Been seeing a lot of "Kakampinks" (Leni Robredo supporters during the last Philippines election) saying "Tama nga kami" (we were right all along). This is a jab to those who voted for the current President and Vice President of the Philippines, who currently on bad relations with each other, pointing fingers about who is the incompetent one. Spoiler alert: it's both of them.
Anyways, being smug about the election choices that people make does NOT help with the greater cause and what are the real sides of this fight - the ruling class in power and the working class.
Raoul Manuel of the Kabataan Partylist and Member of the Philippine House of Representatives put it so well in the following tweet he posted:
Rough translation:
Friendly advice to allies for good governance:
It is not enough that we are right. We need to reach out to those who can become additional allies, including those who have doubts and are questioned about their decisions. Let's multiply and act together.
It is the strategy of the deceivers to label and consider as enemies those who do not share another's views. Let's be on guard not to be like them.
Potential allies will distance us if, consciously or not, we appear self-righteous or arrogant.
This may be out-of-brand, random, and quite a long read, but please spare some time to read. I just want to share with all of you who stayed in this blog despite my frequent long absences, that I am from the Philippines. Yesterday, May 9, we had our national elections that will decide the 17th president of this country. And it was rigged. The son of the dictator who ruled this country in terror for 20 years was said to have won. Blatant misinformation drives through all these years that repainted the martial law as the golden years of this country, and the commission of elections fucked us up, and now I'm terrified. The elections were sold long before it even began.
You know how fucked up it felt when Trump got elected? That's how we feel rn except that this is much, much worse because Marcos Jr. is an actual useless elitist git with prior multiple tax evasion cases, a liar, and was actually jobless for the last 6 years since he lost when he ran for the vice-presidential seat. He presented no platform during his campaign and refused to join debates that will clear up his aims for the country against the other aspirants. There are hundred thousands of unaccounted deaths and still missing and tortured during Marcos' martial law. His family has 7 counts of graft and corruption cases against them and an outstanding 203B pesos debt on estate taxes. In addition to this, the stolen wealth from all the years they reigned is yet to be completely recovered. The debt created by their regime is still being paid by this generation and the next. That famous ridiculous woman who owns thousands of shoes named Imelda Marcos? That's his mom. He is backed by oligarchs, troll farms and fanatics who nearly treat him as king.
The vice presidential seat that is separately elected here, was given (I refuse to believe that they are actually elected) to the daughter of the current president whose most prominent legacy is the deaths caused by his war against drugs. She was equally brutal in her leadership as the mayor of her hometown.
The other front-runner in the presidential race Marcos was up against was a woman who sowed hope to all of us. Leni Robredo made me believe in radical love. As the then vice-president, she spearheaded countless efforts against COVID-19 and other natural disasters. She became the beacon of hope and shone a light on the goodness we can offer to our nation. It may sound fanatical, but it's so far from that. It's even the other way around. Her campaign birthed a monumental movement of volunteerism. She made us feel that there is still a possibility of a government that genuinely cares for us and is willing to listen. For the first time in my life, I actually care about my country. Not just in passing, but I really felt it from within me.
But now we are going to be under another Marcos again. And I'm terrified and heartbroken for my country.
People are vigilant. The youth is reeling in anger. Some are even out in the streets, protesting against this incoming administration. But I fear that it is to a lost cause. The proclamation is tomorrow, May 11 and despite the countless cries of anomalies and irregularities in this election that gives all the reason to announce a failure of election, the commission on elections is continually turning a blind eye against all of it.
The regime under Marcos Sr. from 36 years ago could get me killed just by this post alone. And we are afraid that history may repeat itself. Some of my countrymen have forgotten the atrociousness of the Marcos' dictatorship through historical revisionism and we are going to work hard against it from within.
Just like I said, they fucked us up and we will never forget that.
Please reblog this and spread it. Also, if any of you could spare me some more time (this became too long. I'm sorry.), watch this documentary streamed for free on youtube to get a clearer picture of what we are against.
6 years is a long time, but we will not be backing down.
