What kind of Opposition do Filipinos need? Should it be a party or “coalition” that claims to be “pro-democracy” and — wait for it — “pro-people”? Perhaps. But, see, Filipinos have heard all that before. The inevitable question then follows: So what else is new?
What else is new?
Isn’t there anything else an Opposition can shriek about beyond being “anti-tyranny” and “for the people”. Isn’t there anything that “activists” can “fight” for other than the “oppression” they keep leading Filipinos to believe they are “victims” of?
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Filipinos deserve better than this. They want to be shown a path forward and not be constantly nagged about what they should not be. The way forward should be toward an aspired for or envisioned state. Unfortunately all the Opposition can offer Filipinos today is a path away from a feared past. The tired old overused rhetoric of the Liberal Party for example is all about reminding us of “the Martial Law Years” and how anyone or anything they supposedly “dissent” against are part of an axis of “sinister forces” that conspire to drag Filipinos back to those “dark” years.
It’s all so old hat and comes across like an annoying broken record. The Opposition led by the Yellowtards (the bloc — primarily members of the Liberal Party — rabidly loyal to the Aquino-Cojuangco feudal clan) make as if the Philippines is not a democracy and that they alone could restore it. In asserting this, they do no more than insult the intelligence of Filipinos.
Try as the usual cast of characters might to rebrand their camp as a “genuine” or “unified” opposition, they will fail to win back the confidence of the Filipino people unless they can show some semblance of a vision. What is their vision of the Philippines in 2028 if given the chance to take the reigns of power from 2022? “Pro-democracy” or “pro-people” are not vision statements. They are mere platitudes — dishonest ones, in fact, coming from the crooked mouths of traditional politicians.
A modern and intelligent Opposition will possess the courage to table a bold vision for the nation, the foresight to chart a hard path to get there, and the charisma to take Filipinos on that journey down that path. While there are lots of lessons to learn from the past, Filipinos should quit defining themselves by a history written to suit one party’s dishonest political agenda. Progress can only be sustained when eyes are focused on the future — even an uncertain one. The government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte enjoys the trust of the Filipino people and if the Opposition want to win that trust back, they need to propose real alternatives, not merely raise old and irrelevant fears as had become their habit.
benign0 is the Webmaster of GetRealPhilippines.com.
@Benign0
How can the opposition make their case when ABS-CBN was unfairly shutdown? How can anyone make their case when heroic journalist Maria Ressa was attacked legally because they cannot counter her arguments in the public sphere?
The attacks on Rappler and ABS-CBN prove that there is no more press freedom so the opposition can no longer give the public FACTS to make better decisions.
You just said Ressa’s case was a legal case, meaning it is a legitimate case, correct?
So her case(s) should not be blamed on the government in that regard. Plus, when it comes to press freedom… is Rappler dead? Is ABSCBN no longer able to publish their news? Did the Government prevent/stop ABSCBN from airing their programs on Zoe and TV5?
Do I agree that ABSCBN was not granted a license to continue operations? No I believe they didn’t have a completely fair day in the hearing. But there are legitimate issues. I don’t really think fall under the purview of Congress though as we have regulating agencies to monitor them.
“How can anyone make their case when heroic journalist Maria Ressa was attacked legally because they cannot counter her arguments in the public sphere?”
She’s a hero in what exactly?
Why would you rather or prefer to argue your issue concerns in public wherein the arguments are mostly based only on people’s biased opinions and not instead in the proper courts where in can be discussed/debated on intelligently with the objective truths based on legal evidence and where it can be resolved legally based on the prevailing laws?
In BBM’s case, however, in trying to present his case to resolve issues of election fraud, through the proper court, it was ironic that it was court itself who prevented the debate/discussion on the evidences presented after sitting on the case for five long years with a dismissal by a lazy and incompetent judge in the person of Mr. Leonen.
