Yellow is not politics, it is a force
By JoeAm
There is a lot of confusion about “yellow” in the Philippines. Some people deny being yellow as if it were dengue. Many associate it with the Liberal Party, or liberal politics. Others associate it with the movement to protect Philippine democracy, civility, and human rights.
It strikes me as amusing that the State/Marcos troll brigade uses it as a term to slander anyone who criticizes either President Duterte or Bongbong Marcos. In that way, THEY define yellow to be anyone who has a complaint about prices or transportation or dead people in the street. Or corruption. Or bugs in rice or the Marcos family. Or the Boracay takedown. Or inept agencies.
It is a very pragmatic definition . . . and problematic . . . for them. Yellow means anyone who has not yet sold his soul to the Duterte/Marcos/Arroyo/China cabal. It is anyone who simply wants something different than brutality, a failed drug war, loss of seas and fish, loss of due process, high prices, crude language, insults to friends, siding with the enemy, economic malaise, corruption, incompetence, and loss of independence for the House, Supreme Court, and Ombudsman.
More yellows are generated every day.
I say to all who favor the Constitution, democracy, and human rights:
“Yes!!! Let’s use the trolls’ definition!”
Let’s accept what they say. Let’s recognize yellow as a force bigger than politics, bigger than human rights, bigger than murder. Let’s recognize it as a force as big as peoples’ dreams for a better life, as big as their passion for fairness and a piece of the nation’s prosperity. Let it be a force that represents peoples’ deep-rooted need to FEEL GOOD about being Filipino all by ONESELF, rather than have to fist-pump to dictators or cheer boxers and movie stars for a little piece of esteem.
Let yellow represent anyone who wants Filipinos to have a chance to BE somebody, at a very personal level.
I say, embrace being yellow. Stop denying being yellow if you are for Filipino well-being and prosperity. Stop declaring people in or out based on criteria that try to put them into a box and take you out.
There is no box.
There is only the force of hope, passion, and work for a better Philippines than what the autocrats would deal to us. Yellow, the force, comes in many shapes, many peoples, many groups, many ideas. Yellows don’t have to agree or be the same, they can be fat, thin, brown, white, tall, short, male, female, artist, scientist, field worker, conservative, liberal, loud, quiet, Akbayan, Independent, rich or poor.
It is all good.
It is.
May the force be with you.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
“Let’s accept what they say. Let’s recognize yellow as a force bigger than politics, bigger than human rights, bigger than murder. Let’s recognize it as a force as big as peoples’ dreams for a better life, as big as their passion for fairness and a piece of the nation’s prosperity”” Well said Joeam.
Yellow is the color of sunshine, hope and happiness. It also stands for intellect, honor loyalty but some people say it is the color of deceit.
Good morning!
Good morning, arlene. Thank you.
*******
Arlene, good morning.
Yellows are patriots.
*****
I do agree Edgar. Have you heard the latest news? Duterte is revoking the amnesty given to Sen. Trillanes back in 2010. Sabi ni Sen. Trillanes he doesn’t have to go to Israel to issue such. What is happening to the Philippines?Lahat ng kalaban gustong ipakulong.
perhaps i’m not the most credible person to say this since i’m obviously very yellow.. but as i always say, yellow is like the garlic to the vampires, i’d use it if i wasn’t an LP member or “fan” of EDSA revolution if only to piss the marcoses off. it’s the colour that sent them away, why won’t i use it? 😄
I published this a day early because I read a headline that said something about yellow changing from a negative to positive in the minds of Filipinos. Seemed like a good idea to promote.
really? where??
and yeah, i was surprised to read this today coz i know your blogs are published every wednesday,😄
Hah, I don’t know. I was moving fast and had not yet finished my coffee.
I just wanted to do a positive message, so pushed ‘publish’ early.
YES, the YELLOW PEOPLE are our country’s FORCE for democracy, human rights, and civility.
Let it be so.
http://opinion.inquirer.net/115837/neither-dds-dilaw
Heydarian opines that he neither has to be DDS or Dilaw to be a good citizen.
