A friend asked me how I manage to keep my cool when someone is obviously trying to intimidate me online. Indeed, there are many critics in the blogosphere who do not have any qualms about undermining a writer’s credibility just because they can. My experience as a blogger has taught me that there are many other readers who would eventually see who makes more sense. In short, I let the market decide.
Although the process of getting validation for my opinion can be daunting at times, I throw my two cents out there anyway despite knowing that there is a big chance some misguided Filipino “patriot” may go ballistic upon reading my articles, many of which are highly critical of the current administration. Thankfully, I encounter a lot more readers who seem to echo my sentiments than those who don’t.
Letting my critics have their say helps me stay grounded in reality. I actually find the process of writing a rebuttal to a dissenting opinion quite satisfying and rewarding. I learn a lot doing it because there are times when I still have to evaluate the stuff they present to see whether it is a sound or a flawed argument. Challenging and educating myself is part of the reason why I still continue to write about Philippine politics and culture despite the many critics I encounter.
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Speaking of the current administration, it seems that the idea of learning from critics is something that the Aquino administration is yet to comprehend. Almost a year after being voted into office, Presidential Spokesman Edwin Lacierda is now blaming President Noynoy Aquino’s critics, particularly some newspaper columnists, for his boss’s declining popularity. Almost a year after being voted in, PNoy and his minions still do not know how to listen to the people who can actually help them fulfill their campaign promise: their critics.
Most of PNoy’s supporters like Philippine Star columnist, William Esposo seems to be old enough to be my grandfather but they appear to be acting very immature and out of touch with reality. Esposo, for his part, claimed that the head of Malacanang Communications, Secretary Ricky Carandang, is largely to blame for failing to offer rebuttals “to these clearly biased opinion makers.”
Esposo even confirmed that Ricky Carandang’s resignation to PNoy’s critics “underscore[s] the incompetence of the Palace Messaging Team.”
Wait… Is Esposo on PNoy’s administration’s side or not? He is confusing me with his statements. C’mon, Lolo. You can’t really blame Carandang. He’s got nothing to work with. It is too hard to refute the facts reported about PNoy. And the results speak for itself; there is nothing else going for PNoy beyond securing more foreign loans and grants supposedly to build more infrastructure — loans that will certainly guarantee a future of indebtedness for Filipino taxpayers for some time.
Do we need to remind Esposo that it was actually his idol, PNoy who handpicked Ricky Carandang to head his communication team? Do we need to spell it out that since it was PNoy who chose Carandang, the blame should also point to PNoy? Esposo’s years of criticizing former President Gloria Arroyo should have given him enough experience on how to analyze things properly. He is not even sure if Carandang tried to authenticate PNoy’s critics’ claim and found them to be true, which is why he couldn’t “debunk†them.
The Chair Wrecker even reminded his readers that, “P-Noy has admitted already on two occasions that the Palace Messaging has failed.” Then why hasn’t PNoy replaced them with a messaging team that could succeed? The answer, which seems to elude PNoy and the rest of his rabid supporters, lies in the allegation that PNoy is close friends with most of his staff, which means that he could be having a hard time getting rid of them even if they commit grave mistakes. And even Esposo made the grave mistake of justifying Edwin Lacierda’s claim that the columnists are to blame for PNoy’s rating dip especially since he emphasized that Lacierda is his friend.
And just because he is not friends with Ricky Carandang, Esposo had the freedom to lambast the guy with all the power of his proverbial pen: “Carandang had allowed these relentless anti-P-Noy rabble-rousers to get away with bloody murder.†Esposo also insinuated that Carandang is more concerned about his intentions to run for the senate than doing his current job properly.
So Esposo wrote a diatribe outlining the columnists who are always on a “vicious attack mode†when writing about PNoy and blaming Carandang for not doing enough to stop them. But towards the end, he contradicts himself by saying that, “I doubt if the rabble-rousers carry that much influence.”
The funniest thing Esposo said was, “Public opinion cannot be changed by distorted interpretations of survey numbers, any more than votes can be changed by fake election surveys.†Apparently, his analogy is this: when the survey numbers are favorable to PNoy, it would be accurate. But if the numbers are NOT favorable to PNoy, they are “distorted†or “fake.†Well now. Esposo is clearly underestimating the intelligence of his readers. It could be that he just wants Carandang fired.
I cannot believe that a leading publication such as Philippine Star would allow a popular columnist of theirs such as Willam Esposo publish an article that doesn’t make any sense. With writers like that, you could get better value out of that paper in your local palengke using it to wrap your latest galunggong purchase.
