A Buried Story Revives By Conspiracy Theory

Conspiracy theories that sprouted around the 5G networks technology bordered on idiocy. 

Conspiracists theorized that the spread of the virus from Wuhan had links to the 5G towers. Truth is, the 5G infrastructure in Wuhan are still incomplete. They claimed, too, that waves leaked by 5Gs antenna weakened the human immune system.    

WHO (the World Health Organization) hammered that viruses do not hover around radio waves or mobile networks. The pandemic rolled out in many countries which don’t have yet the 5G technology.  

The Philippines, for example, with still under used 4Gs because of inadequate tower transmission, huge onslaughts of the coronavirus kicked in. Official tally shows.   

What made these theories click then?

There should be a villain. Someone or something to endure the blame. When distress becomes a trend, people appealed on the anti-hero sentiments. 

The 5G provoked irrational fear. That’s the fruit of a technological breakthrough. People are uncertain. They perceived it as invasive. 

As people suspect the 5G’s, this is further fueled by the influencers and celebrities who relay and reinforce this message of fear. 

Conspiracists concocted that 5G can be the “Internet of Everything.” Nothing can escape from monitoring, capturing; and recording. Be it a conversation, scenes or images. This is superb for surveillance and spying. 

A buried story I kept triggered.  

The “Internet of Everything” resolves the dilemma I had for my main character.  

I saw this movie “Death Wish” at Baliwag Cine Gloria in 1974, played by Charles Bronson. 

Impressed, I ambition to write a novel based on this movie.

It is a vigilante film. Paul Kersy, the hero revenged for the murder of his wife. He took the law in his hand. 

My leading man, as I envisioned him, is a die hard nationalist and a multi-millionaire. He loves the Philippines so much. He wanted to spare his country from the clutches of the crooks, corrupt and white-collar criminals. Eliminating them by himself in solo flights. And for every nasty guy he disposed, he left the evidence on the scene justifying their fate. 

Proof gathering for my hero is where I got stuck. Even he is a multi-millionaire, there’s no way to produce the evidence to justify the killing.   

Now, “The Internet of Everything” courtesy of 5G technology  postulated by conspiracist is useful to me. 

I am ready now to put the story on paper.   

Hints of Firestorm Coming!

Ignoring China’s built up of its military facilities in the South China Sea, the US in 2019 messaged Duterte to put a tough stand against China.

Duterte said, paraphrasing him. “Your Seventh Fleet is there. You know what’s happening. You’re aware they cannot do that (referring to UNCLOS decisions) Why don’t you. Declare war. Fire the first shot. And we will follow,”. 

President Duterte dodged preserving the Philippines’ national patrimony to Washington, in deference to Beijing. An unpatriotic statements coming from a leader.  

As the world’s current happenings heated, segued by the coronavirus pandemic, the racial tension had engulfed by George Floyd killing, Trump chances of getting elected this November 2020 get nil. Political pundits predicted. 

Despite the US mobilization of its forces across the South China since last year, now, even more aggressive movements and exercises happened. An armada of American navy ships ready of any untoward incident. 

If talks between Donald Trump and Xi Jinping faltered, and if it derail Trump’s prospect for a second term, he can unleash an opening salvo against China. His chance to bolster his image for the Americans.  

Disturbed, China can retaliate. This means conflagrations. 

Which country could burn? The Philippines is a candidate. Helmed by Duterte with tested blunder for dealing with the coronavirus pandemic, this can be the worst disaster ever for the Filipinos.  

Changes are until 2022 election. Yet on June 1, 2020, to sustain his power, the Congress approved the Anti-Terrorism Bill in its final reading. 

Meanwhile, the Senate sits on its second reading. 

If the Senate version of the bill approve before the SONA (State of the Nation’s Address) it can enforce decimation of the opposition party, repeating the mid-term election of 2018. 
Until when the people of the Philippines can endure Duterte’s rule? 

On Pandemic Reflection

One breakfast morning, to my surprise, Mur philosophised. She expressed profound thoughts. When she did, I better listen.

“Can you imagine how coronavirus, so tiny, yet in unison, thrown people of the world in contemplation,” 

Scientists measured the coronavirus. It’s 0.125. Microns, where 1 micron is a millionth smaller. Compared to the speck of dust particles  ranging from 0.06 to 014 microns, which can only irritate or make you sneeze, this one, once it gets inside the body, snuffs out one’s life after 14 days.   

Tallies of deaths. Quarantine. Social distancing became the buzzwords. 