“The best man for the job is a woman.” - Leni Robredo
Maria Leonor Gerona Robredo, an alternative lawyer and public servant, is the 14th Vice President of the Republic of the Philippines. After years of working with the poor and the marginalized, teaching the less fortunate about their rights under the law, Leni, as she is popularly known, emerged into national consciousness following the loss of her husband, long-time Naga City Mayor and Interior Secretary Jesse Robredo. Called upon to carry on his legacy of good governance, she stepped into the political arena in 2013, when she won as Representative of the Third District of Camarines Sur.
On April 23, 1965, in the lands of Naga, Camarines Sur, Philippines; a woman was born, a woman who in the future will fight against the biggest of odds a woman has ever faced. In the name Maria Leonor Santo Tomas Gerona, she was recognized to be first of the three children born to Naga City Regional Trial Court Judge Antonio Gerona (Father) and Salvacion Santo Tomas (Mother).
There is not much known about how Leni spent her youth or who she surrounded herself with but she is known to have attended the basic education department of Unibersidad de Sta. Isabel in Naga and graduated from elementary school in 1987, and from high school in 1982.
Leni lived a normal life, born as Filipina, and just like every Filipino, was dedicated at her passion and goals. She earned her degree in economics from the University of The Philippines Diliman in 1986, and proceeded to study law at the University of Nueva Caceres, graduating in 1992; she then passed the bar exams in 1997.
Leni knew the path she was taking, and realized her potential to help her fellow Filipinos. Not much is known about what inspired her to follow the path of politics, probably due to his father occupation but Leni chose to temporarily forego law studies and instead decided to work as a researcher for the Bicol River Basin Development Program (BRBDP) – it is a government agency tasked with integrated area development planning in the three provinces of the Bicol Region. During her work in the agency, there she met the man would finally make her heart skip a beat and someone that would impact her and give courage, one that she’ll forever treasure – Program Director Jesse Robredo. The two loved each other very dearly and was always together, helping people, providing support to those in need, and proving their capabilities as trust-worthy public servant to the masses. The wife and husband were eventually blessed with three healthy children named – Aika, Tricia, and Jillian.
Having passed the bar on her second attempt in 1996 and admittedly in May 1997, Leni served in the Public Attorney’s Office, a role in which she often took up the defense for cases pursued by her husband, who by then had become Mayor of Naga.
The family lived a very comfortable life and their children grew full of love and compassion, just like their parents but unfortunately, all this would come to pass as Jesse Robredo – Leni’s beloved husband – unfortunately died on August 18, 2012, when his plane (Piper PA-34 Seneca) a light aircraft he was traveling in crashed off the coast of Masbate Island. He was traveling back home to assist her daughter’s swimming competition.
This left Leni and her children devastated and lost. Just like any other family, they held each other dear. Jesse Robredo loved his children very much and taught them everything they need to know; it was no secret that Jesse was compassionate, kind, and warm – the way his beloved children grew up was proof of this. Jesse’s death left an impact on Leni and their children, one that would forever remain within them, even as Leni continues the fight.
Leni knew then that she needed to continue what her husband had started but even then; on her own, she was able to do good in the country by becoming the coordinator of Sentro ng Alternatibong Lingap Panligan (SALIGAN), founder of the Lakas ng Kababaihan ng Naga Federation, an organization that provides training and livelihood opportunities for women, in 1989; and being named the chairperson of the Liberal Party in Camarines Sur.
She continued on as she ran in Camarines Sur’s 3rd congressional district on 2013 and won, Participatory governance and transparency were the major objectives and thrusts of Robredo's legislative agenda. The first law Robredo authored in congress was the Full Disclosure Policy Bill (HB 19), which would have mandated all government agencies and their sub-units and projects to disclose their budget and financial transactions in a conspicuous manner "without any requests from the public.” Robredo also authored the People Empowerment Bill (HB 4911), which sought to allow more participation from Filipinos in decision and policy-making, and the Participatory Budget Process Bill (HB 3905), which sought to increase participation in budget-related decisions in government projects by locals. She also wrote the Comprehensive Anti-Discrimination Bill (HB 3432) to prohibit discrimination on the basis of ethnicity, race, religion or belief, sex, gender, sexual orientation, gender identity and expressions, language, disability, HIV status, etc.
