#dilawan

[tacitoslurpee]

Rant: Modern Philippine Politics (Sick of all this sh*t)

I’m sick of the idea that one’s fluency in English is the best measure of intelligence. First of all, we’re Filipinos, not American or English. Our national language is Filipino/Tagalog. Most of us are bilingual. Being fluent in English may be a great sign of literacy but let’s not use that as a tool to measure whether someone is smart. You could master the English language and still be an idiot. Language is a tool for communication, and that tool is only as useful based on how well you use it. Leni Robredo is fluent in English, but sentences like “I have 3 daughters; they’re all girls” just screams “stupid”.

Many Filpinos are fools for the mother-figure. Some people say Filipinos are fools for electing a strict, authoritarian that is Duterte. Well, we could say the damn country could use some discipline from a strict parent, and that is how many Duterte supporters see the current president, hence one of his monikers - “Tay Digong”. On the other hand, many look to the gentle, caring mother-figure. This role was first played by the country’s first female president, the late Corey Aquino. She stood in contrast to the late president, Ferdinand Marcos who was also known to be firm & strict. She was the worst example for femininity as she lacked substance. She was simply an actress; she had done nothing beneficial to Filipinos. The decline of the country only started the moment she came into power, and yet her legacy is played up to the point of being petitioned to be canonised. barf In the present, this is the same image that Leni Robredo is presenting. She looks, moves & speaks as a kind, motherly figure to appeal to those who are naive. Unfortunately, she is pretty much another Corey Aquino. She and/or her family has links to some organised crime groups; she’s an airhead who has shown time & again that she is clueless about her surroundings & her own job. I think the people who support women like Corey Aquino and Leni Robredo aren’t simply looking for a mother figure who is completely inept & unqualified for such a high position. They’re looking for enablers, the kind of toxic mothers who smother their kids with understanding, looking the other way when they make a wrong. Even worse, these mother figures aren’t just that, they’re the stepmother who coddles their child to manipulate them out of their own inheritance.

I’m also sick of foreign journalists/media who side with Filipino journalists associated with ABS-CBN & the Lopez group. They’re quick to label Duterte to be as bad as other dictators, censoring the media because they go against his agenda. Those journalists are quick to say all journalists/media are unbiased, they only serve to spread the truth. What bullshit. Journalists are humans, subject to bias. Ever heard of Rupert Murdoch & his empire? In this generation, people seem to easily fall for the fake tears. A group of people cry wolf, and suddenly everyone wants the wolves extinct. Also, these foreign media (I’m talking the loud ones in the US & the UK) have no idea what it’s like to live in a country where 1 media company has near-monopoly of the airwaves. The media company, ABS-CBN, has very close ties with the Aquino clan & has been a very dominant figure in Philippine politics for decades. Imagine having only FOX news corp in the US drilling their agenda into your head with news & entertainment. You think you’re fine if you don’t watch the news, but they still get you through their TV shows. Other rival networks are present but they’re very small & can only be viewed if you have cable. Most people in the Philippines can’t afford cable TV, so they only get what’s aired for free - that is, in most areas, ABS-CBN. If you’re lucky, you might get GMA, a rival network. Oh and another thing, the ABS-CBN borrowed a huge sum from the then Marcos government to bail them out. They never paid back the loan, which is taxpayer money, the land the main company building is on is government property but they acted like it was theirs. The company president is also believed to have conspired with foreign forces against the interest of the Philippines for their own gain. Treasonous. Also, even if you have cable TV, you’re still forced to watch ads in their channel which is ridiculous!

