The President of the Philippines hates Manila
(Photo by Dondi Tawatao/Getty Images via fortune.com))
By JoeAm
The President of the Philippines hates Manila.
That is my opinion. It is not a fact. It is a deduction. You can decide if it is within a range of acceptable probability. You can decide if it is meaningful or not.
The President detests all that Manila stands for. He hates the place. The educated elite who look down on him and promote human rights. People who have their own opinions and won’t obey him. Critics he cannot control or shoot. Congestion and other problems he can’t solve. It’s the center of international relations and travel, those arrogant foreign bastards always judging him. It’s the place where the American Embassy is lodged.
That’s why the President is in Davao much of the time, and why China has engineering its soft invasion of the Philippines through the President’s open southern doorway. China’s military ships and planes visit there. Bridges and railways will be built there by China. China has established a consulate in Davao. The Uy corporations front for Chinese interests. From him we are getting a new Chinese telco escorted through regulatory processes as if a darling son. The lumads are being oppressed and suppressed and their lands will become open fields for Chinese industrial and agricultural plantations.
Filipinos will provide the unskilled labor.
As Chinese coolies built American railroads, Filipino coolies will build things for China.
It could be that the former Davao mayor and his family are not really Filipinos, actually. They are power barons, first and foremost. If we believe Senator Trillanes and others, they run the gambling and drugs and smuggling of goods throughout the region, and use murder to enforce it.
Manila is useless to them. A huge irritant. A flapping albatross about the neck
Manila is left to choke on its own congestion and incompetence. It’s polyglot of cities are run by curmudgeons, trapos, and corrupt gameplayers. There is no way it can be fit together as a productive, progressive, harmonious city aiming to once again be the pearl of the orient. It is the clutter of the orient. A broken, dirty, congested, bickering, murderous hulk of leftover bones and gristle. The gathering place of insufferable legislators who cannot see the forest for the trees, of people so accepting of cash from their overlord that they will sell their own institution, the nation, and a great city down the river to China.
Arroyo is the most powerful person in the House? A known conniver and plunderer. Sotto is the President of the Senate? A man of no known ethical fiber. Estrada hunches his way along as Mayor of dilapidated Manila central; it’s easy for him to bow to the President. He’s oblivious to the ruin that is his city and too inept to shine it up a little. A guy older than dinosaurs wants to be in the Senate again to find some way to justify the failure that is his storied life.
All ego, no talent.
It’s a cultural theme.
The blindness and incompetence of the leaders is astounding. The illogic of coddling Imelda and jailing Leila. The obscenities of police dictating television scripts whilst carrying out thousands of unjustified killings . . . and tax men harassing real journalists to leave the nation in the hands of quack tabloid sensationalists for their “knowledge”. . . Tulfo and Tiglao and Acosta and other peddlers of lies and emotion representing “knowledge” in the Philippines.
It is right there for all to see.
It is a daily insult to people of conscience, intelligence, and good will, this low-class, insane, and crass way of running things.
The nation is being gifted as a vassal state to China by hundreds of Filipinos who are so lacking of national esteem that they welcome the vultures if given but a silver coin or two.
Thus ends the dynamic and rich heritage of a once great nation, and its once great city.
A greedy fizzle.
The strugglers, the Filipinos of old, have been beaten down. They have quit. Many are no longer Filipino, really.
It’s every man and woman for himself and screw the kids.
Manila has quit on the nation, too. It bows to an outsider who hates the city.
It’s a tragedy, really.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Davao is Dutz’ turf. Hindi uubra sa Manila residents ginagawa niya unless they still believe in all his lies and what have you. It is plain to see that he does not want to be criticized for all his wrongdoings but his mouth is so uncouth, a hopeless case if I may say. He is not fit enough to rule the country. Pang mayor lang talaga.
I was reading an article today that White House staff in the US consider Trump to be an idiot. That is, he knows nothing about anything and just emotes what is on his childish mind. I’m amazed at how many people persist in believing that President Duterte represents the Philippines well.
Trump is catching up with Duierte or is it the other way around?
