2016 December
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So the United Nations General Assembly voted in favor of a resolution to aid in the investigation of the War Crimes in Syria. The Philippines voted to Abstain.
It is unsurprising but still disappointing, nevertheless. What's to expect from a government who chooses to keep mum while its President openly endorses killings all in the name of War on Drugs?
And oh, we didn't know the Philippines ITSELF is pro-Assad. You didn't either?
Well, now you know.
#Syria #Aleppo #JusticeForAleppo #UNResolution #UnitedNations #TeddyBoyLocsin #Duterte #ExtrajudicialKillings #War #Philippines
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65 years ago, Hannah Arendt wrote brilliantly about the manipulation of facts and how tyrants use isolation to oppress – her words radiate astonishing relevance to our situation today: https://www.brainpickings.org/2016/12/20/hannah-arendt-origins-of-totalitarianism-loneliness-isolation/
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TRUTH IS STRANGER THAN HYPERBOLE
An idiot’s guide to make sense of what he said and what he really meant.
Hyperbole: I will stop drugs in 3 to 6 months.
Truth: I ruled Davao City for 30 years and it is still drug-infested. 3 months have lapsed & 6 months are coming up. The drug trade is still active.Hyperbole: I will stop crime in 3 to 6 months.
Truth: The number of unresolved murders in the Philippines have spiked under me. Some of my cops are involved in killing innocent citizens like that Crime Watch regional chairperson in Mindoro. About 6,000 killings have been inspired by my War-on-Drugs approach.Hyperbole: I will stop corruption in 3 to 6 months.
Truth: I released a corrupt president – Gloria Arroyo – from her hospital arrest. I allowed the most corrupt Filipino ever – Ferdinand Marcos – to be buried at Hero’s cemetery. I received my share of the plunder loot from Imee Marcos. Two of my fraternity brods whom I appointed to government took P30m from Macau casino boss Jack Lam.Hyperbole: I will end drugs, crime & corruption in 3 to 6 months, or I will resign
Truth: Of course I know it can’t be done but it sounded like good campaign propaganda that some voters might believe in. My plan was to turn over the presidency to Bong Bong Marcos after 6 months.Hyperbole: That self-imposed time of three to six months, well, I did not realize how serious the drug problem was until I became President.
Truth: The Supreme Court (Presidential Electoral Tribunal) has not yet removed Leni as VP. I will resign only when BBM is already VP. Be patient, read Sun Tzu, there is a plan.Hyperbole: Marcos was the best president ever.
Truth: I admire him because he was a dictator, killed so many people and was not convicted for it. He stole $10-B and was able to hide most of it. He is truly my idol for governance.Hyperbole: I will not take money from big business. My funds came from “Emilio Aguinaldo sa bukid”.
Truth: I took money from miners, power plant owners, plantation owners, big government contractors, major fuel distributor. Nothing new – I received properties, SUVs, private jet flights when I was still mayor. Nag-level up lang.Hyperbole: I am healthy. I will not release my medical records. Ano ako buang?
Truth: I am sick with at least 4 diseases – Barrett’s esophagus, spinal slipped disc, daily migraines, and Buerger’s disease. I take Fentanyl – a drug 100x more powerful than morphine & 50x more potent than heroin – to kill pain. The drug has many side effects including dizziness, confusion, weakness, headache, nervousness, hallucinations,anxiety, depression & mood swings. It can impair my judgement. Hyperbole: Yung shabu, synthetic yan, hindi natural tulad ng cocaine. Continued use will shrink the mind of the addict.
Truth: Yung Fentanyl, synthetic rin yan, mas malakas pa sa shabu. If what I said about shabu is true, eh di Fentanyl will also shrink the mind of the addict.Hyperbole: I will appoint the best and the brightest to the Cabinet.
Truth: Officially I will tell you ‘Ayaw nila kasi walang sweldo’. Off the record, the best and the brightest don’t want to work for me. So I just appointed my fraternity brods, classmates, boarding house mate, party mates, and province-mates.Maski sino basta loyal sa akin, ok na. Hyperbole: I will ride a jet ski to Spratly. I will tell the Chinese, Suntukan o barilan?
Truth: I will fly to Beijing. I will tell the Chinese - Pahingi please. I will beg them for loans – which will require using corrupt Chinese contractors & substandard Chinese materials. I will beg for them to buy our bananas – to keep my banana baron friends back in Davao happy. No barilan - instead I will buy guns from them. Meanwhile, I will not assert our rights over Panatag.Hyperbole: I will double, triple the salaries of cops & soldiers.
