That Time Imelda Marcos Officiated Pee-Wee Herman's Marriage

Of all the crazy things about Imelda Marcos, and there are many crazy things about the Iron Butterfly, perhaps the craziest is that she officiated Pee-Wee Herman's mock marriage to Doris Duke's adopted daughter Chandi Heffner in 1989.

First some background.

In November 1988 Imelda Marcos was arrested on racketeering charges. Billionaire Duke Doris loaned Imelda $5 million for her bail.

The tobacco heiress Doris Duke has agreed to post $5 million bail for her friend Imelda Marcos, the former First Lady of the Philippines.

Lawyers for Mrs. Marcos yesterday presented the bond package to Judge John F. Keenan in Federal District Court in Manhattan, where she was arraigned Monday on racketeering charges.

By yesterday afternoon, a court officer was dispatched to Miss Duke's 2,700-acre estate in Somerville, N.J., to get her personal guarantee - backed by more than $5 million in municipal bonds held in a New York bank - that Mrs. Marcos will make all required appearances in court.

https://www.nytimes.com/1988/11/03/world/doris-duke-offers-mrs-marcos-s-bail.html

The loan was to be repaid with interest by March 6th, 1990. But at the time of Doris Duke's death in 1993 the loan had still not been repaid. Miss Duke left explicit instructions in her will to collect the money.

B. I direct that my Executors make reasonable arrangements with IMELDA MARCOS (or the legal representatives of her estate, if she shall not survive me) for the repayment of the Five Million Dollars ($5,000,000), plus accrued interest, that I loaned to her pursuant to a demand note dated March 6, 1990, such repayment to be made when Mrs. Marcos and the Philippines government settle their financial dispute or at such other time as my Executors shall deem appropriate in their absolute discretion.

https://www.will-laws.com/famous_will/doris-duke

Unsurprisingly Imelda has still not repaid this loan pleading "poverty."

This March, it will be 30 years since the Philippines’ erstwhile first lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, 90, was presented with a Demand for Payment for one of the largest personal debts known in history—a $5 million loan advanced by the late American tobacco heiress Doris Duke to Mrs. Marcos in late 1988 as bail money to stave off Imelda’s going to jail.  Mrs. Marcos had just been charged with racketeering by New York’s Southern District court.  After all this time, the debt remains unpaid and, counting interest, has more than doubled. 

Will Imelda’s debt ever be paid? Not even when hell freezes over, and for several reasons:

One, Imelda has outlived Doris.  I am sure Imelda is thinking Doris had several million dollars at her disposal when she was alive; surely, she wasn’t wanting for a mere five million. What more now that to ashes she had returned? 

Two, Imelda still continues to plead “poverty.”  Due to exposure to liability, not too many liquid assets are attached to Imelda directly.  The Pacific Plaza penthouse, which she now calls home, was supposedly bought by her brothers and sisters; hence, the owner on record is probably a shell corporation with Limited Liability and cannot be seized easily.

Three, what recourse does Doris’ foundation have?  Practically none.   As far as is claimed, the surviving Marcoses no longer have any known tangible assets in the US that can be attached.  Furthermore, Imelda and offsprings Imee and Bongbong have outstanding warrants in the US as scofflaws and deadbeats to the judgments of the Hawaii courts. Thus, none of them will voluntarily be setting foot on American soil any time soon.  Hence, how can DDCF serve them a Collection Notice or lien if they no longer have any assets in the USA? 

https://www.positivelyfilipino.com/magazine/imeldas-debt-which-keeps-on-going

While out on bail Mrs. Marcos was free to roam around the USA which allowed her to return to Honolulu. It was in Honolulu in 1989 at Doris Duke's estate where Imelda Marcos met Pee-wee Herman, Paul Reubens, at a dinner party. That is where she officiated at Pee-Wee's mock marriage to Doris Duke's adopted daughter Chandi Heffner. 

https://archive.vanityfair.com/article/1999/9/return-from-planet-pee-wee

Though never much of a premiere-goer or one to vacation in Aspen or the Hamptons, Reubens did enjoy the celebrity perk of meeting other famous and successful people. He got to know the late Heiress Doris Duke and her adopted adult daughter, Chandi Heffner, whom he had met in Hawaii though Jim Nabors (whom he had met through Charo). Though some in Duke's circle looked down their noses at Reubens--"He was singing for his supper," says one--she enjoyed his company. There was a semi-notorious dinner party in 1989 at Shangri-la, Duke's faux-Persian Diamond Head estate, during which Reubens and Heffner exchanged vows in an improptu mock wedding ceremony. Nabors serenaded the couple, and, Reubens says, "I still have the temporary marriage license signed by Imelda Marcos" (whom Duke had recently bailed out of prison). I wonder: what do you talk about at a dinner party with Doris Duke, Jim Nabors, and Imelda Marcos? "Oh, they were talking about everything. They were talking about the F.B.I., they were talking about, you know, gold and prices. It just ran the gamut."

