles against pro-Duterte netizens who lambasted the yellow media for their biased reporting. Mocha Uson was singled out by Rappler because she’s one of the most vocal Duterte supporters, and her blog has been overtaking Ressa’s Rappler in Facebook engagements. What a humiliating blow for Maria Ressa’s ego. A mere “sexy star” (as Rappler calls Mocha), with none of Ressa’s credentials, experience, or funding, has beaten her at her own game. How could this happen? As a netizen who used to read Rappler but who now prefers to read Mocha’s blog, let me offer an explanation. I prefer getting my news from Mocha Uson because she provides the updates that none of the yellow media are reporting. For example, it was through Mocha’s site that I found out abo...
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Filipinos have a President, a real President, one that they are proud of

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I finally feel that I need to speak up. There has been much in the press lately about newly elected Philippine President Duterte. Most of what is said focuses on his policies toward the illegal drug problem, and his direct (to put it mildly) comments to other national leaders, particularly to US leaders. The world's press responds with concern, even alarm. In the Philippines, he is immensely popular. As an American who has lived here in the Philippines for 30+ years, I think I understand why. Allow me to explain. First of all, the facts. 1) Americans almost never take culture and other cultures' viewpoints and values into consideration. Almost never. That explains nonsense foreign policy and constant misunderstanding. 2) Americans are one thing; the American government is something different. Generally speaking, Americans are liked here. Generally speaking, the American government is grossly arrogant and condescending, and is often despised because of it. 3) Other natio...
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Leni Robredo's non-stop self-promotion: Can't wait to be President?

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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 w...
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Jose Rizal never had Tagalog in mind when he encouraged us to love our own language

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Posted by a certain Chloe Santiago on the Facebook GRP Community Group : Jose Rizal died in 1896 and Tagalog was declared the official language of the Philippine only in 1937. This can only mean that Rizal wasn't really talking about Tagalog when he made this statement: "He who does not love his own language is worse than an animal and smelly fish." Indeed. Who made the arbitrary directive to make the Tagalog dialect the "National Language" to begin with? Furthermore, why have a "National Language" when Filipinos are already proficient in the global lingua franca of commerce and scientific achievement?
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