For once, a lull in people’s activities outside home tamed. Peace and serenity ensued. Clean air peeped in. Gas prices tumbled.   Hurley burley in the opened supermarket stopped. Social distancing disciplined them.     

World’s leaders of most nations did their best. They made sure those affected by business closure had enough to to tide them over till the pandemic subsides. 

With the President of the Philippines, however, because of massive ineptness of his leadership – imposing Quarantine without a concrete plan added worries and hunger for the daily wage earners. 

Two years ago, the President forgot to implement the National Identification (ID) System, mandated by law for Filipinos to determine the people who may get the aid. Result: it’s a guessing game. Funds fell into cracks; to the politicians in charge of distribution. 

The GMA TV networks offered Seven Suggestions of what the Duterte government can do. Wonderful thing even before the GMA video came out, The Philippine’s Vice President Lennie Robredo spearheaded Point No. 4 & 5.  

Bizarre Twist of Lunacy

Exposed to Duterte’s crazy antics, Filipinos had better expect bizarre twist of his lunacy. This early, he must lay the ground for his minions to assume power to save his ass.

 

How?

 

On December 6, 2019, he sent his Labor Secretary Silvestre Bello III to negotiate for the nth time to resume peace negotiation with the Reds in the Netherlands. Aware of the Red’s old and recurring style using negotiations as ruse to fortify and strengthen their rebel activities, Digong, thru Bello should present to the NDF leadership a tacit agenda.

 

“Let’s have a mutual proposition here, and get away from the charade peace talks. I can provide your needs for your  ‘revolution’. In return, laid back from creating mob scenarios instigating chaos reminiscent of your Plaza Miranda bombing of the 70s.”

 

Duterte and the NPA are friends. In Davao, they feed each other’s needs: Sanctuary. The NPA can roam around undisturbed. In exchange, no launching of direct confrontation between them.

 

People’s hatred for Duts multiplied. It’s getting untenable every day. The NPA and the NDF’s dipping to the smoldering firestorm could enhance his downfall. Expected People’s Power 3 predicted!

 

Most Filipino insinuated that sweet flowing of Drug Money attributed to the 7-hours glitch of the 2018 midterm election.  It’s the people’s belief that’s the reason COMELEC’S voters turnout decimated the Otso Diretso.

 

As the power of Drug Money can lure everyone, Duterte’s minions can assure of a landslide victory come the 2020 presidential election.

 

So, to replicate the mishaps of the Otso Diretso, Drug Money must now do a hocus-pocus in the 2020 election.

 

And that’s easy.

 

Two Bureau of Customs Chief; Nicanor Faeldon and Isidro Lapena under their noses had slipped past through Customs, shabu shipment worth multi-billion pesos.

 

It is easy to speculate that the same incident will occur.  Enormous funds to buy out election results are assured. The strategy is repeatable because those previous Customs chiefs just moved to another post.

 

Palm Finger Vs. Fist Bump

In a kids play “Jack n Poy”, palm finger defeats the fist bump.

 

Senator De Lima’s Palm finger logo can clutch and claw Duterte’s fist bump when the US Magnitsky Act descend on Duterte and his clique.

 

But that’s for later, when the turmoil between Iran and the US subsides. Iran bombed the US Military bases in Iraq in retaliation for killing Iran’s General Qassem Soleiman. No American casualties reported. Trump said, “All is good”.

 

Iran didn’t want an all-out war, but they needed to do something bold, quick and symbolic for domestic consumption.

 

When this event calmed, the US Magnitsky Acts on Human Rights will throw its menace on Digong and his tribes.

 

Animosities between Senator De Lima and President Duterte escalated when both of them won in the 2016 Presidential Election.

 

During De Lima’s stint as Commissioner of Human Rights in 2008, she took on the then Davao Mayor Duterte, infamous for his Davao Death Squads; the vigilante, targeting  drug offenders.

From the late 1990 to 2005, the 300 deaths rose to 700, and between 2005 to 2008, it jumped up to 700. That’s severe underestimation. Duterte said, 1700, is the real figure, he boasted.

Duterte realized after his Inauguration as President in 2016, that Senator De Lima had the grind to ax against him.

De Lima spearheaded the Senate Investigation on the surge of killings on Duterte’s war on drugs attributed with human rights violations.

With Duterte’s huge popularity, knowing De Lima to be his tough adversary, he needed De Lima to be out of his way. So he put her in jail.

With much confusion of what to charge De Lima, Digong’s clique settled for “Conspiracy to commit illegal drug trading”.

To prosecute, Digong allies used convicts in Bilibid prison to bolster their claims that De Lima conspired with them dealing drugs.