Oh boy. I hate to have to say this to someone as old as William Esposo but he and the rest of PNoy’s supporters should really listen to PNoy’s critics for a change. PNoy will not learn anything new from people around him who keep telling him only the stuff he wants to hear. The most he can get from them is validation, which is only good for his ego — but an inflated ego is not good for the rest of the Filipino people.
In life, things are not always what they seem.
I’m happy to have done my part to keep you balanced, and indeed, you are correct. We can learn more from trading wits with our opponents than listening to the echoes of our own brain.
Blogging gives me a few insights that most people get only when they reach their twilight years. I’m glad I tried it. 😉
you’re welcome, joe. 🙂
(just messing with you, old pal.)
hi ilds.
change one letter and we get palace “massaging,” which is exactly what malacañang wants to do with what we perceive them to be doing. like what “massaging the numbers” is in reporting statistics to persuade people.
yes, i know it sounds lame, but dammit it’s almost the same.
Hey Parallax!!!
You’re back. Now the family is complete…hehe.
Massaging eh? Maybe that’s why PNoy is allegedly always having a sleep in? 😉
hehe. nice to be back, ilda.
the pun has something to it, ‘no? 🙂
incidentally it’s the bull*** that the pro-pnoy writers like esposo dish out that lulls pnoy to sleep, quite like a massage would.
it’s the constant reassurance that the crappy results of pnoy’s (aversion to) work, telling him his kapalpakan has nothing to do with any of it, that prevents him from realizing he’s the ultimate feel-good no-results pinoy. and to think he assumed to take the high road; what a fraud! a snake oil peddler he really turns out to be.
still won’t cut the noy a break. no way, jose, er, joe.
(ngiti naman diyan, joe! life’s too shorts.) ;P
I don’t know when his supporters are going to get that there is nothing up there. 🙁
@ilda: you mean nothing but vanishing hair. 😛
As you’ve commented –
“I actually find the process of writing a rebuttal to a dissenting opinion quite satisfying and rewarding. I learn a lot doing it because there are times when I still have to evaluate the stuff they present to see whether it is a sound or a flawed argument. Challenging and educating myself is part of the reason why I still continue to write about Philippine politics and culture despite the many critics I encounter.”
Heh, no wonder…
Just hoping that I could at least see that you don’t have a made up mind.
Thanks Trosp
I appreciate your comments 😉
The point of contention here is, not Ricky Carandang, inutil paid columnist,etc…The point here is: you cannot make something out of nothing. Noynoy Aquino has no significant accomplishment, except to blame Gloria Arroyo and the long dead Marcos…People are looking for accomplishments that improve their lives..Ricky Carandang cannot just talk his way out of this…Pity Ricky…he should have stayed in his job of interviewing people..
@Hyden
Some people think Ricky should be the bulldozer that will clear the road to make way for the “daang matuwid”.
I hope he can write a book about his experience working for PNoy 😉
Ilda,
My last visit to your post(at Ap) was almost a year ago and I haven’t answered your question as to why I voted for him.
I did answer but it seemed lame (pnoy being flexible).
……..
Coming from Lacierda whom most of know is a blogger who has done his share of blogging anti gma blogs, I see it as a look who is talking thing.Or if they can dish it out they must be able to take it.
but this is the real world they feel that damage control has to happen and the first step to damage control is to blame somebody to shift the burden.
JMO Not a good move .(They fight back)
Hey Karl
Didn’t see your comment there. And I didn’t know that Lacierda was a blogger. Was he, really?
It’s impossible to do damage control on someone like PNoy. It’ll be just like pushing the tide.
Lila
His Blog ‘s called San Juan gossip Mills outlet.
http://lacierda.blogspot.com/
Ok. My name is ilda not “Lila” hahaha. Whatever happened to that rabid Noynoy supporter btw? I wonder what she has to say now that her idol is not performing? 😉
Thanks for the link but I can’t even read anything in his blog because of the silly background hurting my eyes.
Ahahahahah, Lila. I think I called you that in a comment way back. I’ll use it when you really get under my skin. Which has not happened of late . . . hmmmm. Maybe you are mellowing in your old a . . . um, blogging perspicacity.
OOOPS.
Ilda
My bad. My Sincere apologies.
I see some sense of disdain you have on ‘lolo’ the variable could be old age, the tightrope walker at the tail end. Have had misgivings on once losing hope on media sampling one of lolo’s column more than a year or so.
