GOVERNMENT officials seem to believe April Fools is extended by giving the pubic a string of bad jokes: For instance, Superintendent Alexander Tagum, the provincial Philippine National Police (PNP) chief responsible for the Kidapawan Massacre in last year's April, is now Davao City's acting police director.
Tagum's appointment to Davao City is a disappointment. The public remembers his role as provincial police chief in North Cotabato in the Kidapawan massacre last year.
It seems the PNP is getting another black eye for simply reassigning erring police officials like Tagum to another place instead of him facing administrative and legal sanctions.
But that's not to worry. If government can't punish its own, the National Democratic Front (NDF) just might do it.
The NDF indicted North Cotabato officials, including Tagum, for their "crimes" during the Kidapawan Massacre. Now I feel sorry for Tagum, his lucky to survive an NPA ambush in Abra last February. And given that the NPAs and its allies can even stage a rally in Davao City, Tagum might have to always look over his shoulder all the time.
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The worse thing about the Duterte administration is how the people around him are defending the president the wrong way.
Just like what happened on April 2, where supporters staged this "Palit Bise" rally, demanding the replacement of Vice President Leni Robredo who has been criticizing Duterte's war on drugs.
It's not a well-thought-of idea.
Replacing Robredo? Why? How? Through impeachment? It's a waste of time and money.
This move actually is fishy. Who do you replace Leni with if she gets impeached? Let me ask, who stands to gain if Leni steps down. It's not Duterte anyway, who has said he doesn't like the idea anyway. Guess who's more interested with Leni stepping down….
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And there were women officials who defended Duterte's misogyny, but did it in the worse way and at the worse time on a government's women's day celebration.
One official said we must have a forgiving heart since we did not elect Duterte as a saint, and that Duterte is legally separated so he's single and flirty.
Another said it depends if you're hurt by such catcalling.
Oh whatever, I guess listening to three wise monkeys is much better than listening to officials back-bending and tumbling for the worse defense of Duterte's machismo at the end of Women's Month.
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The House Speaker is saying it's "normal" for men to have a girlfriend, another euphemism for common-law partner or kabit.
But the problem is, this kind of affair is supposed to be man's best-kept secret, especially for politicos. Now the secret is out. It's not just him, it's also the other congressman-former-ally-kaprobinsyano who has a girlfriend that is starting this public feud.
Lumalabas na ang baho at machismo. But by spilling that secret, the joke is on him, for he might lose his post soon on grounds of ethics and the administration saving face.
I guess his girlfriend may not like that consequence.
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