Now, the Magnitsky Acts tightened the screws. Sanctions for De Lima jailers activated.

Soon, Senator De Lima’s Palm Finger logo clutched and clawed Duterte’s Fist Bump!

Mentalities Filipinos Are Made Of

Filipinos is now God’s chosen people. Think of it. Any ascribable mentalities that God gave, Filipinos sucked them all.  From the classic Crab mentality to Tingi (micro retail) to Asa (depend) to Utang na loob (debt of gratitude) to “Tambay” (hangers-on) to Harimuhanan (scrounging) to Hambog  (boaster) to Maka-isa (one-upmanship) and the Palusot – invent alibi, or cut corners to make a big buck.

God knows Filipinos handles these mentalities with gusto.

Three mentalities are subtle: The Harimuhanan. The Maka-isa. And the Palusot. They all boil down to penny-pinching and get self benefit.

Harimuhanan is – if one could get things desired without spending effort or money, ego get boosted. It is a cocaine mentality. Once you’re hooked, one  can get addicted. They wanted to be smart.

When a man always bum a smoke from a friend, rather than buy of his own, he’s making harimuhanan This mentality is common also to Philippine Government employees. If they feel lazy coming to work, or have some personal business to attend to, in cahoots with their bosses or comrades, they make sure nobody reported their absence.  That’s Harimuhanan.

Say, one desire to have a kid of his own, and someone does that for him to save the effort. That’s Harimuhanan, too. Big time!

Maka-isa, or one-upmanship is another variety of getting smarter.  Adept at spotting how they adopt their sleazy tactic, that became their way of life emulated within the family, spread and invaded the country’s political system.  Come to a point the government infested by the crocodile. 

Maka-isa, also mean, when you get older, and still can hump an opposite sex, to score, that’s a bonus. But this Maka-isa had it’s a way of getting you dead. Then somebody gets even with you. Fool!

Epidemic had become this Palusot mentality in the Duterte government. Everybody played it. But prominent among them, whoever become the President’s spokesperson. They embodied the double talk syndrome: either they evade or exaggerate. Thanks to them. The social media and news organization made a brisk business. It made Palusot mentality as a virtue. And we thought, that’s good!

 

 

 

Let’s see who gets tired first

Who has the great stamina? The defiant illegal vendors, or Mayor Isko Moreno in cleaning up the streets of Manila?

 

Both the illegal vendors and Isko Moreno possesses the elemental quality for the war to wage on. Mayor Isko Moreno based on his two months showing, is sincere and determined to erase that “Amoy Panghe” image of Manila and bring back its old glory as a prime city of the Philippines.

 

The illegal vendors by their sheer numbers, shrewdness,  armed with indigent appeal continues to thrive and never surrender.

 

History told us during the time of Bayani Fernando as Chairman of Metro Manila Development Authority (MMDA) illegal vendor won by default. To think Bayani Fernando imposed an iron fist approach of “confiscate and destroy,” the vendors, by their sheer number replaced those caught with new batches.

 

Bong Nebrija, the current MMDA Task Force for Special Operation introduced the style of high visibility enforcers thru (IACT), Intense hide and seek ensued. Cat and mouse chase became familiar, caught in videos. Again, vendors rule. Somehow, at random, people experienced  improvement because of IACT’s vigilance. But then with vendors numbers, combined by their wise guerilla warfare, commuters still get irked of their presence.

 

Mayor Isko Moreno, faced an enormous challenge. Multitude of vendors swamped Manila. The clearing operators, swoop ten of them in Soler,  twenty of them hawked on Divisoria or Carriedo. The Mayor’s team accustomed of the vendors shrewd tactics evading the law,  it becomes a matter of who gets tired first.

 

Now, if the vendors use their indigent appeal, which touches the soft heart of the Mayor, “confiscate and destroy” of Bayani Fernando’s style had no impact on him, although effective  lessening the vendor’s tribe.

 

Out of the box solution may be in order for this monumental problem. With dedication, shrewd management, and Isko Moreno’s adaptability to the  place he was born, this illegal vendor problems, disappear for sure. Let’s see  who gets tired first!

 

Isko Moreno’s Quips That Last

 

When asked whether the new elect Manila Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso can sustain his blitzkrieg stoppage of the city’s decay, he said, “If the usual rotten degradation comes back,  assured, I got eaten by the system. As simple as that.”

 

His pronouncement carried with it a solemn swear to keep him straight to his vision of Manila. Otherwise, this will haunt him. Whatever comes; be it the usual decay or steady change for the better, his quip perpetuates on people’s minds for generations to come.

