Backfired

Believe it or not! This is how crazy politics is in the Philippines and around the world. After watching the wrestling match at the Senate last week chaired by Senator Leila De Lima on the alleged extra-judicial killings, I got so sick in the pit of my stomach.

Yes, politics hurts you. Politics changes you. Politics can kill you. Politics can make you stupid! Think of the many politicians whose lives have been broken, shattered and taken by it. What’s worse is that political parties outsmarting one another just to win a seat are too engrossed in winning they’ve forgotten respect for self, respect for others and respect for the country.

Social media and radio stations are all so heated up on last week’s showdown. That showed a Senate Chairperson committing blunders, two senators acting up and making a fool of themselves. Well, what’s new? What a catastrophe! I think the next move is to demolish the Senate and that goes for Congress as well. What a failure! What an embarrassment. What an agony for the Filipinos who work hard everyday, who burn the midnight oil just to survive.

Don’t be fooled by the news you hear or read. Everyone wants to share his take and analysis of this episodic thriller. Even foreign media has written erroneous news and have bannered faulty headlines without confirming the truth. They have resorted to writing from hearsay or plucking out tidbits from the local news without reviewing and understanding the whole issue, thus, ending up with unreliable, unsubstantiated news and more often than not, taken out of context. What happened to investigative journalism? Sanamagan!

There seems to be an overload of misinformation happening these days. The cause of misunderstanding is that we have too little information. We don’t even know half the truth because these politicians are all a bunch of liars trying to cover up for something bigger than a kahuna.

Both the local and foreign reporters including the netizens have only touched on the surface of things. Don’t be too ignorant to realize that we have been misguided, misled, misinformed by these political scoundrels who are using media as their weapon to strike out each other. Don’t forget the mentality of our politicians is not really to give the right answer but to reason out to get the answer they want to say or want to hear. Sanamagan!

A good friend, RG San Luis clearly explains the abuses De Lima did in the senate last week: “She violated Senate rules by introducing Matobato as a surprise witness. The resolution she filed defining the parameters of the Justice Committee investigation in aid of legislation into the alleged extra-judicial killings covers the period from June 30 to the present. The offenses cited by Matobato didn’t occur within this time frame. Even with the President, the acts attributed to him were committed when he was still the Mayor of Davao. Committee hearings in the legislative are always in aid of legislation. They’re not court proceedings where the witness is on the stand being cross-examined by the plaintiff and the defendant’s counsels. From a legal standpoint, Matobato’s claims fall into the category of hearsay. The most glaring inconsistency is the fact that Matobato was under the Witness Protection Program (WPP) during the time now Senator De Lima was the Secretary of Justice. Shouldn’t the question be more about why she didn’t act on Matobato’s claims then and charged the then Mayor of Davao with murder and homicide if warranted? The main purpose of De Lima’s hearing is to bring the world’s attention to what is supposedly gross human rights violations being committed in the country at present. Clearly, De Lima and her cohorts want the President to fail. No attention has been paid to the plight of the victims of crimes perpetrated by drug-crazed criminals. For the Liberals, it’s only about political expediency and a return to power if they succeed in ousting the duly elected President of the Philippines.”

If De Lima’s intentions were pure and sincere then the world would have gotten what they wanted, that is, clarification on the alleged extra-judicial killings happening in this country. And the Senate would have stepped up on its function to strengthen legislation. But no, she took advantage of her position, the situation and exaggerated – big time. Now, all her actions have backfired on her. Now we are all waiting for what is going to happen in Congress. De Lima’s big day! Another circus. Another “tragicomedy” (tragedy and comedy combined). Another day for the Filipinos to get sick, depressed and mad.

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Meanwhile, while all these are happening at the House of Representatives, the president continues to do his work to serve the Filipino people. On his 81st day in office, the president has the following achievements to his name: the fast and efficient work done by DSWD in response to the needs of Batanes after typhoon Ferdie; decline in crime volume in the past three months; mass surrender of drug users to authorities in line with his war on drugs; creation of an emergency and citizens’ complaints hotline; achieving a robust stock market; streamlining bureaucracy in government offices to provide efficient service to the public; strengthening the campaign against contractual employment (ENDO); receiving the USB2.4 grant from Japan for the construction of the railway from Tutuban, Manila to Bulacan; modernization of the AFP to enhance military capability; creation of one-stop shop for OFWs to expedite the processing of documents; change in the administration of the Bilibid Prison; resumption of peace talks with communist and Muslim rebel groups; opening of the Department of Agrarian Reforms to farmers; and approval of the proposal to host the Ms. Universe 2017 that will surely boost tourism in the country.  Despite the odds President Duterte has remained true to his promise of giving the Filipino people what they deserve – a better life.

It may be the world against President Duterte. But in his homeland, he is the knight in the shining armor, all saddled up to kill if he must to protect his people. While he may be the most misunderstood president ever to have been elected, he is also the most loved because he is true to his words and in his actions.