Joe,
Just finished watching a Netflix movie on Roger Stone, the sleazeball agent provocateur and master propagandist who, along with Breitbart, Manafort, and Bannon, helped Trump got elected. He works for the prince of darkness who at one time in his career as a swamp creature formed a lobbying firm whose clients include our very own former beloved dictator Ferdinand Marcos.
The cycle of corruption loops back and forth.
Yes, manipulators all.
Just to not lose the biggest buyer of arms Trump is now defending and supporting the Saudi Prince, even if the CIA says there is enough evidence to implicate the prince.
This could be an interesting case eventually , karl.
I’m reminded by this case in particular,
https://www.prnewswire.com/news-releases/gold-star-families-sue-kingdom-of-jordan-over-alleged-terrorist-murders-of-three-green-berets-300752092.html
According to the complaint, “Their families seek justice for their unnecessary deaths and believe that the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan aided and abetted this terrorist act by seeking to silence the families and hiding behind the defense that the Jordanian soldier who hunted down and brutally murdered their loved ones was acting within internationally accepted rules of engagement.”
The lawsuit alleges that the Government of Jordan, using the state news agency Petra, “initiated a deceitful defense strategy that falsely defended Defendant Abu Tayeh’s actions as justified within the rules of engagement” in murdering SFC Lewellen, SSG McEnroe, and SSG Moriarty. “In addition, the story depicted by Defendant Jordan in defending Defendant Abu Tayeh’s actions changed and evolved during the months after the assault on the SFOD-A members,” according to the lawsuit.
Sorry to hear about the soldiers killed LCX.
I can see that another Arab Royal famiky is involved.
No worries , karl.
In the case above, Jordanian royalty isn’t implicated just its military (and higher ups), but it’s similar in that Americans are suing whole countries, the case against Jordan is weaker (yeah sure cover-ups abound, but it was no assassination ); the case against Saudi Arabia will be a referendum of sorts against Trump’s eventual stance re Saudi Arabian prince.
As for dying out there, one kinda death is as good as any i suppose, but sure beats these two types of going,
https://www.businessinsider.com/three-us-commandos-and-three-prostitutes-died-in-a-car-crash-in-mali-2012-7
The three commandos were crossing a bridge in Bamako, the capital of Mali, in a rented 2010 Toyota Land Cruiser when they lost control of the vehicle and landed in the Niger River. Poor road conditions and excessive speed were cited by Army officials as the likely cause of the crash, according to Whitlock.
A senior Army official and a U.S. counterterrorism consultant briefed on the incident told the Post that the women killed in the wreck were identified as Moroccan prostitutes who had been riding with the soldiers. However, a statement by U.S. African Command (AFCOM) said that they “have no reason to believe these women were engaged in acts of prostitution.”
https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/national-security/navy-seals-and-marine-raiders-face-murder-charges-in-death-of-special-forces-soldier/2018/11/15/c3956292-e8fc-11e8-bd89-eecf3b178206_story.html
There allegedly was an ongoing disagreement between Melgar and the others in part because some of them had solicited prostitutes in the past and brought them back to the military’s safe house in Bamako, Mali.
Two Navy SEALs and two Marine Raiders face charges that include felony murder, involuntary manslaughter, conspiracy, obstruction of justice, hazing and burglary, according to U.S. military documents. They are accused in the June 2017 death of Army Staff Sgt. Logan Melgar, a member of 3rd Special Forces Group.
Military investigators said in charge sheets released Thursday that the accused service members broke into Melgar’s private bedroom, while he was sleeping, with intent to assault and bound him with duct tape. Then one of the service members put Melgar in a chokehold that was “inherently dangerous to another and evinced wanton disregard for human life,” the charge sheets said.
( The point, IMHO, is that Moroccan prostitutes are to die and kill for … apparently . But i digress )
Thanks for clarifying.
Davao City is no more special than any of the other cities in this country, it is no Shenzhen or Guangzhou City (the ones in Chinese territory, north of Hong Kong’s border). If this family claims it’s superior than even Olongapo City (Gordon’s turf) or Cebu City (Osmeña’s bailiwick), then why most people don’t feel like making a beeline for it?