Evidently Mocha Uson called him yellow because he criticized Duterte. He wrote a very elaborate response explaining his non-aligned position and history of criticizing Aquino, others. I have not been able to locate it, but will link to it if I do.
He was also just named one of the top 10 promising young persons in the world. Smart dude.
a friend said there’s a vast difference between an unaligned and a fence-sitter
Yes, I suppose so. Unaligned is a positive act of conviction and fence-sitting is a weak act of no conviction.
Here is one link.
https://changescamming.net/di-best-di-brightest/richard-heydarian-binira-si-mocha-uson-public-service-not-politics-is-my-vocation/
Yellow is the color of the sun that comes out after a dark night filled with EJKs.
Yes, that is the stark visual that apples today.
The way pro-Duterte Filipinos use “yellow” to denigrate those who oppose present government policies and incompetence is the same way Donald Trump use “fake news” to discredit criticisms against him. In any case, both involve name calling which does not elevate civil discourse. Unfortunately, a lot of those in the pro-Duterte camp does not seem to be interested in civility. And the ones who can be civil will not engage you when you talk to them of politics.
Like I have this DDS friend who wants me to take Duterte’s government on faith, saying “you just have to trust him because in the end this will all be for the good of the country,” with the implicit warning that if I could not say anything nice about the present state of the Philippines, I should not say anything at all; as that would be …. like (maybe) sacrilege? And I wanted to say: “WTF, he is a Philippine president, not God.” Of course I did not say that as I did not want to use the “f” word when talking to a friend.
🙂 I admire your restraint.
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1028001/duterte-revokes-trillanes-amnesty-orders-his-arrest
Duterte revokes Trillanes amnesty, orders his arrest
Stunning. Serious.
MAY THE FORCE BE WITH THOSE BEING WHIMSICALLY PERSECUTED.
I had a feeling, he would do that.
Just so we are all clear about this.
The revocation of the amnesty is based on the reasoning he did not apply for amnesty (To whcih Pnpy’s assistant spokesperson Abigal Valte posted a video showing Trillane submitting the application).
Once again, the juvenile adjudicacy tantrum raises it’s ugly head. It’s all a matter of forms, never the substance. Which is why the death penalty must never be allowed in Philippines – sooner or later, some poor soul will be hanged on the say so of somebody’s affidavits.
Dilbert goverment it is, Joe.
Yes, with a heavy overlay of evil.
This is the time to show yellow power. Protect Trillanes, by all and any means!
The dictator has just crossed the line.Enough is enough!
I am sympathetic, but have to keep ‘calls for action’ out of the blog I host. Please use different forums to exercise your rights, if you have them, in the Philippines. I don’t have such rights.
Look, the left, the reds, they criticize PDuterte but they will not let anybody call them yellows. If i am to criticize PDuterte i too wont associate myself with the yellows. As for me, yellows are those who lost political power and simply want it back.
(To Joe, may i ask, how long im on moderation?)
The length of time is up to you.
*******
Sup, thanks.
*****
http://www.megascene.net/?p=4005
Makati court shelves trial on rebellion raps vs Trillianes
MANILA– A Makati Regional Trial Court (RTC) court has deferred the trial of rebellion case against Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV and other soldiers linked to the 2007 Manila Peninsula siege pending Congress’ decision on President Aquino’s amnesty proclamation.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/09/04/18/trillanes-amnesty-revoked-senator-faces-charges-arrest
Old man now fears treachery while being away.
Ah..same youtube video……
Yup but with some side notes.
salamat
Here is one author who took Yellow as a bad thing(divisive).
Written last 2014.
http://manilastandard.net/mobile/article/152715
Published January 5, 2011 3:09pm
“We are man enough to admit that we have broken rules.”
These were the words of former Navy Lt. Senior Grade and incumbent Senator Antonio Trillanes IV after he availed of government amnesty on Wednesday, along with the other Magdalo soldiers.