He wrote about Teddy Boy Locsin being taken by father to then the Marcos Palace to witness the brave Marcos in full command and control of his military “together” with Indonesian generals allies of Marcos to finally take on Sabah, which could only mean to be invasion.
Lolo was quoting Teddyboy in one among his valedictory speeches lambasting our military for not having confronted the Chinese over Spratley. It’s almost like to me make our poor soldiers wear suicide vests and detonate to be able to deal with some Chinese poachers.
Ilda, this piece of information is so crucial to suggest our war in Mindanao to have been infractions to violate on not only Muslims but to Filipinos as a whole, a conspiracy that can be proven on account of an eyewitness Teddyboy Locsin, a congressman. How valuable is the information? Well, Ilda just tell me what, I am w/out any measure of comprehension, honest to God!
@Koko
Well, it is so easy for a non-military guy like Esposo to criticize the military for not acting too soon or something but going to war is not really the best and obviously not the safest option especially for us since the AFP is too ill-equipped.
If we only we had someone who possesses the right amount of diplomatics skills that will finally put this matter to rest.
About P-n0y’s choice of Carandang, I’d take him anyway same way, why would he be running for the senate? That is low…
Kawawa naman si Mr. Ricky Carandang… 🙁 He should have just stayed in news. And he was a nice reporter with an nice paying job. And no one needed to criticize him since he was never in any controversy.
==============================================
Esposo, for his part, claimed that the head of Malacanang Communications, Secretary Ricky Carandang, is largely to blame for failing to offer rebuttals “to these clearly biased opinion makers”.
Lets go back to 2009 when William Esposo wrote this crap:
Excerpts from: “After Cory, Why Not Noynoy” http://www.philstar.com/Article.aspx?articleId=494320&publicationSubCategoryId=64
“Who better to inherit the Ninoy and Cory mantle of leadership than one with the genes of Ninoy and Cory?”
“The Cory phenomenon is every politician’s wish to experience. Not all the money or party machinery in the world can duplicate something that has all the appearances of having been made in Heaven.”
“The Cory phenomenon is back. If the Liberal Party lacks the good sense and will not avail of it through its most qualified inheritor – Noynoy Aquino – there will be others out there who will gladly fill the breach.”
“If the forces of evil try to pull another dirty trick to prevent a turnover of power, only the rightful inheritor of the mantle of leadership of Cory like Noynoy can summon the ‘Yellow Army’ to apply the usual remedy of People Power.”
———————————————
Hey Mr. William Esposo! These articles of yours together with de Quiros from the Inquirer plus the two of you guys’ status as “esteemed journalists” largely influenced the diario reading classes to vote for Noynoy in droves. You never provided ANY rational reasons for voting Noynoy, your reasons revolving on the usual Noynoy emo reason: “AY! Siya na nga! Ang tanging Anak ni Ninoy and Cory!” BIG DEAL EH? MY BS meter rises whenever any fool comes up makes some idiotic claim that leadership is inherited or passed down in genes. History has proven with disastrous, bloody results that genes don’t count for sh!t. Why? ABILITY not genes or who the eff your parents are matter!
So basically Mr. Ricky is cleaning up for all the crap Esposo and company and all their propaganda. Everyone thought he would be superman with invincible ability to use his magic yellow power and now that people are (slowly) seeing the real Emperor w/o clothing
Actually, who here is really ‘biased’ Mr. Esposo… or (oh I’m sorry)… I mean who here is ‘irrational and delusional’?
Esposo is making a claim that “these clearly biased opinion makers†are well… biased. However, Esposo’s evidence on Noynoy’s ability to lead the nation EFFECTIVELY, mind you, is based on a lot of emotional and social appeal (listed above) rather than HARD evidence and fact.
“Even when these rabble-rousers were stating clearly false assertions, Carandang never bothered to even make a rejoinder.”
“These commentators would have been the easiest to debunk but Carandang opted to default.”
Esposo goes on the offensive making a number of claims here, “clearly false”, “easiest to debunk” but no proof whatsoever other than attempting to link PNOY’s critics to Marcos and GMA which does NOT in any way answer the skeptic’s challenge. Anyone heard of reductio ad hitlerum? I can simply replace Hitler with Gloria and Marcos. “It is a fallacy of irrelevance where a conclusion is suggested based solely on something or someone’s origin rather than its current meaning or context.”
Hi Articlerequest
I’m glad to see you here at GRPost!
Thanks for the reminder of Mr Esposo’s irrational justification on why PNoy was “the one”. It is a laughable, indeed.