It is his realm, though. That is what makes it special. He is king there. Executes people, controls the rackets and money. Imagine having that supercharged with Chinese money and authority. No national government will be able to touch Davao.
well said. it makes my blood curdle against anything dutz and chinese
Glad you found it meaningful, domeng. Thanks for saying so. It all makes so little sense if civility, laws, reason, fairness, and prosperity are the goals.
We’re in the age of nihilism now, I suppose. Nothing really matters anymore – the country, the cities, humanity, the planet – it’s all one big sick joke of existence, devoured and decaying.
What say you, edgar?
“Nothing really matters anymore . . .”
Very appropriate, as from Bohemian Rhapsody, by Queen.
Oh, mama mia, mama mia (Mama mia, let me go.)
Beelzebub has a devil put aside for me, for me, for me.
https://www.azlyrics.com/lyrics/queen/bohemianrhapsody.html
*******
I would surrender to despair.
I agree: the modern landscape is overwhelming in its barrenness and the future looks bleak.
But… but I am in touch with several centers of spiritual transformation and there are advances in neuroscience and noetics. There are many spiritual gurus that have emerged, perhaps as a response to the times.
It may be that we are at a cusp, an inflection point, where the downward arc will tend to persist for many years to come. I think things will get a lot worse before they get better.
With climate change, political chaos, China’s experiments in mass brainwashing, and the loss of civility and religious certainty, the next decades will be a watershed age.
My personal assessment is: if we have fumbled our chances so badly, then we deserve to go the way of the dinosaurs. Many civilizations have gone before.
My personal stance is: I will continue to seek enlightenment and continue to behave like a gentleman. I will conduct myself as if there were a tomorrow.
*****
I don’t know if I could (or should) share your optimism given that in physics and cosmology, the forces of darkness overwhelms the light, 3 is to 1.
“I will conduct myself as if there were a tomorrow.”
Reminds me of Jordan Peterson’s default position with regards to belief in the Almighty.
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1. Duterte feels antipathy for several things. In no particular order:
o Being criticized
o Dressing up
o Women
o The strictures of the law
o Eloquent speech
o Political opponents
o ASEAN meetings
o EU contributions
o ICC
o Intelligent women
o UN officials
o Human rights
o Kangaroo meat
o Corruption (kuno)
o Drugs (kuno)
o Rappler
o Trillanes
o Waiver on bank accounts
o Truth
o The Church and its bishops
o The Catholic God
o The Arbitral ruling
2. Hmm. That’s a list of more than 20 items, and I thought I couldn’t reach 10.
3. The point in the article that stands out for me is the third paragraph: how Davao has become the soft underbelly of the nation. It has a long-enough airport runway (3,000 meters vs. 3.200 meters for Clark) and several seaports and piers.
3.1. The Chinese-fortified islands in the West Philippine Sea pose an imminent threat but, strategically, the Davao entry points may be of greater import in that materiel can be brought in on a covert and staggered basis.
3.2. But then again, the entry points may not be necessary as China has fully co-opted the administration.
4. We are surrounded, circled, and penetrated.
*****
Seems so, seems so. But no one sees the healing white blood cells when looking at the wound.
(Man, that’s the best I’ve ever come up with.) hahaha
What a long list Edgar. He is not even doing anything except to open his dirty mouth and curse. And he loves China, what a shame!
Had to research on the kangaroo meat.
He had a litany of excuses.
He does not eat breakfast.
He does not eat buffets.
He brings his own corned beef, sardines and tuyo.
If it is informal what will they feed me, kangaroo?
Aargh.
On Eloquent speeches.
After his out of topic speech about 99 percent of your list of what he is antipathetic about, he speed reads the ready made speech after mocking the speech writer.
Aargh.
> He brings his own corned beef, sardines and tuyo.
I do recall that the Iron Butterfly Marcos, when if displeased by the food in a foreign land, brought in her own cuisine, flown in by air, to be served for her and her hangers-on.
At least Duterte packs it in his luggage I think. He had this story of his corned beef being confiscated in India for obvious reasons.