Trillanes said they filled out an application form and signed the sections that state they were agreeing to their “general admission of guilt” that they violated military rules and the Revised Penal Code (RPC).
http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/news/nation/209809/trillanes-avails-of-amnesty-admits-breaking-rules/story/
I’ve been following the proceedings at the Senate. Trillanes is in custody of the Senate and cannot be arrested on Senate premises. Police are outside the lobby of the building to arrest him. The Senate will caucus after hearings today are complete. Senator Trillanes said it was a warrantless arrest, essentially martial law, and no matter how it turned out, Solicitor General Calida and President Duterte would get their due. Minority Senator Drillon explained that the amnesty is a resolved matter as it was acted upon by a court in 2011, so the matter of application and expression of guilt is resolved. There is no case, according to him. Concurrently, the AFP spokesman gave a press conference. I only got a part of that, but I think he said the AFP was taking Duterte’s instructions as an order and that Trillanes would be re-tried in court martial proceedings.
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Yes, the AFP spokesman said they have a written order.
Remember they said they would not join the Drug War unless there was a written order?
But this written order is illegal from Drilon’s statement.
The AFP has to take this into consideration. If they persist in following an “unlawful” order then…
There is now a possible constitutional crisis — Senate vs. Executive.
*****
There seems also to be a clear split within the AFP. The “Alt AFP” twitter site is very constitution bound and hostile to the spokesman who gave the briefing. I understand there are a lot of generals in Israel with the President looking at weapons and I wonder if the President invited them along to keep them out of the picture as the arrest came down. Or maybe that is my fictional mind at work.
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Another conspiracy theory is going the rounds. He brought the top brass so no one could trigger a coup in his absence.
*****
Fascinating.
Somebody said it was just as much as Idi Amin locking up his soldiers in their barracks to prevent them from holding mutiny while he was away.
First, we had De Lima; then Sereno. This Trillanes version may turn out to be a bridge too far for this Administration.
If the opposition does not push back on this illegal and a very obvious politically motivated arrest order, the Duterte gang will rule with tyrannical impunity enabling
the full return to power of his kleptomaniacal friends.
They are trying their best.
But the administration holds all the cards. Only the Senate stands between the administration and total control of the country.
*******
The people?
*****
What I meant in my comment was that Duterte has seized nearly all the political institutions in this nation. Except the Senate—which by design, is the only political institution that can claim a democratic mandate equal in legitimacy to that of the President.
*******
Agree.
Has Senator Poe spoken?
*****
Not that I know of.
Probably observing still how the wind blows. Her status as a Senator may be Quo-Warranto-ed [recall the citizenship conundrum] if she acts “Too big for her breeches.”
I think senator Poe is too busy posing for pictures with Bongbong’s chief trolls…
That is a rather disgusting photo. But it is not obscene, so thanks for supplying it.
Oops sorry for the double post of this picture. You can delete one of it if you don’t mind. One is more than enough already…
I am afraid its not whether a constitutional crisis might happen which will be critical in determining the prospects for a constitutional democracy in the Philippines. Right now such a crisis would confirm what has been Duterte’s de facto takeover of the legislative and judicial arms of the government . It would be too much to expect the Senate and its leadership to risk a constitutional confrontation with Duterte over Trillanes given their willingness to accept the jailing of De Lima and removal of CJ Serena from her post on bogus charges. Even if for some unexplained reason they did and brought it before the Supreme Court, his newly installed CJ and the other pro regime justices would rule against Trillanes. And the AFP? The best that can be hoped for is they remain in barracks and stay away from the legal fray in case of a Senate police versus PNP clash.
The next move is not the PNP nor the courts. It’s Magdalo. The president has crossed a red line.
https://theworldnews.net/ph-news/magdalo-fires-back-dares-duterte-to-sign-bank-waiver
I don’t know. That seems like a pretty weak challenge to me. The minority coalition, which I believe consists of the LP, Akbayan, and Madgalo parties support Senator Trillanes. Separately, Makbayan coalition’s leader Teddy Casino spoke out today in support of Senator Trillanes. It’s a different alignment than in the US where conservative Republicans might line up behind a military man, whereas here, the liberals do, and the left does because it is so opposed to President Duterte and his hostility toward the poor and warring against the NPA . . . which interestingly enough, in the great circle of irony, is waged by military men.