 

Challenges confronting Mayor Francisco “Isko Moreno” Domagoso are big. His life is at stake. The degradation of Manila went on for a while. Illegal rackets run by the likes of  ‘Eddy and Patty’ made them powerful silencing whoever gets in their way killing their business.

 

The Mayor exposed the bribe attempt for him of 5 Million pesos per day. If the lure of money don’t work, maybe – threat for the lives of his family and loved ones. Then, the family’s love and his visions of Manila get in the balance. He needed the goodness of his constituents. That shield him from danger and keep his motivation.

 

When Isko Moreno became Mayor, he’s ready and equipped. Born in the toughest neighborhood of Tondo, he’s exposed to hardship to eke out a living to survive. Being an actor, he developed his good public persona. As Manila’s Vice Mayor, he had an intimate knowledge of rackets, corruption, and kingpins that stunts the growth of the city. And as part of the bureaucrats he attained a formal training in public governance.

 

People saw him now as Manila’s savior for it to rise as a prime city, A city neglected in a long while the neighboring metropolis grow modern by leaps and bounds.

 

 

 

Breaking Bad of Crisis Brand

 

Arts imitates politics.

“Crisis our Brand”, a movie released in 2015 starred Sandra Bullock, as Jane Bodine, hired by the campaign team of Senator Pedro Castillo, a tailender in Bolivia’s Presidential contest as a political strategist.

Jane, known to have a penchant “working outside the box,” she maneuvered her client’s campaign on two fronts. One, as she said, “If you don’t like the road you’re on, pave  a new one,” referring her client’s low standing in the polls.

Second: Changing the narrative to fit the man and promote the country’s crisis as a brand.

Jane explored and exploited his dirt, his skeleton in the closet, and the dislikable character of her client: His penchant for foul language,  womanizing and violent tendencies. Then propped the angle –  the country is in crisis – so, it needs a man the likes of Pedro Castillo to govern.

Pedro Castillo’s standing in the polls improved and won the Bolivia’s Presidential race by a slight margin.

“Crisis our Brand” the movie served as a template to  inspire the people behind the Duterte Presidential campaign in 2016.

Jane’s role in the movie could have taken by Nic Gabunada, a former media savvy of ABS-CBN exploiting the tremendous power of the social media through the fake accounts. The deluge of bandwagon effect rubs off the 16 million Filipinos under the pretext that the nation is in crisis, it needed the dislikable quality of Duterte’s persona.

Three years passed, in this coming 2019 midterm election, the death attributed to Duterte’s war on drug multiplied. Human Rights violation increased. The nation’s economy on a tailspin. Corruption perpetrated by Duterte’s  own men rampant. Inefficiencies in the government unabated.

Yet, Duterte had the temerity to get more vicious and salacious attacking his political opponents. His lackeys thoughts adoption of the “Crisis our Brand” still work wonders. Not now that his internet troll  army  decimated.

This  2019 midterm elections  is a referendum of his rule.

 

Two Presidents Brag Their Dicks

Duterte always laced his speeches with sexual innuendos. This didn’t bode well for the Women Organization as Gabriela. Or for Etta Rosales, a former Commissioner of Human Rights, or for Senator Rita Hontiveros – as it demeaned women.

 

In December 2018, Duterte spoke of touching their domestic helper while asleep when he was a teenager. This outraged the women’s sentiments.

 

On April 4, 2019, on a campaign rally  at the Puerto Princesa City Coliseum in Palawan. Duterte took pride of his impressive penis, that could reach up to his belly button.

 

He called Chel Diokno, an “Ocho Diretso” Senatorial candidate as “ugly”. Then segued it with “a man’s good looks doesn’t matter if he has a small penis.”

 

Given a tiny pecker, Duterte said, better chop it in front of the altar and cursed God.

 

“Sonofabitch. Is this you endowed me?”

 

“I’m very thankful to my father. At least, he contributed for me to have  big equipment.”

 

Duterte further likened his penis to that of a microphone. He moved it up to the sky to emphasizing its size.

 

U.S. President Donald Trump, bragged, too, his equipment; not as salacious, but suggestive.

 

In a Fox News Debate, Trump said: “He hits my hands. Nobody has ever hit my hands. I never heard of this. Look at those hands. Are they small hands? And he referred to my hands. They are small. Something else must be small. I guarantee you. No problem,”

 

With Duterte’s latest unbecoming of a President’s speech, bragging his penis, how Gabriela, Etta Rosales, and Rita Hontiveros respond?

 

Let’s see, if they are as vociferous as to the other Duterte’s past misogynists statement.