Of course Imelda Marcos and friends were talking about the FBI and the price of gold. What else would they talk about?

There is really not much about this event anywhere online. There are no pictures of the marriage license, no pictures of Imelda Marcos with Pee-Wee Herman, and no more details than what is in the above article from Vanity Fair. 

Netflix is Once Again Influencing Philippine Politics

Three years ago I wrote an article titled "The Influence of Netflix on Philippine Politics." The article focused on how then Senator Lacson's political opinions were being influenced by watching Netflix. After watching the show Designated Survivor which is about the line of succession after the President and others are killed. He introduced legislation called the Presidential Succession Act, referred to simply as the designated survivor bill to address such a situation should it arise in the Philippines. As of now the Philippines has no designated survivor rule.

That brings us to Vice President Sara Duterte. When asked if she would be attending President Marcos' State of the Union Address she said no and appointed herself the country's designated survivor. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/07/12/2369627/sara-skip-sona-names-self-designated-survivor

After skipping the Palarong Pambansa opening, Vice President Sara Duterte is also not attending President Marcos’ State of the Nation Address (SONA) on July 22.

This is the first time that she will be absent at the event since the pair ascended to power after their team-up scored a landslide victory in 2022.

“No, I will not attend the SONA. I am appointing myself as the designated survivor,” Duterte said in an interview yesterday at the inauguration of the Child and Adolescent Neurodevelopment Center in Davao City.

Duterte did not elaborate on what she meant by “designated survivor,” which drew negative comments from certain quarters.

In the United States, a “designated survivor” must be secured in case the president and all of the constitutional successors are killed or incapacitated in a terrorist attack or calamity.

Duterte’s decision to skip the SONA raised questions about her insistence that she remains friends with Marcos despite her resignation from his Cabinet.

Sought for comment, House secretary-general Reginald Velasco said they would still wait for an official communication from the Office of the Vice President.

In a previous interview, he told journalists that Congress is giving much leeway to VIPs, including the Vice President, as a matter of policy as it is their privilege to confirm their last-minute attendance at the SONA.

For his part, Speaker Martin Romualdez said yesterday “every public official has the prerogative to decide on their attendance at significant events.”

He added that the SONA is “a crucial moment for unity and collaboration among our nation’s leaders,” which is why the people “deserve to see their leaders united for the collective good.”

Rep. Joel Chua of Manila’s third district said Duterte assigning herself as a designated survivor is concerning, as her declaration was “not a laughing matter” amidst the current political tension.

“Strictly speaking, VP Duterte does not have that appointing power for a designated survivor because it is the 1987 Constitution that designates the Vice as the first next-in-line to succeed the President,” Chua said.

Sara's statements have drawn many comments from across the aisle adjuring her to stop watching too much Netflix.

https://mb.com.ph/2024/7/12/vp-sara-told-netflix-a-poor-basis-for-your-actions

Netflix shouldn't be used as basis for things that a high--ranking government official does or doesn't do. 

Thus, said Camiguin lone district Rep. Jurdin Jesus Romualdo in a statement Friday, July 12 as he chided Vice President Sara Duterte for her supposed reason for skipping the State of the Nation Address (SONA) later this month. 

"Vice President Sara Duterte should be more cautious with what she says. After all, she is still a public official, and Netflix is not a good basis for her actions or inactions," the Mindanao lawmaker said. 

The Vice President announced that she wouldn't be attending President Marcos' third SONA this coming July 22 at Batasan Pambansa Complex, home of the House of Representatives. 

She Duterte claimed she was the 'designated survivor" of the event, which was a reference to a once-popular Netflix thriller that ran from 2016 to 2019. Kiefer Sutherland top-billed the series.

Through her joke, Vice President Duterte implied that she is the desired survivor should disaster strike the SONA and result to the death of high-ranking officials there. 

"Does she have a premonition of the things to come? She should refrain from watching too much Netflix. Her joke could have been better handled given that all high-ranking officials of the land would be there," Romualdo said. 

"In the decades worth of SONAs that we've had, nobody has ever flaunted being the 'designated survivor' and used it as the excuse to skip the important event. Proper decorum and tradition say that the Vice President should be there in plenary at Batasan to hear the good President's report to the nation," he said. 

"This is among the political instances that take a backseat to transparency and unbridled communication with the public. Vice President Duterte's predecessors did this with no issue while in office. One would think that she would also strive to achieve that standard," he added.

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1960455/sara-duterte-told-to-stop-spending-too-much-time-on-netflix

Vice President Sara Duterte is drawing more criticisms over her self-appointment as a “designated survivor,” with lawmakers advising her to refrain from watching too much Netflix.

In the House of Representatives, legislators reminded her that having a designated survivor is not sanctioned under the Constitution.