A former president who only approved of projects and didn’t actually contribute or have done anything to its fulfillment doesn’t get credit for it. Many Dilawan (Aquino supporters) cry out that PNoy (late former president Benigno Aquino III) should be credited for many of the recently completed infrastructure as the projects for those were approved during his time. That’s like saying the moment your teacher wrote up the exam questions for your finals, you already automatically got a perfect score in the test. Stupid! In the end, I just hope Filipinos, whichever candidate they may support, pull their head out of their asses & look to a president who is cunning but humane, strict but fair, and has the interest of Filipinos in mind. Our country has long in the mud wet with garbage water. Many countries look at us and have unsavory impressions of our people (that we’re lowly, bumbling maids or nannies; our women marry white men because that’s the only thing they can do to send money back home; our diving team is a mockery of the sport). People think they can still be proud of our tourist spots. Well, had Duterte not stepped in to save Boracay, the Philippines would be offering a literal sh*thole for a beach as a tourist attraction. Now, we have more & better roads, bridges & other infrastructure that’s essential for progress. Politicians who say the Build, Build, Build program is a sham are just salty they couldn’t pocket the money... the fking pigs.

[filihistory]

Translation: Ew a yellowtard

Explanation for the term ‘dilawan’: Dilawan or yellowtard is a phrase associated with Aquino supporters and is commonly used by anit-aquino activists. Usually serves as an insult for people who have positive views of both Aquino administrations or those who criticize the Duterte administration or oppose the presidency of Ferdinand Marcos.

Wanna learn more about the meme? Here are some links~ 

NOTE: viewer digression is advised due to sensitive issues and topics.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hKgW3bR8EXs&ab_channel=JaninaVela

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=na-Y-xIagCs&ab_channel=ANC24%2F7

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_2w00Mz4-TU&ab_channel=GMAPublicAffairs (turn on subtitles)

https://www.rappler.com/voices/imho/opinion-dilawans-dds-dead-tired-dedma

https://www.officialgazette.gov.ph/featured/the-fall-of-the-dictatorship/

[blbs-srdo]

Umalis ako sa facebook, pati din dito sa tumblr meron na din! Hahahaha OY THURSDAY NGAYON!

[goliwaliw]

Nagkakagulo, ang hirap lumapit. Two dragons, #pinklawan and #dilawan #chinesenewyear #yearoftherabbit #binondo #manila #goliwaliwph #2023gac01 https://www.instagram.com/p/Cnrh_VwvgnM8KROSzhSQ12timrDkGcGtdrGrNM0/?igshid=NGJjMDIxMWI=

[aalactaotao]

Nagagalit pag bina-bash si Kris Aquino kasi may sakit daw, pero may laughing emoji at nagsasabing "deserve yan" nang nalamang may Covid si President Bongbong Marcos. Mga HIPOKRITO talaga kayong mga Dilawan at Pinklawan. Nakaka-awa kayo sa totoo lang. Pero, ano pa naman ba ang ie-expect mo sa mga taong walang Diyos? Tsk, tsk.

[gandaever]

I love my yellow @doctormartens06 but am not #Dilawan! Charot! (at General Santos City) https://www.instagram.com/p/CZ-u-AxvVMx/?utm_medium=tumblr

[renzzfuentes]

Kampihan!

Image Credits: PolitiXXX Today

Which faction should you side with – The DDS or Dilaws?

“The early internet may have provided a fluid and unstructured space for debates, and it spreads across the internet once players can move online,” stated Resnick (1998). Users of social media can openly voice their opinions on any topic related to politics. Furthermore, the website allows users to communicate with others who share their viewpoints. Netizens, particularly those on Facebook and Twitter, can share information, voice public opinion, and demand responsibility from the government, political personalities, and socio-political players.

This tendency was particularly noticeable during the 2016 elections when there was a significant divide between President Rodrigo Duterte’s followers, known as the Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS), and those who did not. As a result of Duterte and his followers’ actions, the main opposition, the Liberal Party, became the target of their outrage.  Personalities like Mocha Uson, bloggers, government officials, and Duterte have simplified and popularized this opposition. It allowed them to lump their opponents into a single, clearly identifiable category: dilawans. People who favor Duterte versus those who do not support Duterte are called “DDS” versus “dilawan.”

However, DDS or Dilawan factions are merely social constructs – neither is right nor wrong.