Well, sometimes you win, sometimes you lose…
Was the ABS-CBN shutdown really “unfair” though? If so, what exactly about its shutdown was “unfair”?
Your response, I’m sorry to say, is typical of that fellow with a real tunnel vision. You make it sound like ABS CBN was something as even respectably educational like the BBC. Their entire programming is junk food for the Filipino insecure inferiority complex; the arm of influence of the old oligarchs who knew the Filipino masses are easily duped into being their useful idiots such as your likes. You have GMA, an equally trashy, program itself, so I’m not sure how Filipinos are missing out on their mental drug trips; it just so happens that one trash is finally down. Now if only all of the rest go down with them too. I rest my case.
Opposition must present to us, better alternatives, than the Duterte administration is giving us….
They clearly have no specific plan much less a vision. Their negative campaigning against political opponents is a cover for their own incompetence. It shouldn’t be surprising when doing the right things directly defeats their agenda. Has any one of them offered to fix the election system? How about a better plan or alternative for the drug war? They’re living proof that talk is cheap.
You are so spot on. I don’t know how in this digital information age Filipinos would still fall for their old tricks and keeping them back in. It just sounds like a dog returning to eating back its vomit. However, the Filipino judgment towards their own direction for the betterment of the country is unreliable and often clouded by superficiality. We can truly be our own worst enemies.
One example I am reminded of this is from this pseudo intellectual on YouTube who made a video on why Leni Robredo deserves the presidency and it’s all to do with how good her speech was or it was “fancy” “polite”. Nothing else much about her plan or ideas or any alternative reforms that she’s presented (which of course is none). I told him that back in the 1930s Germany, many people were desperate that with uncritical judgement, led a way to someone like Hitler who made persuasive speeches and had a charismatic presence to beguile the hungry populace. It is this infantile approach to political discourse that is hugely a detriment to any form of systemic progress.
Ah that damn “democracy” by the Yellowtards. Oh you mean like reviving incidents of Tanim Bala in airports, the Yolanda disaster approach, or the filth of our urban cities or the lack of any extensive transport system? Is this again their vision or perhaps their desperation to obtain easy wealth like their good old days when they were a thing? Until and unless Filipinos themselves think outside the box and defy expectation to vote all of these trapos out, we remain and always will be sick man of Asia.
I don’t understand why you guys are still complaining. You love disgusting trash authoritarian leaders with a 2 digits IQ who talk about killing and raping.. Now you have one and he’s doing great. It’s not you who get killed. It’s just another brown person no one gives a shit about for who cares why. Keep this in mind: It’s not your problem so WHO CARES? Democracy?? Human rights? Hey listen…I’m sure you right now there’s a cheap All You Can Eat Chinese Buffet that’s waiting for you in your area. Think about these juicy spare ribs, egg rolls and fried rice (oh yeah baby! Fried rice!). Tonight it’s Combo Benign0. You’d be crazy to miss it. Go treat yourselves. You deserve it. Don’t forget huh? I know you’re brave and a have a huge pair of balls! IT’S NOT YOUR PROBLEM!
Tell me how the Philippines is run by authoritarian government? I thought leaders are propped up based on the number of votes of the citizen populace. If it were authoritarian how come loud mouths like you can spit up non sequitur about the current government without having to endure a knock at your door by government figures and be arrested. But even yet, you hurl insults like “authoritarian” as if Philippines have always been socially progressive before this current leadership. Malaysia and Indonesia have governments that are even less democratic yet still fare better in many regards as nations than Philippines in terms of actually funding more for their education, housing, infrastructure, health. And much more.
My detector of Intellectuals is beeping. I have few words for The Brave Intellectual person that you are: SOFT CHINESE SPARE RIBS IN A SWEET GRAVY!!!
I bet you can have some very soon for very cheap. Think about it. Such juiciness in your fat mouth of intellectual right now. You’d be an ass to miss it home boy. I know someone who will full it soon! And I mean: YOU!
I love you.