FIRST we wanted to see a dragon tattoo on the back of this former presidential aide. But we found circle marks instead. Some say it is ventosa cupping marks. Some say those are scars from removing the tattoo.
I say, we got suckered into this conspiracy of narco-politics and tattoos from that anonymous Bikoy video.
Truth to tell, the PCIJ report on the Duterte’s questionable rise on wealth stands on more solid ground, through SALNs and paper trails. But, I guess Pinoys love chismis, and that video serves as entertainment in this seemingly not-so-exciting election.
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And speaking of elections, there are two kinds of surveys that shows two kinds of results.
One is the survey made by universities, participated by students and academe. The results show opposition and independent senatorial candidates topping their surveys.
The other type of survey are the ones made by SWS and Pulse Asia, which shows administration candidates, with dubious track record of graft charges, landing in the top 12.
The first shows a choice of the mind, where candidates are chosen based on their track record, platform and stand on issues. The second type is more of a name recall or a popularity survey.
These two different choices show how problematic our country’s politics are. There’s disconnect. If only the middle class and institutions could do more to educate voters, we might still find the voters deciding through popularity, or through money and relief goods.
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If the murders of 14 farmers in a police operation in Canlaon, Negros Oriental haven’t stunned you, two murders in Cebu and Bukidnon have shown how bloody our state of the nation is.
In Bukidnon, Lumad leader Kaylo Bontolan from Talaingod was in Kitaotao to find his fellow Manobo families who have evacuated from their village.
He walked instead into the midst of a military operation and was killed in the process.
Kaylo himself was a bakwit. His village in Talaingod has not found peace in the past five years as the paramilitary and soldiers red-tagged their schools and drove them away.
I wonder that as soldiers are not sent to defend our seas they are instead sent to fight our own people, and worse, against farmers and lumad who have been protecting our lands.
Such a bloody senseless situation we are in. And they say this is the best thing that happened to us.
tyvelez@gmail.com