The Iron Butterfly needs an additional extra to her extravagance.
The speechwriter knows more about government and diplomacy than does the President, I suspect.
For sure. If he only read most of them with out inserting anything, maybe he would gain a little respect.
No he would not.
“…China has fully co-opted the administration.”
China has a dog collar on Duterte’s neck because, I’d surmise, there’s that missing billion peso shabu shipment.
Why is the opposition not pouncing on this is a mystery to me.
The opposition has been pouncing on this.
It’s just that this administration seems to be made of populist-and-socmed propaganda teflon.
Whatever have Kangaroos done to Dutters ?
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Ahaha! His taste runs to Abu Sayyaf livers.
*****
Someone told me: If you happen to be in Australia, eat Kangaroo meat rather than lamb meat — it is low in cholesterol. Rather than google, I will ask the guru from Oz if he has the time: Right or wrong, edgar? And is it served in restaurants? [Sorry, guys, for the shift in the flow of the discussion.]
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NHerrera, sorrry, you asked the wrong guy.
I have eaten kangaroo meat once. On a pizza.
I love lamb kebabs and lamb biryani.
However, I did google your question. The answer is as follows:
“Kangaroo meat is actually quite healthy. Unlike standard red meats like beef and lamb, kangaroo meat is considered a lean red meat that is low in saturated fat and high in protein. … In fact, kangaroo meat is so lean that it clocks in at less than 2% fat.”
Caveat: it might make you jumpy.
*****
Thanks, edgar. Now I know. But will weigh the consequence of eating Kangaroo meat — the jumpy part. But on second thought, may be it is what Popoy and I need, to liven up the octogenarians that we are. 🙂
NH,
I’ve had quite a few lambs (mostly from ME) and also goats (from ME & PI); I’ve been to Sydney on port visit (1 week), while there I had kangaroo steaks and burgers. I still eat lamb , sometimes goat , while Sydney was the only place i’ve had kangaroo (and not since then).
Specifically in Sydney, time was spent between the Blue Mtns. and K-Boyd National Parks, for those kangaroo connoisseurs (i don’t know if location where eaten makes a difference).
Lamb and goat meat have very discernible after taste and smell; while kangaroo did not , at least nothing memorable for me, could be that lamb and goat were cooked rather unceremoniously, while the establishments I ate kangaroo were more yuppy, above the fray types.
But they all taste like chicken to me 😉 .
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True dat. One may also develop a pouch — a belly one and not under the eyes — that will conveniently carry a pen, a pad, and your cell phone.
*****
popoy – I went up the snowy mountains in Cooma NSW and saw a kangaroo near the road. I developed a sort of respect for the creature. I thought a grown kangaroo’s double punch could easily knock out cold champion Paquiao. A few undergrad units in Animal Husbandry could impart some quiet respect for animals.
Kangaroo is unconventional cuisine, rather like buffalo in the US. Somehow these animals seem regal, or wild, or enshrined as representing the gods of nature. One can take a harrowing plane ride 26 miles from Santa Monica, California to Catalina Island, harrowing because of all the plane crashes at both airports, Santa Monica because of congestion and Catalina because the runway curves over the top of a mountain – you can’t see the other end – and the air currents are vertical and unpredictable. The Catalina airport restaurant serves buffalo burgers (or did way back when). I ordered beef.
Thanks guys for the additional notes on Kangaroo.
Here is another trivia comment. Since it walks/ runs on two feet, like us humans; and can stare you in the face, again like us humans, it seems rather cruel to slaughter the poor creature for meat, especially seeing it carries the little child-kangaroo in its belly pouch — like the harness modern mothers/ fathers do to carry their infants.
What a horrible nightmare! — horrible “to the max!” because quite real day to day. May more people speak up and stand their ground on justice and freedom — and as far as govt. is concerned, may more people insist that all government officials from the President to barangay captain, all employees in the govt. bureaucracy, are PUBLIC SERVANTS paid by our people.
Yes, values upon which the Constitution is based are being undermined every day. And some institutions are crumbling.