But I don’t know how this will be fought in the legal arenas. Evidently Senator Trillanes separation from the military has been revoked, which is strange of itself, so that they can apply military courts to his case. I presume he would be court martialed for a coup attempt, which is a very serious offense.
I’d say, right now, the Philippines is under the rule of a dictator in every way but the declaration.
The Senate is so far soundly behind Senator Trillanes. Senator Zubiri said almost defiantly that there would be no arrest of Senator Trillanes on Senate property. Senator Escudero wrote: “The amnesty granted to Sen. Trillanes, after acceptance & the lapse of the 15-day period to appeal has become a vested right and I doubt if it can be voided by mere executive fiat and the corresponding order of arrest issued without going through, or being issued by, the courts.”
Antonio Vina, Dean of Ateneo School of Government, a key backer of Senator Poe, tweeted: “The revocation of the Trillanes amnesty is a blatant attack on critics and the political opposition. Beyond Trillanes, it is illegal and wrong policy wise.“
So Trillanes will hold the Guiness World record — out of a hundred coup attempts, he is the only one to get court martialed.
There is no rationality to this little escapade, only raw, angry, ruthless power.
This so disgusting, I have to open my relief valve — making light of the event — by writing:
Appointment of Sereno as SC Justice not valid from the start. Grant of Amnesty to Trillanes not valid from the start. A rose with another name ( Quo Warranto )?
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It’s the modus operandi of Calida.
But it seems they have stumbled this time with proof — video and documents — of the amnesty of Trillanes.
There will be many people with eggs on their faces from Calida, DOJ Secretary Guevarra, to the AFP spokesman.
Duterte has plausible deniability? Well, he signed the executive order. I’m sure they will find a scapegoat.
What would bring things to a head is if they insist on arresting Trillanes, who was wise — hindi nanlaban.
*****
Glad to read about the video and documents that will likely change the game. Scapegoat — that too is interesting. Thanks edgar, you saved my day. I need to cap my relief valve or my BP will become dangerously low; I will need it for another time. 🙂
Figuratively speaking, the Senators joined by the gathering and accelerating sentiments and voices of the “Force” [the blog speaks] about can take its last stand on the Virtual Thermopylae of the Senate from which to fend off the Dark Forces. Handled properly, this issue may be used effectively, the least, to splash eggs on the faces of Calida et al. I believe Trillanes has a following and some sort of gravitas/ focused seriousness missing in De Lima and Sereno. Trillanes seemed to have gained that gravitas from his experiences both as a soldier and as a Senator.
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All three are made of uncommon steel.
There are three differences between the ladies and the soldier:
1. The ladies are ladies. Both are lawyers. They will engage Duterte within the arena of the law.
The soldier will engage Duterte at any level. Mano a mano. Duterte bluffs; Trillanes calls; Duterte retreats. (I believe this is the gravitas you sense in Trillanes.)
2. The ladies are not strictly militarily minded; they are broad thinkers. Trillanes has a military mind, which is strategy and tactics, action in pursuit of an objective. Duterte admires the military mind, solicits it, and aspires to have it. He can’t cut the mustard. His objectives are ill-defined, his tactics poorly thought out. And he wears a uniform like a pajama.
3. The third factor is related to the first — scruples. The ladies and the soldier have it; Duterte doesn’t. The ladies have moral and legal scruples. Trillanes has moral scruples in terms of objectives but perhaps not exactly legal ones in terms of tactics. He is a coupist.
(When Duterte states that VP Robredo is incompetent, he really means that she has scruples.)
The first difference is related to profession; the second to mindset; the third to morality.
All three differences are related to the use of power, which is the grammar of government.
*****
edgar, thanks for the notes which I buy: all three are made of uncommon steel and the other elaborations. I may add: I was using “gravitas” in an unorthodox way: the military way Trillanes exudes or implies in his various statements, in the PH setting, is something a Duterte and other Filipinos, perhaps tired of legality — I am not — may appreciate.
Edgar, luv #2! Spot on: the ladies, the soldier, the intellectual wimp.