Senior Deputy Speaker Aurelio Gonzales Jr. sounded the alarm on Duterte’s behavior.

“There’s no such thing as ‘Designated Survivor; in the Philippines! Is she spending too much time watching Netflix? She better read our Constitution. It’s as clear as sunlight,” Gonzales said in a statement Friday.

“She should be more circumspect and responsible in her utterances, owing to her title and the high office that she represents,” he added.

Was it really a joke? Who knows what lies in the heart of Sara Duterte? 

Her refusal to attend the SONA really amounts to petty politics as she and President Marcos have had a falling out with Sara going so far as to resign from the cabinet as Education Secretary. Vice President Sara Duterte has said the Uniteam was only for the elections. Now the elections are over and so is the Uniteam. 

https://www.philstar.com/headlines/2024/06/13/2362448/sara-uniteam-good-only-2022-polls

Is the UniTeam still intact?

It was only for the 2022 elections, according to Vice President and Education Secretary Sara Duterte, and it has served its purpose when it launched her and President Marcos to victory.

“The UniTeam was a tandem during the 2022 elections. The elections are over, we won and we are grateful to those who supported us,” Duterte told reporters on the sidelines of the 126th Independence Day rites here in Rizal Park yesterday.

“We are not candidates anymore,” Duterte added when pressed by reporters about the status of the UniTeam.

What this indicates is that Marcos and Duterte are duplicitous, untrustworthy people. Whether the rumors are true that Duterte had originally planned to run for President but for the sake of political expediency ran as Marcos' Vice President need not concern us here. The fact is Marcos and Duterte presented a false front that quickly fell apart. Yet lawmakers are now saying Sara is no longer trustworthy. 

https://cebudailynews.inquirer.net/584345/vp-sara-duterte-slammed-by-lawmakers-shes-no-longer-trustworthy

Ranking leaders of the House of Representatives called Vice President Sara Duterte’s quip about appointing herself as the “designated survivor” during the President Marcos’ third State of the Nation Address (Sona) as a tasteless joke and a sign that the Vice President Duterte “could no longer be trusted.”

Duterte was chided by senior deputy floor leader and Pampanga Rep. Aurelio Gonzales Jr. together with members of the so-called “Young Guns” coalition for alarming the people with insinuations of a bombing during the President’s annual Sona.

Representative Gonzales and the “Young Guns” coalition said this in separate statements on Friday, a day after Duterte made the off-the-cuff remarks.

This is the first time the top leaders of the 300-strong House of Representatives openly criticized Duterte, whose resignation from Mr. Marcos’ Cabinet as education secretary takes effect on July 19.

“We don’t even know if we can still trust her now. Whatever happened to some decency or at least being forthright in public service?” Gonzales said.

This lady was NEVER trustworthy. Did Representative Gonzales and the “Young Guns” coalition forget the confidential funds scandal? If they trusted her then they are trustworthy either. For that matter who in the government is trustworthy? Certainly not President Marcos who revealed he ran for President to cleanse his family's name. 

Only Sara knows what she truly meant by appointing herself designated survivor. Indeed she may even end up attending the SONA. What can be said for sure however is her comments are another manifestation of corrupt, petty Philippine politics. 

Time Magazine Admits Bongbong Marcos White Washed His Family's Crimes

Time Magazine has chosen President Marcos as one of the 100 most influential people of 2024. While it is a great honor and many politicians have hailed the inclusion of his name on the list there is one thing they are overlooking. Time literally says Marcos whitewashed his family's crimes to win the 2022 election. 

https://time.com/6965183/ferdinand-bongbong-marcos-2/

For Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. to make history, he first needed to rewrite his nation’s. His dictator father plundered billions of dollars from state coffers and stood accused of grievous human-rights violations until his ouster in 1986. Bongbong’s rise to the Philippine presidency in 2022 was owed to whitewashing this family legacy through clever manipulation of social media.

Marcos himself admitted that he ran for President to clear his family's name. 

https://www.benarnews.org/english/news/philippine/phlippines-marcos-davos-wef-01192023093039.html

Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. told the World Economic Forum in Switzerland that he entered politics to cleanse his family’s name after a popular revolt in 1986 ended his father’s nearly two-decade dictatorship. 

This was the first time Marcos raised the issue before an international audience and in a country where, critics say, his late namesake father stashed away millions of dollars that his regime had plundered from the Filipino people.

Marcos told Forum President Børge Brende in Davos that he lost interest in a political life when his father, Ferdinand E. Marcos, died in a Hawaiian exile in 1989. 

“[A]fter we came back from the United States, after exile, when we were first allowed to come back, the political issue was Marcos,” he said during an on-stage conversation with Brende on Wednesday.

“And … for us to defend ourselves politically, somebody had to enter politics and be in the political arena. So that at least, not only the legacy of my father but even our own survival required that somebody go into politics.”

