Tag Archives: Duterte’s People

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Putting out fires

If there’s anything this government, this President, is good at, it’s putting out fires. And it’s not by actually ensuring that we get to the bottom of the cause(s) of these fires, or even count the victims properly (hello, HTI), and certainly it is never about calling out those who are so obviously responsible for these fires, whether oligarchs or factory owners or the leadership of the Philippine Export Processing Zone (PEZA), and certainly not the family that owns NCCC Mall, now found to have violated building safety requirements, which led to the death of 37 in the December 23 fire. (more…)

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This Mocha catastrophe #StandWithMedia

Just as the last piece on Harry Roque being victimized by the arrogance and self-proclaimed infallibility of the President’s unofficial communications team on social media, Asec Mocha Uson published a video purportedly apologizing to mainstream media.

But of course the notion of an “apology” could only really be smoke and mirrors for what was nothing more than multiple statements that reflect the Asec’s misplaced notions about, and thoughtless skewed opinions on, the function of media, the fact of freedom of the press, and her responsibility as government official for social media.

Mocha’s strategy is clear: in a little more than five minutes, she sought to conquer the media by dividing the sector between those she considers as allies, and those that remain as enemies. It’s classic divide and conquer: make media organizations (and the public, and Duterte supporters) believe that she is not generalizing her hate against mainstream media. Never mind that in the course of 17 months she has consistently called them “fake news” or “fake news media,” and has (with violent rhetoric) discredited the work of journalists, photographers, media practitioners, and columnists for their biases, while using big words she doesn’t understand (credibility, responsibility, biases, freedom). (more…)

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When the #DDS can do no wrong: victimizing #HarryRoque

One of the more interesting things to come out of this short period of having Harry Roque as Presidential Spokesperson: it has revealed that the frontline informal communications team of the President cannot be told that they are doing something wrong.

They will not be reprimanded. Their faults will not be pointed out. And anyone who even so much as dares call them out will be considered an enemy. These Duterte social media leaders will turn their followers against you, allowing people to call you names and bully you. They will then call on the President to reverse his decision to hire you. They will watch as this happens, throwing their weight around because how dare you — how dare anyone! — tell them that they need an education? That they need to (gasp!) change?

This is what has happened to Harry Roque.

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A hooray for Harry, a test for Duterte

A week or so since it was announced that Rep. Harry Roque is going to be the new Presidential Spokesperson and I can’t help but cheer him on.

It was of course a rocky start. There was the contradiction that is his statements (and mere existence) as human rights advocate and his willingness to speak for a President Duterte who has mocked, dismissed, and discredited human rights. There’s that hollowblock statement in an interview for Communications Asec Mocha Uson’s FB page (which is not a blog!):

“Binibigyan ko na po ng notice ‘yung mga walang hiya diyan na naninira lamang. Kung dati-rati hindi kayo nababato bagamat kayo’y nambabato, ngayon po maghanda na kayo dahil kung kayo’y nambato, hindi lang po bato itatapon ko sa inyo, hollow blocks.”

But hooray for Harry, that so many days after he was on CNN Philippines’ The Source, clarifying that the above statement was audience- and context-specific.

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