Here’s a thought. Let’s make use of the thinking of all these Martial Law Crybabies for a moment and start speculating as to what the first 100 days of President Rodrigo’s administration will be like. Specifically, let us consider this question:
Will President Duterte push through the just resolution of all the crimes committed over the term of President Benigno Simeon ‘BS’ Aquino III?
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Duterte owes it to his people. He is, after all, the outcome of the “protest vote”. He owes his presidency to the anger Filipino voters expressed as they trooped to the polls over the astounding display of bald patronage, pork barrel thievery, and softly-softly treatment of incompetence that was the administration of President BS Aquino.
Martial Law Crybabies, for their part are, at the moment, directing their tantrums towards easy targets — the late Ferdinand Marcos’s son Senator Bongbong Marcos and, even more bizarre, the Sentator’s son Sandro Marcos. Yet right under their noses walking around with haughty impunity are two now-revered elder statesmen: former Senate President Juan Ponce Enrile and former President Fidel Ramos.
These two men owe their freedom to be elder statesmen today to Aquino’s mother, the late former President Cory Aquino. The term bandied around in 1986 during the heady first months following the EDSA “revolution” was reconciliation. In the “spirit of reconciliation”, as the tagline went, all is forgotten. Filipinos were encouraged to look to the future and work together to build a new and stronger nation. And so, Enrile and Ramos who were Minister of Defense and Chief of the now-defunct Philippine Constabulary (PC) respectively went on to become powerful politicians themselves, benefitting from the “democracy” Cory built. Ramos’s PC was the dreaded military executor of most operations to do with keeping Martial Law operational. As defense minister, Enrile oversaw all things military. They were both key leaders of Martial Law.
Today, Martial Law Crybabies are left with nothing but frustration over a “lack of justice” delivered to the “victims” of Martial Law. History can be quite confronting, however, when regarded from outside of Malacanang-prescribed history books. The fact is, no such “justice” was delivered because Cory Aquino chose, instead, to “reconcile” with the architects and executioners of Martial Law rather than throw them in jail the way BS Aquino did to former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo 24 years later.
This then is the hard lesson of 1986 that is at the fore as President-Elect Rodrigo Duterte steps into his new role as the Philippines’ chief executive. Already he and his former rivals in the campaign are talking about “unity”. The question is, unity at what cost and to whose benefit?
There are 44 dead Special Action Force officers, tens of thousands of dead victims of 2013’s supertyphoon Haiyan, and millions of Filipino citizens denied a decent quality of life thanks to billions of misappropriated funds that could have gone to critical infrastructure development and upgrade projects. Will all of the crimes that left this vast legacy of victimhood be similarly swept under the rug “in the spirit of unity” just as Cory’s doctrine of “reconciliation” in the 1980s left an entire generation of the supposed “victims” of Martial Law deprived of the justice they are, we are told, entitled to?
As Duterte’s fans in the foreign media keep reminding us, the man who will lead the Philippines from 2016 through to 2022 was given a strong mandate to rule in a manner so, shall we say, unconventional as to send chills down the spines of the Philippines’ Jesuit-educated latte-sipping classes and the priestesses of political-correctness that they regard as their “thought leaders”.
Duterte needs to carefully consider the notion of “unity”. His paths to greatness over the next 100 days of his presidency have been all but defined by the millions of Filipinos who voted for him. But to become another Cory Aquino is a tempting option now that heads have cooled and campaign rhetoric has subsided. Suffice to say, that latter option is unlikely to be a scenario his supporters had in mind when they ticked his name on the ballot last Monday.
[Photo courtesy Yahoo! News.]
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
A NATION’S GREATNESS DEPENDS ON ITS LEADER
To vastly improve your country and truly make it great again, start by choosing a better leader. Do not let the media or the establishment make you pick from the people they choose, but instead choose from those they do not pick. Pick a leader from among the people who is heart-driven, one who identifies with the common man on the street and understands what the country needs on every level. Do not pick a leader who is only money-driven and does not understand or identify with the common man, but only what corporations need on every level.
Pick a peacemaker. One who unites, not divides. A cultured leader who supports the arts and true freedom of speech, not censorship. Pick a leader who will not only bail out banks and airlines, but also families from losing their homes — or jobs due to their companies moving to other countries. Pick a leader who will fund schools, not limit spending on education and allow libraries to close. Pick a leader who chooses diplomacy over war. An honest broker in foreign relations. A leader with integrity, one who says what they mean, keeps their word and does not lie to their people. Pick a leader who is strong and confident, yet humble. Intelligent, but not sly. A leader who encourages diversity, not racism. One who understands the needs of the farmer, the teacher, the doctor, and the environmentalist — not only the banker, the oil tycoon, the weapons developer, or the insurance and pharmaceutical lobbyist.