A former congressman, Marcos served from 1998-2007 as governor of the northern Philippine province of Ilocos Norte for three consecutive terms. He was again elected to Congress in 2007, and to the Philippine Senate in 2010.

In 2016, he ran as vice president but lost to Leni Robredo.

Marcos then set his sights on the presidency.

“Well … Every lieutenant wants to be a general, right? Every clerk wants to be the CEO. So I’m saying if I’m going to be in politics, let’s do the best we can and take it as far as we can take it,” he said.

His family is now back in the business of politics. His sister, Imee, is a sitting senator. His son is a member of the House of Representatives, which is led by his uncle.

So, whatever  positive things he may do during his term the fact is his entire motivation is not love of country but love of family. Everything is about white washing the past, denying or excusing his father's crimes, and polishing the turd that is the Marcos family name. Even Time Magazine admits it. 

Supreme Court Declares The Marcos Family Has No Place in Philippine Society

The Supreme Court has issued a ruling stating that "a father who rapes his daughter has no place in society."

https://mb.com.ph/2023/02/12/father-who-rapes-own-daughterhas-no-place-in-ph-society-sc/

The Supreme Court (SC) declared: “A father who rapes his own daughter, whom he is supposed to protect, descends to a level lower than the lowly animal….”

“Such a ‘father’ deserves no place in Philippine society, whose fundamental law considers the family as a basic autonomous social institution and the foundation of the nation, recognizes the sanctity of family life, and cloaks with special protection the right of children against all forms of neglect, abuse, cruelty, exploitation, and other conditions prejudicial to their development,” the SC stressed.

With its declaration contained in a resolution made public last Feb. 9, the SC affirmed the two life imprisonments imposed on the father who sexually abused (incestuous rape) his own daughter in 2014 and 2016.

Case records showed that the victim’s parents separated when she was still young and when she was five years old her father was detained. Her mother started a new family. She stayed with her aunt.

When she was 13 years old, her father was released from jail and she was taken in his custody.

In her testimony before the trial court, she said she was raped by her father several times and could only recall two specific dates of the sexual abuse – Aug. 13, 2014 and Oct. 14, 2016.

Manila Bulletin decided not to publish the gory and revolting details of the sexual abuses.

After every abuse, she said she was threatened by her father not to tell anyone or she would be killed.

But after the Oct. 14, 2016 incident, she said she decided to tell everything to her neighbor whom she called “Ate” (elder sister) who helped her report the abuses to the police. 

While this is a disturbing story there is a parallel here with Bongbong Marcos who, as president, is the "father of the nation."

https://www.facebook.com/manilabulletin/posts/10161810082992985

As a “proud” father of the nation, President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. showcased the achievements of overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) in his latest vlog and vowed to protect their rights and the families they left behind.

His own father who was also president is also referred to as "father of the nation."

https://twitter.com/BeverlyB322/status/1523952999432744960

Father of the nation, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., Divine Justice is served by the will of the maharlikans and now it is time for your vindication.

It is beyond dispute that the Marcos family raped the nation of its wealth and stored it in offshore accounts. It is beyond dispute that Marcos even killed his enemies, those who exposed his crimes. It is beyond dispute that these activities have been proven in a court of law with Imelda Marcos being convicted and other cases where the Marcos family has been forced to give up their ill-gotten wealth. 

As father of the nation Marcos Sr. raped his daughter the Philippines. As father of the nation Marcos Jr. continues to deny that crime and defend his father. Yet the crimes have been indisputably proven. Based on the precedent of this Supreme Court ruling the Marcos family has no place in Philippine society. 

The Refusal of Marcos to Appoint a DOH Secretary is Unconscionable

In a brave and stunning move which highlights his complete ignorance and lack of care for Filipinos President Bongbong Marcos has revealed that he will not be appointing an official DOH Secretary until the COVID situation in the nation normalizes. But the fact that the COVID situation is NOT normalized is exactly why there needs to be an official DOH Secretary and not just an OIC. But it is not only COVID that is plaguing the nation. There is an ongoing health crisis which needs to be addressed immediately. 

Measles and rubella cases are up 153% this year. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1675842/measles-rubella-cases-up-153-doh

The Department of Health (DOH) has recorded a total of 450 measles and rubella cases so far this year, 153 percent higher than 2021.

The DOH released this data — covering the period Jan. 1 to Sept. 17 — on Wednesday, after earlier warning of an impending measles outbreak by 2023 if the vaccination coverage of children against the said virus does not improve.

Alarmed by the data, Albay Rep. Joey Salceda urged the government to take advantage of the resumption of in-person classes and vaccinate more schoolchildren in order to avert a possible measles outbreak by early 2023.In a statement, Salceda said the resumption of in-person classes is an “opportunity to expand vaccination” among schoolchildren.

