There is nothing like a crisis to bring out the worst in people, particularly those who have a weak constitution and are lacking in conviction. Take the case of members of the Philippine Opposition. I’m not just talking about the foot soldiers like Jover Laurio. I’m talking about the top honchos too like Florin Hilbay who was Solicitor General, albeit for a very brief moment, during the previous administration and former Senator Antonio Trillanes. They are two of many from the other side who have done nothing but whine against President Rodrigo Duterte. Even during a pandemic they seem to be unable to get past this unproductive habit.
“What’s new?” you might ask. Nothing, really. I guess it is partly my fault for expecting that they would put any bitter feelings aside and work towards a common goal while the whole world is dealing with a deadly novel coronavirus – a virus that has cancelled almost every activity that keeps humans busy.
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In case you just came out from under a rock, in the last month the Philippines, just like a lot of other countries has been on lockdown or, as Duterte prefers to call it, Enhanced Community Quarantine (ECQ). Citizens are directed to stay home and only go out for important business like shopping for necessities and other essential activities. Obviously, this has created a lot of issues for people unable to work or pursue a livelihood and, likewise, is a major inconvenience to everyone. There is no life outside of our homes at the moment. Yes, things can get quite depressing and, especially since the quarantine is going on its second month, some people are starting to lose their marbles. They can’t seem to think straight anymore and are going on a major rampage against those calling the shots.
Members of the Opposition were already feeling powerless prior to the pandemic, but now they probably feel even more impotent because they can’t go out and protest in the streets. All they can do is make noise on social media. The funny thing about people like Hilbay and Trillanes is that their statements against Dutere cannot be considered genuine criticism. They are mostly acts of character assassination, which serve no purpose other than to entertain their own followers. Here’s one from Hilbay:
Can you believe that guy used to be the SolGen? No wonder he hardly ever wins any of his court cases. But I digress…
Seriously, Hilbay showed his immaturity yet again. There is nothing to learn from his comments. If he doesn’t want to watch Duterte’s regular press conferences while the country is under quarantine, no one is forcing him to do it. But why is Hilbay telling others not to watch it too? I thought he was an advocate of individual rights? It seems he is not keen on giving other people the freedom to choose whether to watch Duterte or not. You can bet your hard-earned peso he would be the first to complain if Duterte doesn’t conduct his presscons. And you can bet that he secretly watches the presscons anyway, he just doesn’t want to admit it. Obviously he wants to be the first to break the news if Duterte commits any faux pas so it is likely he can’t help but watch the President even though he publicly expresses his disdain. Hilbay is a frustrated little man. He makes a lot of noise to compensate for the losses in his career.
Trillanes, another bozo suffering from a crisis of relevance, also posted something on his Twitter account that proved he has a nasty and violent nature.
First of all, as a former lawmaker, Trillanes should know that budgets are planned expenses for the coming year. Has he forgotten that he was part of those who deliberated budgets proposed by the Chief Executive every year? The funds are already allotted to different departments and projects. Unfortunately, there is no budget to address the increasing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Second, if Trillanes doesn’t want to donate to people in hardship during the crisis, that’s his choice. No one is holding a gun to his head and forcing him to donate. Only someone as calloused as Trillanes would brag about his unwillingness to help people in hardship. What he and his followers do not realise is, he is showing that he is not generous. It’s not cool to show one doesn’t want to help and it’s not nice to discourage others from helping during a crisis, especially since no one can foresee when the COVID-19 pandemic will be over. Even in First World countries, ordinary citizens and wealthy people alike are compelled to donate during a crisis because a crisis is quite often an unforeseen event. It doesn’t make sense that people like Trillanes would expect the government from a Third World country to have the funds to shoulder all the expense.
It’s quite evident that members of the Opposition are not very smart. They do not know when to stay quiet. They feel compelled to say something against Duterte even when it’s obvious they are just scraping the bottom of the barrel. The public can see through this particularly when they know that Duterte is dealing with a lot of issues at the moment. The last thing he needs is to deal with people whose only agenda is to undermine his efforts at a time he needs all the help he can get to keep the people and the economy alive.
In life, things are not always what they seem.
I thank you so much and well said for upbringing the advocasies of the president…
Hilbay and Trililing Trillanes, are rabid YellowTards, who oppose every move, Duterte makes.