Pick a leader who will keep jobs in your country by offering companies incentives to hire only within their borders, not one who allows corporations to outsource jobs for cheaper labor when there is a national employment crisis. Choose a leader who will invest in building bridges, not walls. Books, not weapons. Morality, not corruption. Intellectualism and wisdom, not ignorance. Stability, not fear and terror. Peace, not chaos. Love, not hate. Convergence, not segregation. Tolerance, not discrimination. Fairness, not hypocrisy. Substance, not superficiality. Character, not immaturity. Transparency, not secrecy. Justice, not lawlessness. Environmental improvement and preservation, not destruction. Truth, not lies.
Most importantly, a great leader must serve the best interests of the people first, not those of multinational corporations. Human life should never be sacrificed for monetary profit. There are no exceptions. In addition, a leader should always be open to criticism, not silencing dissent. Any leader who does not tolerate criticism from the public is afraid of their dirty hands to be revealed under heavy light. And such a leader is dangerous, because they only feel secure in the darkness. Only a leader who is free from corruption welcomes scrutiny; for scrutiny allows a good leader to be an even greater leader.
And lastly, pick a leader who will make their citizens proud. One who will stir the hearts of the people, so that the sons and daughters of a given nation strive to emulate their leader’s greatness. Only then will a nation be truly great, when a leader inspires and produces citizens worthy of becoming future leaders, honorable decision makers and peacemakers. And in these times, a great leader must be extremely brave. Their leadership must be steered only by their conscience, not a bribe.
“A NATION’S GREATNESS DEPENDS ON ITS LEADER”
And also its PEOPLE.
All very utopian,but could you supply the name of ANY nations leader who fits your description?
It also comes across as completely hypocritical to talk about ‘keep jobs in your country not outsoutce jobs for cheaper labour’. Please enlighten us as to the meaning of O in the BPO sector. It may surprise you that in the UK,minimum wage for a 40 hour week is approximately 18500 pesos.Are not the heroic OFWs outsourced labour,albeit the labour moves to the jobs?
We have a foreboding of a country in my children’s or grandchildren’s time — when the country is a service and information economy; when nearly all the manufacturing industries have slipped away to other countries; when awesome technological powers are in the hands of a very few, and no one representing the public interest can even grasp the issues; when the people have lost the ability to set their own agendas or knowledgeably question those in authority; when, clutching our crystals and nervously consulting our horoscopes, our critical faculties in decline, unable to distinguish between what feels good and what’s true, we slide, almost without noticing, back into superstition and darkness.
The dumbing down of a country (Failippines in particular) is most evident in the slow decay of substantive content in the enormously influential media, the 30 second sound bites (now down to 10 seconds or less), lowest common denominator programming, credulous presentations on pseudoscience and superstition, but especially a kind of celebration of ignorance.
Duterte needs to watch his back and beef up his security for the rest of his presidential term. His political enemies are conniving and will not fight fair.
I think it’s safe to assume that PRRD will those matters to the institutions concerned (Ombudsman, Sandiganbayan, SC and his allies in the legislative and cabinet members) and focus instead in his promise of peace and order and the drafting of a new constitution
*will leave those matters*
Now that Noynoy’s term is ending, you have a problem, benign0.
You cannot use Noynoy as your punching bag and scapegoat any more. Sure, you can blame him for this and that for a few months, that Duterte has to “clean up Noynoy’s mess”. But how long can you play that game?
Sooner or later, Duterte will have to be held accountable for the problems that he faces. Guess what? Your beloved mayor will fail spectacularly and you will have some serious intellectual acrobatics to perform.
Or maybe you will just blame his failure on Filipino culture like you have done in the past.
But when the dust settles, historians will clearly see that Noynoy was one of the best presidents we have ever had (if not the best). And you will be ashamed of all the negative posts you made against Noynoy.
Enjoy your blunder.
You’ll just have to stay tuned to GRP and see what we come up with, dude. This is why GRP rules the Philippine blogosphere — because we blaze conceptual trails to insight no ordinary mortal would ever imagine even existed.
Yes, I shall. Because I am confident that in the end, historians will agree that Noynoy was the one who put the Philippines back on the right track after GMA’s disastrous administration.
The day will come when you will set your pride aside and see the truth.
You will be sorry for all the hurt and negativity you have thrown at us, you Filipino brothers.