He added: “In the long run, we need to build capacity for vaccinating against common diseases. That is one function that an institutionalized Center for Disease Control can boost.”

Salceda made the remarks after DOH officer in charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said the agency needs more funds to hire more vaccinators and improve vaccination coverage because over one million children missed their routine vaccines during the pandemic, including measles shots.

Measles cases alone are up 179%.

https://www.cnnphilippines.com/news/2022/10/13/PH-measles-cases-179--higher.html

The Department of Health (DOH) on Thursday reported a massive increase in measles cases in the country in September this year compared to the same period last year.

Latest DOH data showed there were 11 additional cases from Sept. 11 to 17, bringing the total to 413 as of Sept. 24. This posted a 179% increase compared to the same period last year where there were only 148 cases.

The DOH has warned there will be an outbreak by next year unless vaccination rates improve. 

Dengue cases are up 191%.

https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/14/22/doh-dengue-cases-up-191-pct-from-jan-1-oct-1

The Philippines has logged 173,233 dengue cases since the start of the year, which is 191 percent higher from the number of cases recorded in 2021, the Department of Health said Friday.

According to Dr. Alethea De Guzman, director of DOH's epidemiology bureau, dengue cases in the country started increasing in the third week of March.

"We peaked in the second week of July and now, we can see in the epidemic curve that the dengue cases have continued to decrease," she said in a press briefing.

From January 1 to October 1 last year, the Philippines had 59,514 dengue cases.

In the press briefing, De Guzman said dengue cases have also declined in all areas with declared outbreak, except Southern Leyte. These are Zamboanga City, Antique and Zamboanga Sibugay.

While dengue cases are now declining it is alarming that they rose so high in the first place and it is possible they could spike once more. 

Cholera cases are up 282%.

https://www.gmanetwork.com/news/topstories/nation/847670/philippines-cholera-cases-282-higher-this-year-at-3-729-says-doh/story/

A total of 3,729 cholera cases have been recorded in the country since January 2022, which is 282% higher compared to the data during the same period last year, the Department of Health (DOH) said Tuesday.

At a press conference, DOH officer-in-charge Maria Rosario Vergeire said that in 2022, there were only 976 cholera cases.

Vergeire said that the most common age group affected with cholera are children aged 5 to 9, primarily due to unsafe drinking water.

(We know that it is the rainy season now, there is a lot of flooding, a lot of people also go to evacuation centers. Because of calamities, our water systems are always affected, especially in these areas.)

(There are people who die because of cholera. If it is not cured, patients will suffer from severe dehydration, especially if they are immunocompromised or are vulnerable.)

Just as cholera is spread through dirty water so is diarrhea which remains a deadly problem throughout the Philippines.

https://mb.com.ph/2022/10/08/6-die-from-diarrhea-caused-by-bad-water-in-dumagat-tribe-in-quezon/

Six members of the Dumagat tribe here have died from diarrhea reportedly as a result of water contaminated after the onslaught of super typhoon “Karding.”

The Department of Health (DOH)-Calabarzon (Cavite, Laguna, Batangas, Rizal, and Quezon area) and the Integrated Provincial Health Office (IPHO) are investigating the outbreak that has affected a total of 38 individuals from Sept. 26 to Oct. 6 in Barangay Upper Lumutan.

“The DOH is saddened by what happened to our Dumagat natives where many have lost their lives because they were not immediately diagnosed and taken to our primary health care facility,” DOH-Region 4-A Director Ariel I. Valencia said.

“Rest assured that we are working closely with IPHO through our RESU to provide the necessary assistance in the affected barangay,” Valencia added.

Though these deaths may be related to the typhoon it is a fact that deadly diarrhea outbreaks remain a health concern in the Philippines. 

Last but not least infant mortality has increased. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1683444/psa-logs-higher-infant-mortality-rates-popcom-says-its-due-to-lack-of-healthcare-access

The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) logged a slight increase in infant mortality rate this year, which the population commission attributed to a lack of access to healthcare facilities due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Based on the PSA data, the said number of fatalities classified under “other direct obstetric deaths,” has increased in the first six months of 2022 at 468 compared to 425 in the same period last year.

The said fatality rose in the ranking of causes of death from 44th in 2021 to 39th in 2022, according to PSA.

Commission on Population and Development (Popcom) officer in charge Lolito Tacardon said “this condition indicates an issue in accessing appropriate, quality, and timely services from healthcare facilities.”

“It poses the challenge to improve our local health system for emergency obstetric and newborn care, which was definitely affected during the pandemic.

“Our health system should now be slowly recovering from the deluge of cases caused by the pandemic to ensure adequate services for other health concerns such as those related to maternal, infant, and child health,” Tacardon also said.

That last sentence says it all. After two years the Philippines should be recovering and shifting its focus to ensuring normal, regular healthcare especially for maternal and infant health. An official DOH secretary is necessary to lead the charge and not merely an OIC. 