Being in the opposition, does not mean, opposing everything, even for the good of the whole of us all…
They should present alternative solutions, in dealing with the COVID 19 pandemic, instead of just criticizing.
Politicizing the COVID 19 pandemic, is the worse thing , I have seen on these politicians. These YellowTards must grow up and act maturely !
Ehhh-IIda, benign0’s SHEEEP once again shows her lack of knowledge. You are guilty by association of taking CHINA money by writing on benign0 the Australian TURD”s blog.
The current handling of covid has been a SHIT SHOW.
but benign0’s and his sheep main point of concern and targets are the angry tweets of yellowtards who aren’t in power anymore?!?!
* How about all the politicians and their “kabits” that got VIP treatment and jumped the line for covid testing?!?
* How about all the PPE stuck at customs desperately needed by philippine medical staff
* How about Alan Peter Cayetano and his ilk refering to themselves as “front liners”
* How about Koko pimental endangering everyone’s lives….by having a positive test result and galavanting around. No PUNISHMENTS here. Everyone else gets shot on sight.
benign0 the PAID CHINA fool = *crickets
CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP!
Well what about them? What solution do you propose to fix those problems?
eh di wow benign0!
Let me think…. maybe they need to be RESOURCEFUL and not do any of that stuff?!?!
* No Vip treatments to politicians?
* Send BOC back to work and cut red tape for PPE?
* Have the DOJ punish Koko pimentel to set an example?
This is your go to line which proves YOUR NOT REALLY THINKING!!!
Pointless to debate with you as you only pretend to discuss ideas and act in bad faith. In the end you are just a commie TROLL who lives in Australia.
GO. TO. HELL.
Then it’s pointless to listen to you since liberals and commies are the same line of thinking so you’re not different to them.
If you stop hurling labels and insults the we’ll talk. You’re more of a TROLL yourself, spamming your ridiculous, childish whining.
Hate to break to you, but solutions that are pure political in nature and it won’t really help us on dealing with the current crisis.
benign0 was right, you’re incapable of making solutions yourself because all we see is more on destabilization as if it would fix everything. You’re actually doing what the commies wanted. So you’re a hypocrite yourself.
Actually, you wanted more people to get infected and die of the coronavirus when that happens.
Koko Pimentel is currently confined in the hospital. When he finally recovers or when this crisis is over then the DOJ will do its job.
We are currently facing a pandemic yet you’re just wasting your time in petty squabbles and stupid politics. All you care is your FEELINGS and not people’s LIVES.
@Darth, Looks to me you actually are incapable of coming up with any further solutions yourself.
At this point a “do-nothing” president like pnoy would probably be better.
Look at DENMARK. They are still open. You need a % of people to get infected to build herd immunity.
Lockdown! Lockdown! Lockdown! Yet without thinking about FOOD or transportation. There are people who had to WALK home to their home provinces.
Flattening the curve? In this one month of lockdown what exactly has the government done? How many ventilators where built? How many ICU beds? You needed one month to set up a bunch of tents ?!?! 10 new ventilators?! WHooopie!
What exactly are you doing?!?!
400 people so far dead of corona….. yet SEVEN THOUSAND died in the drug war. THOUSANDS die yearly of TB and dengue. More will die from hunger.
Lockdown! Lockdown! Lockdown! Just making gaya gaya the first world countries. Deploying the military as an excuse for petty tyranny!
benign0 obviously doesnt know this as he’s living his best life in Australia. Ehhhh-IIlda is just a SHEEP no brain extension of benign0.
to be honest, i have never seen ilda pose an original idea, proposal or observation here in grp. mostly her modus is to find a viral take by a more famous personality and rebut. unfortunately her style is usually to assume bad faith on her target so she can then set up a strawman she heroically demolishes hehehe. what do you think is her motivation in life?
That’s because Denmark had a better healthcare system than most countries and the people there are also disciplined. Same thing that also happened in Sweden, where they also have a better healthcare system. They are able to do so since they have the biggest taxes at 70% rate.