The DDS

Image Credits: Jakarta News

It was formerly known as the “Davao Death Squad,” a vigilante group loyal to Duterte accused of murdering many people in Davao during his stint as mayor. Duterte was accused of masterminding the assassinations to kill political opponents and rid the city of criminal elements without trial. People who voted for him or supported his campaign began to refer to themselves as “Diehard Duterte Supporters.” It was as though they were mocking the allegations while simultaneously declaring that they didn’t care.

The most high-profile, vitriolic pro-Duterte bloggers were given government positions or hired as consultants using public funds. Pro-Duterte propagandists are being given special treatment by the Presidential Communications Operations Office (PCOO), which includes Malacañang accreditation, government resources, and cash allowances. An interim policy allows pro-Duterte bloggers to continue using profanity in their posts, often targeting administration critics and media. Under the Duterte administration, the bloggers are legitimized through various ways, including access to those in power, consultancy contracts, and “allowances” from the PCOO.

Former sexy dancer and now Duterte staff/influencer Mocha Uson campaigning for President Duterte in 2016. Image Credits: South China Morning Post

Funding has been provided chiefly towards bloggers, according to sources acquainted with PCOO activities, with Martin Andanar favoring his DDS groups. The PCOO relies on these bloggers to track and affect Duterte’s online reputation. It’s a strategy similar to what Duterte’s media strategists employed during his presidential campaign to boost support for the popular President by harnessing online influencers.

Former Duterte influencer, now government official Martin Andanar mentioned that whatever the bloggers were up to during Duterte’s campaign, they’re still up to, now that he’s in office. “It’s propaganda now that they have state support,” a communications expert who worked on the 2016 campaign stated. One insider said, “They also prioritize DDS bloggers over media.” The dictatorship of Rodrigo Duterte continues to distort history and reduce the current political crisis to a fight between “us” and “them,” DDS versus “dilawan.”

Today, being a DDS generically means someone who is a supporter of the President. (u/gradenko_2000 on Reddit) Consequently, according to Contreras (2020), Duterte loyalists proudly label themselves as such. The label started during the campaign and was worn like a badge of honor, used as a rallying point to consolidate the Duterte political base.

Read more on DDS influencers: https://r3.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/178709-duterte-die-hard-supporters-bloggers-propaganda-pcoo

The Dilawans

Image Credits: The Adobo Chronicles

Portrayed since the 2016 election by some as a vote on the PNoy administration’s achievements, critics of Duterte have been referred to as “dilawan,” as in “Liberal Party (LP) loyalist.” For Duterte supporters, seeing resistance to the Duterte administration as a single group was more articulately convenient for them. Unlike the opposition, however, Liberal Party supporters never referred to themselves as such.

“Dilaw” is a Filipino word that signifies “yellow,” the color of the LP, which ruled for six years under then-President Benigno “PNoy” Aquino III before Duterte. Benigno Aquino Jr., PNoy’s father, recalled the song “Tie a Yellow Ribbon Round the Ole Oak Tree” from his captivity and exile during the Marcos regime. In 2010, the late Former President and LP selected yellow to revive the color. Furthermore, yellow (and the ribbon) has become part of the party’s identity. In 1986, when then-presidential candidate Corazon “Cory” Aquino used the name Dilaw to describe her campaign, it had a distinct connotation. Because the anti-Marcos coalition donned yellow, it became the color of democracy.

The use of yellow was the LP’s attempt to claim “heirship” to EDSA 1 and Cory’s movement, according to Patricio Abinales, Ph.D., historian, and professor at the University of Hawaii. Former LP presidential and vice-presidential candidates, such as Mar Roxas and now Vice President Leni Robredo, are living proof of this. Similarly, they used yellow in their electoral campaigns. Yellow was also “elitist,” according to Abinales, who claims that Duterte reinterpreted yellow to refer to the billionaires he vowed to remove in line with his populist approach. He also criticized the LP’s inability to appeal to the Filipino people, citing the party’s failure to confront President Duterte’s populism.