There is no justifiable excuse for Marcos to refrain from appointing a DOH Secretary until the COVID situation normalizes while the nation is plagued by many and very serious health problems. It is unconscionable and shows Marcos' callous indifference towards the very people who elected him president. 

Harry Roque's Dishonest Assessment of Marcos' NY Trip

Eternal chameleon Harry Roque has given a statement about the significance of President Marcos' recent trip the United Nation's General Assembly in New York. It is such a brazen piece of misinformation and deserves a going over. 

https://www.pna.gov.ph/articles/1184713

The recent New York trip of President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signaled the improving relations between the Philippines and the United States while establishing Manila would stick to its independent foreign policy and a "friend to all" stance, international law expert and former Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said Tuesday.

This little paragraph and the title of the article is why I referred to Harry Roque as a chameleon. While he was a Congressman he worked hard to get the Philippines into the ICC. Years later he cheered when Duterte unilaterally withdrew from the court. As a lawyer Roque fought for human rights but as Duterte's spokesman he defended the bloody drug war and excoriated anyone who brought up the question of EJK's. Roque is a man with absolutely no principles. He will be whoever you want him to be as long as he is paid. 

Duterte's independent foreign policy was to antagonize the USA while embracing China a move Roque staunchly defended. Now, he is lauding Marcos for "improving relations between the Philippines and the United States."  

Roque acknowledged that relations between the two had been "very strained" under the previous administration.

"The achievement is he went to the United States, accorded immunity from suit, which sends the message that America wants to continue our traditional friendship. And by going to the United States, President Marcos said we also want to be your friend but take note that we are friends to all," he said at the Pandesal Forum in Quezon City.

Right here is probably the biggest deception coming out of Roque. Marcos was not granted immunity from arrest because the United States wants to be friends but out of consideration for his diplomatic status. 

https://globalnation.inquirer.net/204431/bongbong-marcos-can-enter-us-due-to-immunity-envoy

“The fact is, when you’re a head of state, you have immunity in all circumstances and are welcome to the United States in your official role,” US Deputy Secretary of State Wendy Sherman told reporters in a roundtable discussion in Pasay City when asked on the matter.

“When someone is the head of state, they have [diplomatic] immunity and would be welcome to the United States,” Sherman added.

In 2012, a US Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit handed down a contempt judgment against Marcos Jr., his mother Imelda, and the estate of Ferdinand Marcos Sr. for violating an injunction that barred them from dissipating assets of the estate.

In six years when Marcos is no longer President he will no longer be able to enter the USA without being arrested. It has nothing to do with friendship. Roque is such an incredible liar. 

Marcos attended the 77th United Nations General Assembly last week and held inaugural meetings with some leaders, including US President Joe Biden.

During the bilateral meeting, Marcos told Biden that the Philippines looked forward to a continuing partnership with Washington DC, especially on the maintenance of peace in the region, saying that the Southeast Asian nation continues to treat the US as a friend, ally, and partner.

Roque hailed as a good move Marcos' invitation for American businessmen to invest in the Philippines.

"We cannot measure the success of this initiative until the money comes. But what is important is the Philippines after six years have a President selling the Philippines to American venture capitalists. Did that happen during the time of President Duterte?' he said. "I think it's high time. [A]lthough China is on its way to becoming the economic superpower, in reality, it is still the US that is number one as of now."

Is that a dig on Duterte and his move to court Chinese investments? Roque is praising Marcos for courting American investors saying "it's high time." Does this lapdog even care or is he just licking his master's fingers? 

Aside from marking a mending in the two nations' relations, Roque said the US trip also served as Marcos' "debut in the international space".

"Everyone has to know that we have a new president. He has the same family name as the former president, but he is his own person. And to me, that is the important message: 'I am Ferdinand Marcos Jr. President of the Republic of the Philippines. I am my own man,'" he said.

It also provided a platform for the new administration to reaffirm the importance it places on mitigation by recognizing climate change as the "greatest threat" affecting the world.

Here is the last piece of malarkey in this news article. Marcos is his own man. Absolutely, no, he is not. He has said many times that he takes inspiration from his father and he continues to defend the past crimes of his family. 

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1663643/bongbong-marcos-defends-fathers-martial-law-legacy

Wiping tears as he spoke, Marcos recalled visiting his father’s grave a day after winning the election and calling on him for help. “I will use everything I learned from you to continue your work,” Marcos recounted, telling his late father.

Bongbong Marcos is not his own man. He cannot be his own man. He is a Marcos. He is the scion of the family and as such he must continue to defend their crimes by denying they ever happened. His son Sandro and every one else who bears the name of Marcos or Romualdez will be forced to defend Ferdinand and Imelda's indefensible conjugal dictatorship or own up that they committed massive crimes against the Filipino people including plunder and murder. 