Truth: It is not in the 2017 budget because that was prepared by Aquino. It will still not be in 2018 budget because there are simply not enough funds for this – it will mean raising salaries for teachers, nurses and other government workers under Salary StandardizationLaw. But I have to keep saying this so that cops will keep killing, and soldiers won’t launch any coup. Hyperbole: I will not declare Martial Law.
Truth: Declaring Martial Law is not so useful. There are so many constitutional restrictions - legislative & judiciary oversight, limited time period. Better if I declare a revolutionary government. But the timing is not yet right. I have to co-opt the Left thru peace talks leading to power-sharing agreement. I have to co-opt the military thru salary hikes & promoting loyal generals. Pinol has to build my version of KBL.Hyperbole: I roamed the streets of Davao at night, looking for fights so I could kill - to set an example for cops to follow.
Truth: Actually that is mostly true. But that is not the only way. Once cops followed my example, then we can achieve higher targets. Ask Matobato for details.Hyperbole: Traffic. Putang ina mo, Pope.
Truth: I need emergency powers to solve traffic. We plan to spend P8-Trillion for infrastructure.Kailangan no-bid contracts kung ayaw niyo ng trapik. Everybody happy - Chinese contractors, tongressmen, si Emilio Aguinaldo. Hyperbole: The problem is Imperial Manila. The answer is Federalism. This will allow regions to keep 70% of resources for their benefit.
Truth: Imperial Manila or NCR generated 62.3% of our GDP in 2015. It also generated 91.1% of all taxes. It is allocated only 43.6% of 2017 government budget. If it gets its 70% share of taxes, NCR budget should jump to 63.4% of total. If its share is pro-rated to GDP, it will still get a bigger budget of 62.3% of total. In both scenarios, Imperial Manila will get more resources while all other regions get less. Biggest loser will be Mindanao - which currently gets 21.4% of budget, but generates only 14.8% of GDP and pays only 2.9% of taxes.
Hyperbole: Change is Coming
Truth: I have been a traditional politician for 30 years. I belong to a political dynasty – my father was governor of Davao, I was mayor of Davao, my daughter is mayor of Davao. My style is typical of trapo dynasties – sow fear & dispense favors. Threaten, destroy or kill those against me. Reward and buy the loyalty of those for me. Change is Coming? Ano ka, buang? -
Jon Limjap "You're confusing peace with terror" - Galen Erso Rogue One A Star Wars Story Exclusive Scene - Galen Erso and Director Orson Krennic youtube.com
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A very good customer will be enjoying the holidays with # hubbytetoystore stash :3 major haul!!!
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#SalamatApo Jose Rizal
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New comic about Feedback!
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To each and everyone of you who sent birthday greetings to this old man, please accept my truest gratitude.
In these perilous times when truth is debased and history is revised, it is easy for those of us who belong to the helpless mass to be even more despondent knowing as we do that the powerful can commit crimes with impunity. But listen to all the young people who never experienced the tyranny of Marcos. They are out in the streets, shouting hoarsely NEVER AGAIN! This is most heartwarming and inspiring to me, and to those of us who survived that darkness.
Now, I think I will be able to continue this new novel, tentatively titled Esperanza. -
Welcome to the list, Mr. President! And for the record, asking someone else to ask someone else to do it for you is a record-breaking low.
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Marvel The gang's all here. Marvel's Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2, coming to cinemas 26 April 2017. Play Video
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Made me cry...
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Fave protest sign. Ian Chongson , Xavier Wilmer P. Ng , John Marvin Tayabas
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2016 November
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President Rodrigo Duterte said. "It’s just the challenges and allegations of the other side which is not enough."
There are, in fact, more than enough studies on Martial Law. The Office of the Dean of Social Sciences at the Ateneo de Manila University has compiled an initial list of academic papers and books about the atrocities committed during the Marcos dictatorship, and how Filipinos collectively struggled to defend their freedoms.(Click photos to view full-size)
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YUP Credit: David Sipress, The New Yorker
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Uh...
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FRODO: I can’t do this, Sam.
SAM: I know. It’s all wrong. By rights we shouldn’t even be here. But we are. It’s like in the great stories, Mr. Frodo. The ones that really mattered. Full of darkness and danger they were. And sometimes you didn’t want to know the end. Because how could the end be happy. How could the world go back to the way it was when so much bad had happened. But in the end, it’s only a passing thing, this shadow. Even darkness must pass. A new day will come. And when the sun shines it will shine out the clearer. Those were the stories that stayed with you. That meant something. Even if you were too small to understand why. But I think, Mr. Frodo, I do understand. I know now. Folk in those stories had lots of chances of turning back only they didn’t. Because they were holding on to something.
FRODO: What are we holding on to, Sam?
SAM: That there’s some good in this world, Mr. Frodo. And it’s worth fighting for.
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2016 October
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