For further reading on this faction:  https://theguidon.com/1112/main/2020/04/a-tale-of-two-wars/

Why are neither sides right nor wrong, then?

In “Politicians and New Media,” it was mentioned that the relationship between politics and new media is polarized. They are separated into oppositions - the extent to which opinions on an issue are opposed.

Social media is likely to be the most popular venue for expressing political objectives. Netizens can force traditional media to explore and feature specific topics enforced or influenced by netizens. The web is a public forum where people can express their political views and beliefs. While it can be used to report and discuss current events, the authenticity of those who use it may be questioned because they are ordinary people. People may find it simpler to form ideas with the support of their own experiences paired with communicating them in a public setting. This gives people the impression that there are more perspectives on a topic than those offered in the mainstream media. (Siapera, 2018)

Many decent people might identify with one of the two camps. I respectfully disagree, however, that any of the two camps have a stronghold on good citizenship and public service. I realized that some individuals resent being labeled a DDS when someone has at least one positive thing in mind about Duterte. I was also confronted with the same concern just because they are willing to speak out when a critic of Duterte makes a false statement or argument. On the other hand, some people prefer not to be tagged as “Dilawan” because they are willing to condemn the Duterte government despite being rationally or morally opposed to the LP. Both political identities have become disparaging to those who are critical of political worship.

Many people may find it offensive to be referred to as a DDS when praising the President or a “dilawan” when criticizing him. Excessive loyalty to any political faction may be associated with blind idolatry. However, the latter does not apply to everyone who expresses support or criticism.

So, where should we side with?

Controlling how people regard each political party is unavoidable, according to Stephen and Coleman (2009). Political tagging is not a new notion in politics. It has always been a convenient tool for categorizing individuals to be easily controlled, as the morality of a political tag is determined by the position it holds. In the domain of competitive politics, it may be a healthy exercise of free speech as long as the labeling does not become a tool for political persecution and marginalization. It becomes acceptable for as long as it doesn’t infringe on people’s rights.

Therefore, it would be better if we side with no particular group. We must remember that political parties are just a means to an end, namely, realizing democratic national interests. Furthermore, belonging to the DDS or the “dilawan” side does not entail failing to fulfill one’s civic obligations.

In the coming elections, it is high time we put our political identities aside. We should work together for the more significant benefit of our country instead of the advantage of specific factions. It is also time to refer to Filipino citizens as the "Republic of the Philippines," rather than DDS and "dilawan."

Register to vote, everyone!

References:

Bassig, P.B.; Gabrillo, D.M.; Kho, G.D. (2020, April 24). A tale of two wars. The Guidon. Retrieved from https://theguidon.com/1112/main/2020/04/a-tale-of-two-wars/

Contreras, A. (2020, February 1). Labels and political tagging. The Manila Times. Retrieved from https://www.manilatimes.net/2020/02/01/opinion/columnists/topanalysis/labels-and-political-tagging/678791

Gutierrez, N. (2017, August 18). State sponsored hate: The rise of the pro-Duterte bloggers. Rappler. Retrieved from https://r3.rappler.com/newsbreak/in-depth/178709-duterte-die-hard-supporters-bloggers-propaganda-pcoo

Heydarian, R. (2018, September 4). Neither DDS nor ‘dilaw’. Inquirer.net. Retrieved from https://opinion.inquirer.net/115837/neither-dds-dilaw

Ressa, M.A. (2016, October 8). How Facebook algorithms impact democracy. Rappler. Retrieved from https://www.rappler.com/newsbreak/facebook-algorithms-impact-democracy

Siapera, E. (2018) Understanding New Media. 2nd Edition. SAGE Publications Ltd.

[ilovekristin]

Sending out some sun on this gloomy weather 🌞🌞🌞 #Dilawan https://www.instagram.com/p/CRso7YyrjAsujRwG3DpDhIKow-9XniQUrp9_qo0/?utm_medium=tumblr