Leni’s passion to help and be of service amongst the Filipino people did not stop here. On October 5, 2015, after her three daughters set aside their initial objections, Leni announced that she would run for the post of Vice President of the Philippines under the Liberal Party in the 2016 election, as the running mate of presidential candidate Mar Roxas. She won the election with 14,418,817 votes, or 35.11 percent of cast ballots, narrowly defeating her closest rival, Senator Ferdinand Marcos, Jr, by 263,473 votes or by 0.64 percent.
During her term, Leni did things on her own but provided as much help as her accompanied President – Rodrigo Roa Duterte. Leni also showed strength and fulfilled her promises she made during her campaign such as her Angat Buhay Program – a program that focuses on six advocacy areas, namely: public education, rural development, food security and nutrition, women empowerment, universal healthcare, and housing and resettlement. From the beginning of her program in 2016 up until January 2022, the program has benefitted 622,00 families in 223 cities and municipalities across the country.
These feats, accomplishments did not go unnoticed and during the year of 2016, Leni received numerous awards from different universities, non-government organizations, and foreign acknowledgements; examples of these are: her being awarded the Honorary Outstanding Woman Award of the Year by the Thai government, coinciding with Thailand’s Women Day due to her work and advocacy on women’s empowerment and gender equality, the award as the Most Influential Filipina Woman of the World given to her by Filipina Women’s Network, and different doctorates from universities within the country such as: Polytechnic University of the Philippines, University of Saint Anthony in Iriga, Camarines Sur, and University of the Cordilleras.
However, despite these achievements, accomplishments, and good deeds she made count during her term; negative news, bad comments, and bullying were still thrown at her at the time. Many saw her as useless and found her to be not worthy of her position but she remained steadfast and loyal to her own morals, using her influence and power to continue helping those in need and provide a trust-worthy and corrupt free governance. She was a mother, not only to her children but also to the country.
On October 7, 2021; she announced her readiness to run for president and filed her candidacy as an independent, running with her is the Senator Kiko Pangilinan as vice president who filed his own certificate of candidacy under the Liberal Party. After all that she’s been through, the many people she’s helped, and the many challenges she’s faced; she is currently facing her biggest challenge yet.
Leni Robredo, in her own way, paved the way for women to start believing in themselves. Tested by life, circumstances, and challenges; she never lost sight of who she really is and remained steadfast to her ethics. She showed strength within her weakest moments, and showed compassion in the world full of hate. Many might hate her, see her as unworthy, and not fit for position but we all cannot deny that Leni did everything and more. Having lost her only love, becoming a single parent is not easy, let alone raising them to be fine young ladies but despite these odds, she kept a strong face, and confronted all the challenges, allegations, and judgements thrown at her all while proving her worth as the Vice President of the country.
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.
Hume rejects the fact that beauty is in the eye of the beholder. He accepts that everyone has the capacity to see beauty, but not everyone has the same capacity to appreciate it.
This is evident in one of the most simple components of art: colours. People associate colours with so many things, from ideas, to moods, some even use them as names. This is because colours evoke something in a person which is far beyond words can express. Colours are a window by which we can see the world. Someone wearing black to a wedding in the Philippines is considered disrespectful and a faux-pas.
Thus, it is no longer surprising that many people have the same connotations with the same colours.
In October last year, VP Leni Robredo expressed her readiness to take the helm of the country as she made her presidential bid official. VP Robredo herself said that with no specific colour in mind, they opted for Blue because of her daughters’ connection with the Ateneo, hence the blue dress. However, during the time for the official launching of her bid, supporters wore pink. Thus became the beginning of the journey which is now known as the Pink Movement.
The Pink Movement has reignited the spirit of volunteerism in the Philippines. Robredo’s supporters are a grassroots-led initiative, which initially posed a challenge for the controlling of the proper messaging
Applying Hume’s logic in the campaign, we can see that the choosing of the colour pink is not merely an aesthetic choice, but is also emotionally driven. Many people saw that pink was not only pleasing to the eye, but it was also a colour which was unassociated with any movement in the Philippine Political Sphere which made it a prime colour for reinvention, innovation, but most of all, hope.
Looking back at the campaign, the choosing of the colour pink was a call not only for the unification of people for the same cause, it was also a unification of the people by the people — which embodies the spirit of everything the Robredo Campaign stands for.