You will try to make amends and because we are Filipinos, we will welcome you back with open arms. We forgive. We love. That is what Filipinos do. That is why we are great.
I look forward to day that I may embrace you as our repentant brother, transformed into a positive force to serve the Filipino people.
But for now, enjoy your blunder.
Says the guy who posted that can be considered as a form of flattery, which is also a blunder. And no, Noynoy’s administration is more disastrous compared to then president Arroyo due to his stupidity and all forms of incompetence.
I hope you’re TROLLING because everything you’ve said is pure contradiction.
Enjoy your payday, Yellow Hack. In fact, Aquino apologists are known for their own blunders yet they never realize it due to their own stupidity. Go figure. 🙂
You sound passive-aggressive unlike some other yellow fanatics comments I have seen here(which is nice) but I have to admit I almost puked when you said “Noynoy is the best president in our history”.
A president who cannot lead despite the amount of media back up is a blunder in itself.
Not a die hard Duterte supporter but to say he will fail sounds unfair. Let’s wait and see.
Unfortunately. your efforts are futile since you’re actually Vincezo B. Arellano. Why? Because all of your comments reek autism. You won’t reply back since it’s 100â„… TRUE.
#AutismAwareness
Abnoy’s legacy is been built on hate, vindictiveness, & deception. As it now turns out, a lot of people got tired of it.
All he cares about are his cronies. His admin was about nothing but hollow propaganda & self-promotion for the sake of political preservation. He would shamelessly grab credit at his predecessor’s expense, while viciously & ungratefully discrediting his predecessor at the same time.
Abnoy is a failure. He surely failed his parents as he turned Cory’s “promise” into a nightmare. With Kris’ & his help, there now is an ever-growing dislike towards their family.
Abnoy’s real contribution is leaving a trail of dead bodies of innocent victims. He has definitely put us on the wrong track.
Bayanihan = ampalaya!
benignO,
I agree with you when you said GRP rules the Failippines’blogosphere. If only your writers would be a little more insightful–and vocal– on what the Chinese are doing to the very fabric of your country’s socio-economic infrastructures. It seems as if some of your writers are defending the Chinese’s involvement in our country’s affairs as being positive–not negative–or avoids the topic altogether.
Unless, of course, GRP is somewhat tied with the Chinese–through its financiers or writers–and don’t want to compromise that relationship with either one. After all, this site is supposed to be objective and leaves no stone unturned for the good of the Failippines, the Failipino people, and the international community.
Just another suggestion to think about.
Aeta
GRP is an opinion blog, not a race-hate blog.
Gagong Lipunan,
Now there’s a person (Gagon Lipunan) who only wants to see what he or she wants to see. Blame our poverty and corruption on our oligarch politicians–because it’s convenient to do so–but leave the innocent Chinese out of it. You’ve got a lot to learn about the reality in your own country, my friend.
Aeta
[Correction]
Gagong Lipunan,
Now there’s a person (Gagong Lipunan) who only wants to see what he or she wants to see. Blame our poverty and corruption on our oligarch politicians–because it’s convenient to do so–but leave the innocent Chinese out of it. You’ve got a lot to learn about the reality in your own country, my friend.
Aeta
Noynoy best president?????!!!! Hindi ko malaman ang ita type ko e..kung patawa ba to o nakasinghot ng isang swimming pool ng rugby..someone give his medication please..
Penoy is the best President of this country? My goodness has the world turned upside down. If that is a fact then Pres. Duterte is Adolf Hitler incarnate.
Unity is the “False Olive Branch” that these wicked and evil people, are telling us…All those crimes of Aquino and his cahoots, must be investigated thoroughly. Let the Chips, fall where it may. The Guilty must answer for their crimes.
People who participated in such wickedness, could come forward, to testify against these high government officials, in return for Immunity from Prosecution. Jail all the Big Fishes. “Waterboard them” until they will surrender the loots, they have stolen from us.
Begin by cleaning the Electoral System. There were too much, ELECTORAL FRAUDS committed by Aquino, Mar Roxas, Porky Drilon and the Liberal Party.
Jail every high official, who were responsible of these ELECTORAL FRAUD. They could serve in the Iwahig Penal Colony in Palawan, Philippines, for Hard Labor.
Pres. Duterte must destroy these people; before these people will destroy him…
Every Filipino must cooperate in the cleaning of our country. The “Bayanihan Spirit” is needed in these Finest times…
Yes best president in the eyes of his KKKK! but for the millions of Filipinos like me, PENOY is the most incompetent, disastrous, stupid and most of all, non-achiever retarded. And his legacy will haunt us for the rest of our lives.