This blog is well-timed with a couple of articles in Rappler, each reinforcing the other for great caution as the tasier-panda love making goes beyond the back seat of a Davao limousine.
Look through the list of agreements signed with Xi on his state visit. Be afraid, be very afraid. Many of these are MOAs but will these tie the hands of future admins? Remember, Minadaons claim the Chinese intruded into WPS because Pnoy reneged on agreements signed by Arroyo and China.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/217156-deals-signed-during-xi-jinping-visit-philippines
“each reinforcing the other for great caution as the tasier-panda love making goes beyond the back seat of a Davao limousine.”
Hahaha, chemp! Just imagine that as tarsier, and guess who’s gonna be on top?
Ouch!!!
TRIVIA
The link leads to other links associated with the State Visit of President Xi to the Philippines, providing more information. In one, a picture is shown of Xi gesturing during the State Banquet while President Duterte looks on attentively.
The picture is rather unflattering to Duterte with that overly-noted blackened portion on his face. This brings home a point, in kindness to our President. His power naps during his recent trips abroad on international meetings [five of seven?] is to me quite understandable aside from the power naps which I can concede: he must be tired of answering and hearing suggestions about that darkened skin on his face.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/11/23/18/palace-deploys-more-troops-to-bicol-samar-negros-provinces-to-suppress-lawless-violence
With the elections coming they could easily make use of the recently ambush mayors,vice mayors, baranggay heads,etc to make this a nationwide thing.
And they told us not to worry.
OT: Makati RTC 148: Presidential proclamation 572 legal but warrant for arrest and departure hold order… denied.
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Soriano’s ruling is brief and straight to the point. A man of a few but mighty words.
*****
One way of looking at this ab-initio thingy about the Trillanes Amnesty is that it is a good way of winding down this ill-conceived, ill-executed item by the ab-initio expert, Solgen Calida. But SOJ Guevarra has to show the boss how tough he is, hehe.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/190698-duterte-manila-dead-city-decentralization-philippines
Almost a year ago Duterte suggested “closing Manila” to develop other cities.
Two months after having said this, he shifted his attention towards Boracay and closed Boracay instead.
New Clark City has the right idea, to draw major development away from Manila. But there does not seem to be much planned beyond that, and Clark is being turned over to Chinese development, it seems. 500 hectares I believe. I suspect we will just continue to see chaotic spread of the city.
Soon the New Clark City will be renamed to something Chinese like New Beijing.
I also am in favor of development outside Manila.
Biut, another discouraging news is the site for the airport in Bulacan has disappearing towns(under water) maybe due to climate change which we have discussed extensively.
Close Manila?
I was pro development relocation.
Until I realized that saying that it s easier said than done is an understatement.
https://www.manilatimes.net/3500-families-affected-road-connector-project/358718/
If in Boracay, he threatened Land reform he made mention of it again recently, I think in one of his speeches he used Eminent domain for his build build build.
The plus or minus to State authority in claiming land depends on the intent of the State. If it is to replace disorder with order and cut through log jams for sensible development, it is good. If it is to coddle friends, it is bad. Boracay is out for judgment as the clean-up is continuing, and it is too early to see if it is mainly benefiting a few favoreds or the broader community. The approach does not inspire trust. I mean, banning media? That hints of ill intent.
I don’t think the media will cramp their style, expose secrets or anything.
I remember the early days of tokhang, they say that you have nothing to fear if you have nothing to hide.
Wrong in more ways than one.
What I originally started as a comment to this article became a blog article of it’s own:
http://filipinogerman.blogsport.eu/a-nation-dies-and-whats-next/
inspired a bit by the controversy as to whether there was/is a dichotomy between the “nacion” of the elites and the “bayan” of the masses. It could be true, the Pacquiao bayan and the Rizal nation are two different things, the barangay yet another matter. Or why does Lady Pilipinas protest too little?
Thanks Joe for, once again, speaking my mind. As you mention, the Chinese will make sure that Davao continues to increase its political clout over the country. I guess it is advised to closely monitor other politicians hailing from Davao with national ambitions.
Yes, indeed.