You need to set your priorities for once, Because you’re just here to whine, bitch and moan.
this is a straight up lie ilda “Unfortunately, there is no budget to address the increasing demands of the COVID-19 pandemic.” disgressionary spending is easy to release especially in times of emergency.
we are also early in the year there is a lot of unused budget, trillanes is just a taxpayer demanding competence if not excellence from elected officials. people are getting sick and dying including doctors who have plastic bags for ppe, people are starving in their houses 5-person family forced to subsist on 4pcs quikchow 4pcs canned sardine and 5 kilos rice per week and youre still cheerleading. have some humanity for once. where is our four trillion?
After all the shit that Trillanes is spewing during his years as senator and there he goes trying to be relevant as a ‘concerned citizen’.
That guy is playing politics.
Dude please! Your comment us sooooooooooo ignorant. Yes, there wasn’t much spending (or the proper term would be disbursement) but a portion of the departments’ respective budgets have already been obligated. Also, the money is already with the departments/government offices.
While the president did ask the government to re-allocate a portion of their budget back to DBM, it aint that easy. Our (govt) office for example have already released the budget to our regional offices. Now that we’re asking for a portion of those money back, we still have to go through the process (this process has been established way before Duterte’s time so don’t bother blaming him either).They still have to revise their program of works and shit. And since the central office employees are working from home, communication is proving to be more difficult than usual.
Ano akala mo?? Parang online bank transfer lang ang pag balik ng pera ng mga government department back to DBM?
Those Yellowtards may tell us to ignore Duterte’s speeches but they should also tell us to ignore them too. After all, all those Yellowtards and the Duterte administration are the same anyway. Even from the start of our First Republic during the Spanish era, we’re screwed already. Although Duterte did a great job in locking down the country and our capital, I will doubt if the Philippines will create a cure anyway. Because we are simply a backward country. Only the West will be able to find a cure. After all, they are developed nations and they were the ones who invented and achieved everything from advanced technology to military and also culture. No wonder that Nazis said Whites are the Master Race. So I only listen and praise the West for sure they will find the injection someday. Nothing to be trusted from this Philippines. Just wish that Spain did not leave the country. May God bless America and Europe to create the cure and make them great again. Heil Hitler!
Ilda, what do you think you are different than them? They treated your president the same as you did to Noynoy and now you are mad? You should evaluate yourself. You showed the same color being a heartless and stupid as a rabid opposition against Noynoy administration, hence you have no moral ascendancy over them.
Duterte’s blunder and incompetence in handling the Marawi Siege and Rehabilitation and now the COVID-19 highlighted by the opposition today were the same ineptitude that you once tirelessly thrown against Noynoy administration over his handling of Mamasapano Clash and Typhoon Yolanda. Now you can feel that real pressure on you as a Duterte Apologist of today. I wonder why their opinions matter to you since they are not in power anymore.
Hate to say this, but the Opposition nowadays are politicizing the Covid-19 crisis. So they’re not really helping at all. And yes, they will do everything just to get back in power.
I don’t think you understand the role of opposition in Philippine setting. Every opposition has pride and own agenda in them so they will nitpick everything the incumbent is doing and they see it as an opportunity. Ilda and the rest of opposition did the same during Noynoy’s presidency. That’s why Filipinos will never unite whoever is the president. This should not come as a surprise anymore.
The Opposition in a nutshell: they will just bash the incumbent rather than offering alternative solutions and ideas.
The difference between the Yellowtards and the Duterte camp of today is that the Yellowtards fashioned themselves as the holier-than-thou “decent” side and then failed miserably living up to that brand. The Duterte camp, warts and all, make no such claim to such a pedestal. Underlying both camps is the national constant that transcends all administrations and political camps — the underlying dysfunction of Philippine society that creates these sorts of politics. Our thesis remains elegantly simple and its tenets hold true regardless of who is in power or who happens to be on the Opposition at any point in time.
With that said, Dutertards should not get upset but instead be happy that opposition did not live up to their “decent” color. Duterte is already used to cussing and mudslinging and is the proponent of all that. The Philippine dysfunction will end only if Filipinos would put their pride and selfish agenda to death and work together for the common good. Simple moral values would work wonders for sure. But I doubt it will ever happen since each camp is rude and inconsiderate. Even you yourself is showing that kind of pride, biases and selfish agenda in your articles which, in that sense, you impliedly failed to realize that it brings that sort of dysfunction in your mind and your readers that you despicably hate about. Unaware that it won’t lead to a positive change. Philipines needs more love and cooperation from its people rather than hate and pride.
Taken from Krizette Laureta Chu: