Philippine Elections Are Violent Because Filipinos Lack Civic Virtue

Like the United States of America the Philippines is a Republic. Practically the whole system of governance was bequeathed to the Philippines by the USA during the colonial period. Why then is the political system in the Philippines so vastly different from the USA? Why, despite the gun and liquor bans during election season, are Philippine elections so incredibly violent? Because Filipinos lack civic virtue.

In The Story of Civilization Book 11 Will Durant writes the following:

https://bawar.net/data0/books/5cb1af64a9e1e/pdf/Durant_Will_-_The_story_of_civilization_11.pdf

He thought of virtue in Montesquieu's sense, as the indispensable basis of a successful republic; without unpurchasable voters and officials democracy would be a sham.

Montesquieu defines virtue thusly in Chapter 5 of In The Spirt of the Laws:

IT is in a republican government that the whole power of education is required. The fear of despotic governments naturally rises of itself amidst threats and punishments: the honour of monarchies is favoured by the passions, and favours them in its turn: but virtue is a self-renunciation, which is ever arduous and painful.

This virtue may be defined the love of the laws and of our country. As such love requires a constant preference of public to private interest, it is the source of all private virtues; for they are nothing more than this very preference itself.

This love is peculiar to democracies. In these alone the government is intrusted to private citizens. Now, government is like every thing else: to preserve it, we must love it.

https://oll.libertyfund.org/title/montesquieu-complete-works-vol-1-the-spirit-of-laws

The influence of Montesquieu on the founders of the United States of America and the framers of the Constitution of the United States would be hard to overstate. Every single one of those men are very clear that only a virtuous people are capable of freedom.

Only a virtuous people are capable of freedom. As nations become corrupt and vicious, they have more need of masters. - Ben Franklin

“Is there no virtue among us? If there be not, we are in a wretched situation. No theoretical checks, no form of government, can render us secure. To suppose that any form of government will secure liberty or happiness without any virtue in the people, is a chimerical idea. If there be sufficient virtue and intelligence in the community, it will be exercised in the selection of these men; so that we do not depend upon their virtue, or put confidence in our rulers, but in the people who are to choose them.” - James Madison

"Of all the dispositions and habits which lead to political prosperity, religion and morality are indispensable  supports.” - George Washington

https://nccs.net/blogs/articles/only-a-virtuous-people-are-capable-of-freedom

Th big difference between the Philippines and the United States is that the USA is the culmination of 2,000 years of political history beginning with Greece. Americans, Western Europeans in general, fought tooth and nail against emperors, kings, and tyrants to eventually form what has been called the American Experiment of self-governance or as Abraham Lincoln said in his Gettysburg address:

Government of the people, by the people, and for the people.

The Philippines went from thousands of years of tribal leader ship to a colonial monarchy for 300 years and then to being given a republican form of government practically overnight. 

It's no wonder why the USA wanted to give Filipinos time to learn how to govern themselves before handing them the reigns. Teddy Roosevelt issued this stern warning about the dangers of giving the Philippines self-governance too soon:

In our anxiety for the welfare and progress of the Philippines, may be that here and there we have gone too rapidly in giving them local self-government. It is on this side that our error, if any, has been committed. No competent observer, sincerely desirous of finding out the facts and influenced only by a desire for the welfare of the natives, can assert that we have not gone far enough. We have gone to the very verge of safety in hastening the process. To have taken a single step farther or faster in advance would have been folly and weakness, and might well have been crime. We are extremely anxious that the natives shall show the power of governing themselves. We are anxious, first for their sakes, and next, because it relieves us of a great burden. There need not be the slightest fear of our not continuing to give them all the liberty for which they are fit.  

The only fear is lest in our over anxiety we give them a degree of independence for which they are unfit, thereby inviting reaction and disaster. As fast as there is any reasonable hope that in a given district the people can govern themselves, self-government has been given in that district. There is not a locality fitted for self-government which has not received it. But it may well be that in certain cases it will have to be withdrawn because the inhabitants show themselves unfit to exercise it; such instances have already occurred. In other words, there is not the slightest chance of our failing to show a sufficiently humanitarian spirit. The danger comes in the opposite direction.

https://www.infoplease.com/homework-help/us-documents/state-union-address-theodore-roosevelt-december-3-1901

The Philippines finally became independent on July 4th, 1946 and what have we seen since then? We have seen a fulfillment of Manuel Quezon's famous dictum that he would rather "have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans." He would later expound upon that remark.

It is true, and I am proud of it, that I once said, “I would rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by Americans.” I want to tell you that I have, in my life, made no other remark which went around the world but that. There had been no paper in the United States, including a village paper, which did not print that statement, and I also had seen it printed in many newspapers in Europe. I would rather have a government run like hell by Filipinos than a government run like heaven by any foreigner. I said that once; I say it again, and I will always say it as long as I live.

But that is not an admission that a government run by Filipinos will be a government run like hell. Much less can it be an admission that a government run by Americans or by the people of any other foreign country, for that matter, can ever be a government run like heaven.

We have had four years of our government—the Government of the Commonwealth of the Philippines—a government run by Filipinos, and I defy anybody, American, foreigner or Filipino, to tell me that ours today is a government run like hell. I should say that this is the best government we have ever had in the Philippines, and I will now enumerate the facts to prove this to you.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/1939/12/09/speech-of-president-quezon-on-civil-liberties-december-9-1939/

This speech was made four years after the enactment of the Commonwealth when the Philippines was making its transition to full independence. Four years is not a time frame by which to judge a nation. The Commonwealth was set up in 1935 which is 88 years ago. What have we seen in that time frame if not a government run like hell with corruption in all levels of government culminating in the disastrous and dictatorial reign of Ferdinand Marcos Sr?

But this is less about political institutions and more about the common man because as the 1987 constitution makes clear:

The Philippines is a democratic and republican State. Sovereignty resides in the people and all government authority emanates from them.

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/constitutions/1987-constitution/

Thus the burden of governance falls squarely on the shoulders of the Filipino people. In idea at least the Philippines is a government of the people, by the people, and for the people. 

Going back to Montesquieu can we really say that Filipinos love the laws of the country and put the public interest over their own?

This virtue may be defined the love of the laws and of our country. As such love requires a constant preference of public to private interest, it is the source of all private virtues; for they are nothing more than this very preference itself.

Absolutely not. 

Take a look at the recent local elections. There was vote buying. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1213455

The Commission on Elections (Comelec) has disqualified 21 candidates, including 10 who won in the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) on Oct. 30.

In a statement late Friday, the poll body said the BSKE bets were disqualified after the First and Second Division found them liable for premature campaigning and vote buying.

"The Commission on Elections has granted motu proprio Petitions for Disqualification against 21 candidates in the October 30, 2023 Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections," the statement read.

Of the 10 winning candidates, two are barangay chairpersons, three barangay kagawad (councilors), two SK chairpersons and three SK councilors.

Out of the 11 losing bets, nine ran for SK kagawad and two for barangay kagawad, the Comelec said.

The poll body said there are still 318 pending motu proprio disqualification cases against BSKE candidates. These include 292 disqualification cases for premature/illegal campaigning and 26 for vote-buying and/or vote selling.

Earlier, the Comelec ordered the suspension of the proclamation of winning candidates who have pending disqualification cases.

There was violence with 26 ending up dead. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1213437

The number of validated election-related incidents (ERIs) from the Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE) has climbed to 96, nearly two weeks after the polls.

In a press conference on Friday, PNP spokesperson Col. Jean Fajardo said there were actually 305 incidents recorded from Aug. 28 to Nov. 9.

Of the total, 13 were undergoing validation while 196 were classified as not related to the Oct. 30 polls.

The confirmed poll-related incidents left at least 26 dead and 96 injured, she added.

The Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao has the most number of validated ERIs at 55, followed by Northern Mindanao with 14; six in Eastern Visayas; five in Cordillera; four in Bicol; three each in Ilocos and Central Visayas; and one each in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Mimaropa, Western Visayas, Soccskargen and Zamboanga Peninsula.

The majority of the verified election-related incidents were shooting, mauling, and physical injury.

On the other hand, the police arrested 2,211 BSKE gun ban violators and confiscated 1,689 firearms.

A total of 2,425 firearms were also deposited to the PNP for safekeeping while 1,785 were surrendered.

The election period for the BSKE will end on Nov. 29.

And as of this writing 5 newly elected officials have been assassinated. 

https://www.sunstar.com.ph/cebu/5-newly-elected-brgy-officials-killed-a-week-after-polls

A TOTAL of five newly elected barangay officials were killed a little over a week following the just concluded Barangay and Sangguniang Kabataan Elections (BSKE), the Philippine National Police (PNP) reported.

Of the five victims, two were from villages in North Cotabato, and one each from Pasay City, Davao del Norte, and Pagadian City in Zamboanga.

In a press conference on Wednesday, Nov. 8, 2023, PNP spokesperson Colonel Jean Fajardo said they recorded six violent incidents involving newly elected government officials, which two were in Soccsksargen and one each in the National Capital Region, Calabarzon, Northern Mindanao and Davao Region.

Of the six victims, two were newly elected barangay chairmen, while four were barangay councilors.

On Nov. 1, Suharto Antillino was gunned down by a still unidentified suspect shortly after he was proclaimed as among the winning barangay council candidates of Barangay Poblacion in Midsayap town.

Barangay 37, Pasay City Kagawad Lina Camacho was also shot dead while inside the barangay hall on Nov. 6. One of the two suspects was arrested.

On Nov. 7, Barangay Datu Abdul Dadia in Panabo City chairman Paul Albert Saquian was gunned down while driving his car.

On the same day, Barangay Dolores, Antipas, North Cotabato councilman Edmar Perero was also shot dead while on board a tricycle.

The latest victim was newly elected Lapedian, Pagadian City village chief Rodolfo Dacol, who succumbed to a bullet wound in his abdomen on Thursday, Nov. 9.

Fajardo considered the first six incidents as election-related.

Fajardo said they are still monitoring post-election activities and scenarios.

He added that regional directors and field commanders were given the discretion to determine if they would lower their alert status, particularly their security deployments in areas where they see that the situation is still hot especially even after the election.

That is NOT the doings of a virtuous people. 

One has to wonder why there was so much violence over local elections. It comes down to power. Filipinos are clannish and so all the barangays in the nation as well as cities and various fiefdoms are run by families and they will do anything to keep their family in power. 

But this is nothing new. Filipinos have been terrorizing Filipinos since long before the Spanish arrived. The natives even thanked the Spanish from saving them from the tyranny and domination of their chiefs. 

“We answer that we wish the king of España to be our king and sovereign, for he has sent Castilians to us, who are freeing us from the tyranny and domination of our chiefs, as well as fathers who aid us against the same Castilians and protect us from them.”

The Philippine Islands, 1493-1898, Volume XXIII, 1629-30, pg. 253

Manuel Quezon is wrong. The government of the Philippines, from barangay to Malacañang, is run like hell. The reason why is because Filipinos have no civic virtue. As it is the Philippines remains one of the most lawless nations on the planet. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2023/10/26/2306513/rule-law-philippines-remains-one-weakest-region

Rule of law in the Philippines remained one of the weakest in East Asia and the Pacific, as the country fell one spot in the latest index of the World Justice Project. 

With a score of 0.46, the Philippines ranked 100th out of 142 countries in the WJP Rule of Law Index 2023. 

In the East Asia and Pacific region, Manila ranked 13th out of 15. Other nations with low scores in the region were Myanmar and Cambodia. 

Countries get a score of zero to one, with one indicating strongest adherence to rule of law. 

The Philippines scored 0.47 in constraints on government powers, 0.43 in absence of corruption, 0.47 in open government, 0.40 in fundamental rights, 0.67 in order and security, 0.47 in regulatory enforcement, 0.45 in civil justice, and 0.31 in criminal justice. 

Filipinos do not love let alone respect the laws of this nation. But they do love power. Especially the power that "grows out of a barrel of a gun."

"Is Rappler inciting another Ukraine in the Philippines?"

The hysteria surrounding the Rappler-COMELEC partnership is out of control. Both columnist Rigoberto Tiglao and Solicitor General Jose Calida claim that with this partnership the USA will effectively rig the election for Robredo. Now Mario Ferdinand Paison claims that Rappler will lead the Philippines to war. 

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/03/06/opinion/columns/is-rappler-inciting-another-ukraine-in-the-philippines/1835221

Mario Ferdinand Paison is the director of Phil-BRICS Strategic Studies which describes itself thusly:

The PHILIPPINE – BRICS STRATEGIC STUDIES (Phil-BRICS) is a registered non-profit organization dedicated to promoting global multi-polarity and Philippine leadership in global peace and prosperity advocacy. 

Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa are important new global actors that the Philippines must learn to deal with. They are both collaborators and competitors to the traditional center economies of the United States and Europe. They offer both possibilities and perils for the Philippines should its leadership opt to pursue strategic development and an independent foreign policy. This will be most challenging when it comes to China, the leading BRICS country. 

https://philbrics.com/about/

It would seem that whatever this group does they should have a basic understanding of the intricacies of geopolitics.  Let's take a look at this article and see if that is the case.

WE may well be headed for war in the Philippines. The Philippines is letting inciters of revolutions into the heart of our election process. Why are we letting Rappler, which receives some $150,000 a year from the National Endowment for Democracy, or NED, the known funder of antigovernment protest groups, including violent rioters, in the Arab and Ukraine revolutions and Hong Kong protests, the financial arm of the CIA as admitted by the former head of NED, Alan Weinsten, himself, be the official media partner of the Commission on Elections (Comelec)? During the height of the Hong Kong protests, Dr. Michael Pillsbury of Hudson Institute admitted that the NED also funded "millions of dollars of programs" in Hong Kong. Sen. Francis "Kiko" Pangilinan had glorified the rioters as freedom fighters yet did not report on the rioters receiving foreign funding and training. Why should the US be allowed to be the official observer in our elections?

How do they incite revolutions? Aside from funding, training and organizing parties, western and NED-supported media will block almost all news unfavorable to the US and its allies, and will magnify criticisms of non-allies and create anger, hatred and ridicule. Examples?

Right off the bat Mario claims that because Rappler receives NED grants that means the US will be admitted "into the heart of our election process." He then asks, "Why should the US be allowed to be the official observer in our elections?" How is the US an official observer in the Philippine elections? He gives absolutely no proof for this claim and merely assumes it because Rappler receives NED grants. Does Mario not know that many other organizations in the Philippines receive NED grants and that they receive much more money than Rappler?

The elected Ukraine government was overthrown with US support, including with US white supremacist-supported neo-Nazis, such as the Azov Battalion attacking and burning people and government buildings, using swastikas and similar symbols, marching with torches evenings in 2014, and honoring as hero Stepan Bandera, who had collaborated with the Germans including in the ethnic cleansing of the Poles and Jews.

The Ukraine war was warned against already years ago by Kissinger, historians and diplomats, building up for over a decade due to acts from the West's five waves of NATO aggression. The US and NATO promised not to recruit and arm the European countries but entered over a dozen countries to the very border of Russia and refused to sign an agreement not to arm Ukraine against Russia, refusing to even put it on the agenda.

These two paragraphs correctly explains what has been happening in Ukraine for the past 30 years and why Russia has decided to invade. The US wanted Ukraine in NATO and Russia did not want NATO on his border. This war was a long time coming and can be directly traced to US meddling. How does that situation remotely relate to the Philippines? The only likely candidate to invade the Philippines would be China as they continue to encroach on Philippine territory in the WPS.

Russia and China immediately sent emergency weapons and bullets for our soldiers in the Marawi Crisis, when President Duterte requested for assistance after the US and Europe initially blocked much-needed arms delivery.

What an incredible lie that is. DND Secretary Lorenzana can clear that up for Mario.

The US was assisting from the beginning. Not to mention the US has been giving military assistance to the Philippines since 1898. 

Another threat to our elections, US-funded Rappler, with a record of biased news or selective reporting and foreign support in millions of dollars, being given an official role in the National Elections by the Comelec, should be unacceptable to any self-respecting country or even to an organization with any integrity.

Earlier in this piece Mario said Rappler gets $150,000 per year from the NED. Surely Rappler's expenses are more that $150,000. Yet Mario insists that Rappler is US-funded. Does he not know that both the PCOO and the Philippine News Agency are partnered with and receive assistance from China?

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1064816

The Chinese Embassy is set to donate an additional PHP15 million worth of information technology equipment to the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO) to help improve its services.

PCOO Secretary Martin Andanar bared this noting that his agency expects to receive the amount sometime in May or June.

This amount comes on top of the PHP140 million worth of radio and broadcasting equipment the Chinese Embassy previously donated to the agency.

Last month, Chinese Ambassador Zhao Jianhua also led the turn-over ceremony of computers, camcorders, teleprompters to state-run Philippine News Agency (PNA) and Radyo Pilipinas of the Philippine Broadcasting Service (PBS).

Does this mean China is meddling in the affairs of the Philippines in an attempt to shape public opinion about them? Does Mario not know that the Philippines receives millions in aid each year from a variety of nations including the USA, the EU, and Australia? It is a complete double standard to claim that Rappler receiving a paltry $150,000 NED grant is US funded and to not claim the Philippines is US funded when the  government receives even more in foreign funding.

Why are former associate justice Antonio Carpio, former Foreign Affairs secretary Albert del Rosario, UP professor Jay Batongbacal, DLSU professor Renato de Castro, et al. quiet on direct US meddling in our elections but raise a howl on unproven, "possibilities" of a "Manchurian Candidate"? Why have Rappler, Inquirer and ABS-CBS not reported on the US embassy lobbying in Comelec to have an official poll watchers role in our elections — when the US involved itself in Egyptian, Venezuelan, Iraqi, Ukrainian and other elections; when these nations saw coups, color revolutions, "Arab springs," "Ukrainian springs," and eventually collapse.

Is Mario unaware that foreign observers during an election is not a new thing? In 2016 their presence prevented voter fraud at some polling stations.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/785340/foreign-observers-report-incidents-of-vote-buying-violence

Besides several reports of vote-buying and violence in polling precincts, a group of foreign observers on Thursday concluded that the 2016 Philippine election was “generally orderly and peaceful.”

The Compact for Peaceful and Democratic Elections—International Observers Mission (Compact-IOM) detailed during a press conference in Manila the experience of 15 foreign delegates who were deployed to monitor 91 precincts in Cotabato, Maguindanao, Bohol, Dinagat Islands and Santiago in Isabela.

Coordinator Arnold Tarrobago said Compact-IOM has been organizing observation missions since 2004 to bring “positive influences on the election process.”

Citing people on the ground, he said, “The presence of election observers in their area prevented or helped prevent incidences of fraud and violence that they were expecting to happen.”

Despite this, the delegates observed crowded precincts where other people could easily see the ballots of people voting.

The group in Cotabato also received reports from the Parish Pastoral Council for Responsible Voting (PPCRV) that their poll watchers were pulled out from six precincts after  “threatening men came into the voting rooms, instructed them to take off their PPCRV identifying t-shirts then proceeded to order them out of the room.”

Batongbacal quoted the local PPCRV as saying that the men “took over the voting rooms and vote counting machine (VCM) machines. And they started shading and feeding ballots into the machine.”

They also visited a city hall and an elementary school in Maguindanao that were bombed before the elections.

In Bohol, German national Dominik Hammann said that most precincts were well-organized. It was mostly peaceful, he said, although there were claims of vote-buying, including threats to cut off  the beneficiaries’ access to the government’s conditional cash transfer program.

Were these delegates from the USA, Germany, Sweden, and Japan meddling with the election? No. In fact their presence was a good thing. 

"Rappler is the 'least trusted' media entity in the country. This is like a 'free-pass' on Rappler to mold public opinion. And given their known bias toward other candidates, their participation can only heighten the public's apprehension that the coming election would not be fair, credible and transparent," argued National Press Club President Paul Gutierrez. How was the spokesman for Comelec James Jimenez able to get the Comelec Acting Chairman Socorro Inting to sign the memorandum of agreement with Rappler?

How the heck would Rappler mold public opinion if they are the least trusted media entity in the country? That makes no sense and it is this ability to craft the news and shape public opinion that Mario is claiming will lead to war. But apparently no one believes them. So, how will it work? It won't.

After Ukraine, the Philippines is next. We should avoid becoming the Iraq, Afghanistan, Yemen of Asia.

What a conclusion.  What a baseless and ridiculous conclusion. Mario did not offer a shred of proof for his claim that the Philippines may be headed for war because of the Rappler/COMELEC partnership. The Philippines is a strategic ally of the United States. Why in the world would they want to turn it into a battle zone? The only country marching towards war in this region of the world is China. North Korea is too but they do not pose the same threat to the Philippines as China does and there are many in this country who would let them have their way. 

This opinion piece is stupid. Mario is entitled to his opinion but since it is not rooted in reality it is best to toss it in the garbage.

Let's look at another article about the Rappler/COMELEC partnership which is more grounded than the gibberish Mario has pulled out of his hat.

https://www.manilatimes.net/2022/03/06/opinion/columns/the-disturbing-comelec-rappler-partnership/1835223

IS there a plot to get the presidential elections in May declared a failure if survey-topping candidate Ferdinand "Bongbong" Marcos Jr. looks set to win?

This column will address a related and crucial question: Will the nation and the world, especially the tens of millions voting for Marcos, assuming he wins, accept the claim of election failure?

After all, in a Marcos victory, especially a landslide, there would probably be far more Filipinos disputing claims of poll irregularities than supporting them. How can their collective voices be countered or silenced?

In this column Ricardo Saludo assumes that in the event Bongbong Marcos Jr wins the election Rappler will declare that the election was a failure claiming Bongbong did not legitimately win. He then looks at a few ways how those who would dispute any declared failure of elections would be silenced.

First, the Comelec partnership projects Rappler as an impartial, expert election news and information source, despite its widely perceived leanings against the Duterte administration and the Marcos family, and in favor of the opposition, especially Vice President Maria Leonor "Leni" Robredo.

Second, Rappler has the most powerful ally in projecting and propagating its reports and views as valid, fair and true, especially on the biggest and most influential social media platform wielding immense sway across the Philippines and the planet: Facebook.

Since 2018, Rappler has been FB's fact-checking partner in the country. Hence, in social media jousts between Rappler and groups disputing its accounts, no prizes for guessing which of them FB's fact-checking partner would likely disparage as dubious or even block altogether.

The third and perhaps biggest factor in propagating Rappler's perspective on the elections is the West's agenda for the Philippines, which is now dominated by the geopolitical rivalry between America and China.

While American Embassy charges d'affaires Heather Variava maintains that the United States can work with whoever becomes the next Philippine President, it much prefers a leader who would fully implement the 2014 Enhanced Defense Cooperation Agreement (EDCA), allowing massive rotations of US forces in the country with access to our military bases, starting with those in Pampanga, Nueva Ecija, Cebu, Puerto Princesa and Cagayan de Oro.

Will Western media and tech giants go along with the West's agenda and affirm claims of election failure in the Philippines? Well, that same media adopted as gospel truth one untruth disseminated by Rappler for years: the false report that the Philippine National Police (PNP) had killed tens of thousands of people in President Duterte's anti-narcotics campaign.

Now, if the West decides that voiding a Marcos victory and supporting a power grab by a losing candidate willing to implement EDCA is in its geopolitical interest, then we may see Rappler's claims of election anomalies played up across the world, while contrary reports and opinions are silenced, just like perspectives supporting Russia or opposing mass Covid vaccination.

At that point, the only question remaining is whether the Armed Forces of the Philippines, with its decades of close relations with the US military, would back another "people power" uprising, fueled by claims of election fraud.

In such a scenario, which would hopefully never happen, Philippine democracy and independence may well be lost.

This scenario is at least more thoughtful and realistic than the one given by Mario of the Philippines turning into another Ukraine. Though it's not very plausible. Ricardo says because Rappler has a partnership with Facebook and Western media that means any reporting of election failure would be amplified around the world and seen as truthful and any contrary report as being fake news. He uses the example of Rappler's reporting the number of drug deaths by the PNP being in the tens of thousands which was believed by Western media despite it being wrong. But this is exactly what the PNP reported.

https://philippinefails.blogspot.com/2019/07/how-many-people-have-died-as-result-of.html

No reasonable reading of this report would lead one to believe that the 16,355 HCUIs are anything but related to the drug war. The numbers are on a page titled "Fighting Illegal Drugs." If people are confused about the #RealNumbers the PNP have themselves to blame for appending the dubious label "Deaths Under Investigation" to unsolved homicides and including those numbers in the drug war data.

Ricardo Saludo's scenario ends with the AFP having to decide if they will back another "people power" which would be fueled by reports of election failure. But how exactly would it escalate to that point? Rappler does not control all the media in the Philippines. There are many media organizations such as GMA, ABS-CBN, PNA, Philstar, and The Manila Times. If Rappler is the least trusted news organization and is reporting something provably false and everyone else is contradicting them how could a claim of election failure rise to the level of a new "people power" involving the AFP? Why would the AFP forcibly oust Marcos if they knew Rappler was lying and he legitimately won?

Not to mention that the US envoy said the US would work with whoever is elected. So, why would the US incite actions to remove Marcos if he wins? There are also ten candidates on the ballot. Which one would the US pick to be the winner? Why does it have to be Robredo? What if Pacquiao wins? Will this scenario kick into high gear in order to get Robredo in the Palace?

This article is a lot more sober than the first one warning that Rappler is turning the Philippines into another Ukraine which will inevitably result in war. It is not any less paranoid and ridiculous.

A Bato Mural

Out of the blue a Bato mural popped up downtown.

It's a moving tribute to the former PNP Chief and Senatorial aspirant but this looks less like Bato and more like a horse.

Again out of the blue and apparently overnight this Bato mural was altered. Maybe the artist reconsidered his depiction of Bato with a horsey grin and wanted something more realistic.

That is certainly a realistic depiction but not of Bato. 

In this altered version not only has Bato been transformed into Bruce Willis but he has also been forced into the background. Whereas in the first version BATO was writ large in huge capital letters now his name relegated to a tiny caption under his chin. BACOLOD has been substituted for BATO which doesn't make any sense if this mural is to be a tribute to Bato.  He is not from this city. Even the horse faced Bato looked more like Bato. 

I am sure the real Bato would not be displeased. After all it is the thought that counts.

Election Campaign Poster Violations Bingo

Now that the election campaign season is over don't count on any of the myriad of campaign posters being removed anytime soon. Many of them will stay up until the wind blows them away or the sun rots them through. The proliferation of so many posters transforms the cityscape into a sight even more ugly and crowded than is usual. Also many of the posters have been hung in areas forbidden by Comelec rules. How hard is it to not hang a poster on a tree or an electrical post?  Here is huge display in a very public space informing electioneers of where to not hang their banners.

Let's see how many violations we can find. Can we get a bingo?

1. Trees

2. Light Posts

3. Traffic Signs

4. Waiting Sheds

5. Sidewalks

6. Bridges

7. Overpasses and Underpasses

8. Road Centre Islands

9. Electrical Wires

10. Schools

11.  Barangay Halls

12. Health Centers

13. Public Shrines

14. Public Transport Terminals

15. Airports

16. Seaports

17. Government Patrol Cars, Ambulances

18. Trains and Their Stations

19. Public Announcement Boards

How does the board look now?  Is there a bingo?

Sadly there is no bingo. Only 8 of 19 prohibited spots have been crossed off but that is merely from my observations. I am quite sure elsewhere in the country, like Manila, I could have gotten not only a bingo but covered the whole board.

A word about number 19 though. The category is "public announcement boards" and is illustrated by a picture of a billboard but the picture I have included is a public announcement board letting the public know about ongoing construction projects. I think it falls under the category so it's staying.

Even though I did not get a bingo maybe you can get one. Take notice as you go about town and mark off each violation you see. You could be a winner!

Blaring Election Truck Speakers

If you think those trucks blasting out popular songs with altered lyrics all about a candidate are annoying then you ain't seen nothing yet. Check out this behemoth!

Just look at that huge stack of speakers! When I walked by I could feel my whole being rattle. What is the point of that? This is not the only candidate using a wall of speakers to get your vote.

Again what is the point?  I hope the point is that as this was a festival these guys are not driving around every day blaring music from these speakers but they are just being festive. Somehow I doubt it.

Remember BOOM BOOM BOOM to BOOM BOOM BOOM vote for BOOM BOOM BOOM me!

A Public Cemetery Desecrated by Campaign Posters

When I first saw signs designating a public cemetery a "Comelec Common Poster Area" I thought it was a joke. Even Comelec spokesman James Jimenez thought it was a terribly unfunny photoshop on my part.

https://twitter.com/Philippinefails/status/1096531046516977664

Sadly these signs are not a joke. Even sadder is that the various campaigns have taken these signs seriously and hung up their posters all over the Granada Public Cemetery.

Here is video footage to verify this is not a photoshop.

Two more "Comelec Common Poster Area" signs are also hanging in front of the barangay hall.

That anyone involved in campaigning has taken these signs seriously just goes to show they do not even know the Comelec's rules about where posters may not be hung.

Section 7. Prohibited Forms of Election Propaganda. - During the campaign period it is unlawful: 

f. To post, display or exhibit any election campaign or propaganda material outside of authorised common poster areas, in public places, or in private properties without the consent of the owner thereof. 

Public places include any of the following: 

5. Schools, public shrines, barangay halls, government offices, health centres, public structures and buildings of any edifice thereof. 

The printing press, printer, or publisher who prints reproduces or publishes said campaign material, and the broadcaster , station manager, owner of the radio or televisions station, or owner or administrator of any website who airs or shows the political advertisements without the required data or in violation of these rules shall be criminally liable with the candidate and, if applicable, further suffer the penalties of suspension or revocation of franchise or permit in accordance with the law. 

Nothing in these rules shall be construed as limiting the author of the appropriate agencies and instrumentalities of the government to promulgate their own rules and regulations, regarding the posting of political print advertising on any regulated land, sea and air vehicle, including but not limited to public utility vehicles and tricycles.

http://comelec.gov.ph/php-tpls-attachments/2019NLE/Resolutions/com_res_10488.pdf

Campaign posters cannot be displayed or exhibited at barangay halls or public shrines and yet someone has hung huge signs in front of the barangay hall and the public cemetery designating these places as "Comelec Common Poster Areas." Admittedly the Comelec rules do not explicitly prohibit the hanging of campaign materials in a public cemetery. But surely that would fall under public shrines? Every November 1st the whole nation pours into the cemeteries to honour the dead. What kind of person would dare desecrate a cemetery in such a way? Does everything need to be explicitly spelled out?

In our brief Twitter exchange Comelec spokesman James Jimenez asked for the location of these banners and assured me he would send someone to check on this situation. That tweet is not available anymore. He must have deleted it. Nevertheless I was under the impression he would send someone to see just what is happening in Brgy. Granada. That was February 16th.

I have no idea if he has sent anyone nor do I have any idea if he knows who put up these "Comelec Common Poster Area" signs in areas prohibited by Comelec rules but I know who did and now I will tell you.

This guy did it:

https://www.facebook.com/Brgy.GranadaOfficialPage/photos/a.1483713411755790/1494733687320429/?type=3&theater

Alfredo Talimodao, Jr the Punong Barangay.  He is the individual who placed the Comelec signs at both the cemetery and in front of the barangay hall. He did it so people would hang up their posters in one spot and not all over the place. Of course posters are still being hung all over the place.  Take a look at this mess right in front of the cemetery:

It looks like someone's wash hanging out to dry! Is this even necessary? Does this display endear you to and make you want to vote for those candidates? Of course not. But there it is. 

Unbelievably Alfredo Talimodao is apparently unaware that the Comelec forbids campaign materials to be posted at barangay halls and public shrines. He actually denied that this is the case.

Now you are probably wondering how I know for a 100% sure fact that the Barangay Captain is the culprit. Well I can't tell you that. I'm sorry. I know how politics works here and I don't want to be visited unexpectedly by unwanted guests. All I can tell you is that I know this to be true with the utmost certainty. One thing I don't know is why he chose the cemetery to be a poster area. The barangay hall I understand but the cemetery? It's a scared place of rest for the dead and now this tomb of a husband and wife is covered in pictures of Duterte, Bong Go, Bato, and Tolentino.

Rest in peace Ernesto Carillo Moises, Sr. and Adoracion T. Moises.

What would the families and friends of this couple think if they knew this tomb was being desecrated all at the instigation of the Punong Barangay?