This is just brief look at what Harry Roque had to say about Marcos' UN trip. It's a lot of the same old disinformation, fake news, and nonsense. We have not seen the last of Roque. He will be around for a while and he will dance to the tune of whoever is playing the music. 

Did Ferdinand Marcos Really Order a Media Blackout When He Declared Martial Law?

Is this gossip? Is the media blackout ordered by Ferdinand Marcos after declaring martial law something that never happened?  

Editor and Publisher 1972-09-30: Vol 105 Iss 40

President Ferdinand E. Marcos, who has in the past defended the ideals of a free press, virtually suspended operation of the Philippines news media under martial law last weekend. 

President Marcos, who in 1957 success-fully defended a newspaper reporter arrested by President Carlos P. Garcia for refusing to divulge the source of a news story and who later co-sponsored a bill to protect news sources except in cases of sedition or treason, ordered at least nine prominent Manila newsmen under arrest and shut down all but two of the 15 newspapers.

The Philippine president also issued a set of tight news reporting guidelines that must be followed or else violators will face arrest. 

Those newsmen detained include Joaquin P. Roces, publisher of the Manila Times, an independent English language daily with a morning circulation of 186,- 147, and Maxime Soliven, a columnist for the Times, who has been one of the President's principal critics; Rosalinda Galang, a Times reporter; Luis Mauricie, editor of Graphic, an English-language weekly magazine; and Teodore Locsin Sr., editor of Philippines Free Press.

Also taken into custody was Veronica Yuyitung, wife of Rizal Yuyitung, editor of the Chinese Commercial News, who was deported last year to Taiwan. 

Arrests were continuing and a new list released on Tuesday showed that Amando Doronilla, editor of the Manila Chronicle, and one of the paper's columnists, Ernesto Granada had been detained in the sweep against persons said to be subversives by the government's information secretary Francisco Tatad. 

On Tuesday (September 26), the government said it was allowing the Philippines Herald, an English-language na-tional daily, to resume publication. Up to that point, Marcos has permitted the continued operation of the Philippines Daily Express; one television network station; the Government-owned Voice of the Philippines radio station; and the Far East Broadcasting Company, a Philippine-owned radio station serving both domestic and overseas listeners. 

Publication of the remaining seven English-language and three vernacular dailies remain suspended. 

In an interview with newsmen, Marcos charged that the press and radio have been infiltrated by Communist propagandists and have been guilty of distortions, tendentious reporting, speculation and criticism that have damaged society and weakened resistance to Communism. 

Under the regulations, news media are ordered "to print and broadcast accurate, objective, straight news reports of positive national value consistent with the efforts of the government to meet the dangers and threat that occasioned the proclamation of martial law and the efforts to achieve a new society as set forth by the president." 

Coming under the ban are materials that "tend to incite or otherwise inflame people or individuals against the government" and items that "downgrade or jeopardize" the military of law authorities or glorify or sensationalize crime.

The guidelines also state: "Informative foreign news items may be printed or broadcast by the local media but in no case must any foreign news be printed or broadcast which puts it in the same cate-gory as any of the prohibited materials ennumerated above. Similarly, no news material or opinions emanating from abroad may be disseminated by any wire agency through any Philippines recipient which is of the same type as any of the prohibited materials enumerated above 

"The same rules apply to foreign correspondents whether based in the Philippines or not. No foreign dispatch will be filed from the Philippines which impugns, discredits, questions or criticizes any positive effort of the government, the government itself or any of its duly constituted authorities. Nor will any dispatch be filed which speaks unfairly or inaccurately of the Philippines or Filipinos ..." 

The regulations also censor all photographs.

The guidelines state that photographers can only take pictures of "normal city life and of interviews with authorized officials and offices." 

Forbidden are photographs of military installations and Malacanang, the pres-idential palace. Pictures of airports and seaports also are banned. 

News dispatches coming into the Philippines from abroad are being censored along with news stories written by Filipinos for home consumption or by foreign correspondents to be sent to other countries. 

According to indirect word received by the Associated Press in New York from Manila, even society news has been banned from Filipino newspapers and broadcast media. 

Dispatches that question or criticize any effort of the government are banned. Editorials and commentary are prohibited along with gossip columns. 

Night editor George Reyes at the Associated Press said he received the first tip at 1:25 a.m. Saturday from an anonymous woman caller that martial law—rumored for months but not expected—had been declared in the Philippines. Minutes later, office messenger Leonardo Mangulabnan and operator Pepito Mallare summoned Reyes to the office window. The three AP staffers saw troops gathered at the front door of the Manila Times building in which the AP office is located. 

Within minutes, a combat-clad national policeman walked into the AP office and told Reyes "please vacate the office and go home." Reyes protested. "What is this, has martial law been declared?" The trooper just smiled and replied: "Well, something like that, we are just following orders. You may go now, please." 