@edgar
Calida might have concocted the modus but the marching order to execute came all the way from the vengeful Gloria who seems to be fully engaged in a power tripping wrath now that she controls the gavel in the house.
After their success with the quo warranto their proclivity to use latin phrase to sound authoritative and compelling in their repression is hoisted on Trillanes – void ab initio.
And of course the supreme of the supreme is now safely in place to rubber stamp the whole judicial moro-moro.
I believe, the behavior of the Senators — aside from their view on the illegality of the move on Trillanes, let us grant to be sincere — is probably borne out of simple self-preservation. Who knows, any one of them can be subjected to a Calida quo-warranto express too if they become problematic to the Administration. Mid-term election a factor too?
Quo warranto is very much constitutional and reasonable. But this one, revocation of amnesty is farfetch. If this case of Trillanes will eventually go to Supreme Court, even the Justices there will find it difficult to make this look good.
Please explain the relevance of the photo.
It’s OT. The force is not with him.
It’s from an Isreali media of father n daughter at the holocast memorial. Officially the Isreali govt welcomes him but it’s not all rosy for him in the holy land nor for Nethanyahu.
Local media is not showing the negatives. At airport only a small number of OFW supporters turned up instead of thousands in the past elsewhere. At a business forum, one Isreali company turned down the invitation on moral grounds – they refused to honour a HR violator. Several bodies question the wisdom of honoring a dictator and his previous unkind reference to slaughtered Jews as he EJK’d Filipinos.
There were a couple of reports locally, but not direct, on the scene commentary. Social media was thick with the President’s sloppy dress and his daughter’s leg tattoos. Foreign press reports were all over the place reporting the protests and Duterte’s human rights issues.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/211059-duterte-hitler-admirer-visits-israel-holocaust-memorial
http://globalnation.inquirer.net/169528/part-free-press-says-palace-israel-media-sentiment-vs-duterte
http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1027229/past-hitler-talk-dogs-dutertes-israel-trip
Meantime, while the government-expense led [via the BBB Program] GDP growth chugs along, August inflation according to PSA surged to 6.4%: higher than BSP’s estimate range of 5.5%-6.2%; and Bankers/ Analysts estimate range of 5.8%-6.1%. What is more, the the gut number, surged: the food alone index for August was 8.2%, higher than last month’s 6.8% and last year’s 3.1%.
The term yellow has been tainted with the brush of incompetent leadership and coddling of the old ways. I’m against everything Duterte and his monkeys, Marcos and his zombies, China and their monies stand for but… I feel that the colors have been marred by Noynoy’s dumb choices. The proud yellow color has faded to a pale ghost of its former self. The blood of innocents however has soaked in and may have restored some of its faded glory
Hello, John, good of you to visit the blog and comment. What are some of the dumb choices made by President Aquino, so I can get a sense of how well you grasp what happened, and make sure you are not just reciting a troll’s kind of simplistic slander? And, simultaneously, please identify what you believe some of his more important achievements are.
Our country has been stained by yellow color for long a very long time and is now fading. I know you will agree but people nowadays are smart. You call Duterte a dictator when he is not and you call Aquino leaderships as brilliants when they were seen as weakest in history.
Thanks for the comment that is refreshing for being the total opposite of what most people understand. Of course, it all depends on what you use as standards for strength and weakness. If it is accomplishment and responsible governance, then Aquino is strong. If it is taking democracy and civility apart one institution at a time, then Duterte is strong.
So if Yellow means definding Human Rights then why did Laila Delima allow the corruption at the BI? What about President Beningo Aquino and Hacienda Liusita? What about the foreigners who were arrested and deported sust for participating in thr Anti Pork Barrel Rally? It was their Human Right to do so!
Welcome to the blog, Stefan. I trust that you actually believe these things that you post here, or why would you post them, eh? It is not possible to cover all the topics you raised with any thoroughness, so select the one that means the most to you, and we can study it further. They are not simple matters, after all.
And as a matter of introduction to other readers here, kindly let us know your nationality, where you are located now, and why you are interested in the Philippines. Thank you.