Office secretary Coring Campos, news editor Gil Santos and Lynn Newland quickly gathered at Santos Home, which served as a temporary office, where they were joined by former Manila bureau chief John Nance. The bureau then moved to the ITT building in downtown Manila, but was asked to leave several hours later for "security reasons." The bureau then moved hack to Santos' house, where operations continued until permission to reenter the office was received 30 hours later. The Times building remains off limits to all but AP staffers, who daily show their identity cards to Marine guards outside the building. 

Staffers quickly learned to ignore this routine and the daily visits of rifle-carrying national policemen. Other results of the newly imposed martial law are not as easily ignored, however, particularly censorship and a midnight to 4 a.m. cur-few. Censorship Filipino style is chaotic at best. "guidelines" detailing what can and cannot be written and photographed are vague. A typical regulation reads: "No foreign dispatch will be filed from the Philippines which impugns, discredits, questions or criticizes any positive effort of the government . . . nor will any dispatch be filed which speaks unfairly or inaccurately of the Philippines or Filipinos." If all else fails, the censors can rely on the following regulation: "These rules may be amended or modified without prior notice." 

That is an article from Editor and Publisher which is an industry magazine about the media published a week after Ferdinand Marcos had declared martial law. Immediately upon making the declaration the media was shut down and many newspaper men were imprisoned. Among them was  Eugenio Lopez Jr.

Editor and Publisher 1975-01-25: Vol 108 Iss 4

The Philippines, which once boasted of having a completely free press and observance of civil liberties, has suffered a complete about-face under the dictatorial regime of President Marcos. Freedom of the press has disappeared and once-free newspapers have been confiscated or closed.

The most celebrated case is that of Eugenio Lopez, Jr. and Sergio Osmona who were imprisoned two years ago for allegedly being involved in a plot to assassinate the president. They were never formally charged and only because of a hunger strike started last October has their case become prominent. 

The press and information officer of the Philippine Consulate in New York stated last Christmas that Lopez and Osmona were among 1.076 political detainees re-leased at that time by the government "under the president's policy of national reconciliation, solidarity and brotherhood announced last Dec. 11, 1974."

The fact of the matter is that the two men have not been released, are under heavy military guard in a military hospital. and as yet have not been charged with any crime. 

It is perhaps not well known that the Lopez family, once wealthy, gave up their properties in the Philippines for the safety and release of members of the family. Eugenio Lopez. Sr., now living in San Francisco gave this brief version in an interview recently with the Philippines News. published in that city: 

"When President Marcos declared Martial Law in September 1972, all of our family's major business enterprises were either taken over or ordered closed by the Philippine government. 

"The Manila Electric Company, (MECO) which supplies electricity to Manila and suburban areas continued to operate un-der the 'supervision' of appointed military personnel. The ABS-CBN corporation, the largest 'a-oadcasting company in the Philippines owning and operating 6 television stations and 21 radio stations was ordered to close all of its facilities. The Manila Chronicle daily newspaper, one of the most widely read newspapers in the country was also ordered closed. 

"The total assets of these three companies are in the hundreds of millions of dollars.

"In the course of the past two years, all these corporations have fallen into the hands of private individuals, individuals who are known to be close associates of Mr. and Mrs. Marcos and who have been branded by more knowledgeable persons as their 'front men', that is to say, individuals who are holding in their names properties on behalf of the Marcos family. 

"Most of the uninformed public assumed that 'the wealthy Lopez family sold their multimillion dollar business enterprises to the Philippine Government in order to liquidate their assets and get their cash out of the Philippines.' This impression was strengthened by the publicity given by the Philippine government to the 'sale' of the Manila Electric Company. 

"It is time now for the public to learn the truth. The Lopez family's properties were not sold to the Philippine government; in fact they have not been sold to anyone. Our properties were given to the Marcos family through its 'front men' in exchange for the release of my son and for the safety of our family. Some of our properties are now owned and/or oper-ated by the 'front men' through some `artificial agreements' and some of them have been taken over without any type of agreement, legal or illegal." 

The Lopez family has maintained its silence for two years in exchange for the life and freedom of Lopez, Jr., and the safety of other members of the family, according to Lopez, Sr. He has just recently started to speak out and tell the family's side of the dispute. 

He believes that only "pressure from the free world" can bring justice back to the Philippines, and we have to agree.

So, did this happen? Did the Lopez family give their properties to Marcos in order to free his son? Did Marcos shut down ABS-CBN as well as the Manila Chronicle? Ask anyone who voted for Bongbong Marcos and they might say no. They might say the above news reports are all lies. But are they? Can they really prove that the above news stories are all lies? 

Of course they cannot prove this never happened because it did happen. And it could happen again. That's why the truth about the Marcos dictatorship should never be forgotten.