Four Fatal Shots
Analysis and Opinion
By Irineo B. R. Salazar
FOUR FATAL SHOTS rang out in Paniqui, Tarlac days ago. PNP Master Sergeant Nuezca killed mother and son Gregorio. According to some in the Philippine government, it was just an isolated incident. But it clearly wasn’t in a country where killings are on the rise – of drug suspects, red-tagged activists, journalists, judges, lawyers and more. Some will say killings always have existed in the Philippines, rogue cops as well, but doesn’t that make things even worse? If the issues were always societal and systemic, regardless of who was in power, the present administration seems to have put gasoline into a smoldering fire.
NATURE AND CULTURE
Aside from our capacity to love, a mammal legacy, there is also our legacy of aggression, and there is a difference between defensive and offensive forms of aggression, exact terms aren’t too important. Certainly the killed Gregorio son showed defensive aggression after Nuezca came in and challenged him for firing a “boga” fireworks cannon. There was a man, possibly his father, who kept putting his hand to the young man’s mouth, and his mother holding him tight – probably partly to prevent him from going at Nuezca but also to prevent Nuezca – who clearly carried a gun – from dragging him off.
Even animals don’t go for the kill immediately; there is usually posturing and one side retreats. There is an exchange where Nuezca’s daughter tells the Gregorio mother to “go home” and she answers “this is our place”. They aren’t in the house but on their lot which Nuezca trespasses, though I know that some Filipinos only see inside the house as “sacred” – just like that PNP cop who some months ago harassed a Spaniard for breaking quarantine rules though he was in his own garden, but relented as soon as the Spaniard’s Filipina wife had her husband inside their house in Dasmarinas village.
Aside from cultural differences about territory – it is easier if one is a dog, as I noticed growing up in UP Campus Diliman, as dogs clearly stop at an invisible line and all they do is bark from there and if you don’t cross that line no problem – there are cultural and personal differences about “respect”. Nuezca’sdaughter pulls the hair of mother Gregorio, disrespect for the old in traditional Filipino culture, though DDS “culture” might not respect the somewhat poorer Gregorios. Mother Gregorio sung “I don’t care” as a retort to Nuezca’s daughter arrogantly telling her “my father is a policeman”.
A DISINTEGRATING SOCIETY
The shocking and by now well-known response of Nuezca was to say “if you want I’ll finish you now”, shooting the mother in the head, the son in the face, and then giving mother and son who are lying on the ground one shot each to the head. I may sound clinical now but I was in shock for many days. Some who said that even old people should respect the police increased the shock among very many. First of all a simple taunt should not be a reason to just shoot two unarmed people. Second, police in the Philippines might have lost respect already due to a lot of transgressions over the past years.
The respect that police in stable societies enjoy as guardians of peace and order is due to their largely following rules and respecting citizens. And even warlike tribal and clannish societies have traditional honor codes. Ancient wisdom and modern research know that human violence once unleashed can spiral relentlessly. The Brazilian 2001 movie “Behind the Sun”, which deals with a vicious traditional vendetta between two landowner clans, has this quote: “An eye for an eye – until everyone is blind”.
It is even worse when those who claim to uphold a higher order keep breaking their own rules – from Solicitor General Calida twisting the law beyond belief through military officers who red-tag activists without any evidence to policemen who it seems arrest and kill anytime and anywhere they want to; even entering homes in the wee hours of the morning, something usually reserved for fugitives and for hot pursuit, that doesn’t even respect people in death, like Baby River or the Korean Jee-Ick Joo.
TOWARDS PHILIPPINE DYSTOPIA
So the case of Nuezcas and Gregorios is more than just a simple neighborhood squabble with more to it, as I have seen comments saying that Nuezca’s wife is related to the Gregorios and that the two families have a long standing land dispute. It wasn’t just a simple case of Filipino weakness in conflict management in a society where face and power makes for zero-sum games, in this case a negative-sum game unless of course Nuezca (who had previous cases) is released after everybody forgets.
It also wasn’t just a case of abuse of authority, unfortunately also very common in the Philippines. Aside from a country that more and more resembles a sci-fi dystopia like Mad Max or Loopers, there was the sinister presence of PNP Chief Debold Sinas at the burial of Gregorio mother and son. In the Albanian vendetta tradition of Gjakmarrja, made famous (but wrongly portrayed, so I read) in the “Taken” movies, the responsible for the murder is supposed to attend the funeral wearing a ribbon. Well, Sinas gave money to the family. Will they also fist-bump with Duterte like Kian’s parents did?
Is the Philippines moving towards a society where the power of the entitled knows no more limits? Many Filipinos unfairly targeted the daughter of Nuezca on social media for her obvious entitlement. But aren’t there already grown women like Lorraine Badoy or Celine Pielago with similar attitudes in government positions? Children pick up attitudes from what they see is accepted and/or tolerated. Rude men like Harry Roque are just as bad, making the silkiness of Panelo look downright “elegant”. Shameless attitudes lead to shameless and even heinous acts. How much further down will that go?
THE PRESENT STATE
Last year I said something which Manolo Quezon quoted “..[The President] is just a symptom of profound national inferiority complex which shows itself in intentional rudeness, proud ignorance and brutality. Defiance against the old conditioning to be meek and obedient to the masters, but also wanting to be the masters now—including the right to contempt and murder.”
MLQ3 confirmed my view with “Here, in a nutshell, is the new that was born while everyone kept their sights on the past”:
“Why Independence, if the slaves of today shall be the tyrants of tomorrow?” is what the kind Filipino priest Padre Florentino tells the dying Simoun in the last chapter of Rizal’s El Filibusterismo. The chapter before that has a Filipino forced recruit to the Guardia Civil who is reluctant to shoot on his own people after having been on the Carolines to quell a rebellion. His Filipino colleagues tease him for his “weakness”, and he ends up mad after accidentally shooting his grandfather, who is among the rebels that he does not know are led by his father, a barangay captain dispossessed of his land.
Simoun, the disillusioned Ibarra, is also a proponent of killing, saying those that will die are just “Evil, suffering, miserable weeds that will be replaced by healthy grain.” Finally, there are also dark scenes of students suspected of rebellion, arrested and put in Fort Santiago – including the orphan Basilio. Replace Guardia Civil by PNP, Fort Santiago by Camp Crame, and Simoun by some present leaders, and one has scenery from the past not far from the present. Rizal certainly knew his people well.
A BETTER STATE?
Those who want to solve police impunity by a death penalty will certainly not make things better. With a justice, penal and police system that is obviously far from fair, it will just lead to scapegoats being executed to have culprits. Like the Nuezca daughter was “lynched” by some on social media. There are those who criticize VP Leni and Vico Sotto for helping people, saying that suffering should be increased so that the end of the system is hastened. Simoun in El Filbusterismo wanted the same. Obviously he only wanted power and revenge, not the betterment of the entire people’s well-being.
The shock of the four bullets may or may not hasten the thrust to rebuild a damaged polity that is drifting towards self-destruction. People certainly felt that something was amiss, more than ever. Graphic artists, writers, poets and musicians have reacted – are most people as empathic as them? Every successive incident of killing or injustice – the “Pieta”-like scene at the start of tokhang, Kian delos Santos, the sinking of the Gem-Ver, the ABS-CBN franchise removal, the harassment towards Maria Ressa, to mention just a few – has had excitement followed by what seems to be forgetting.
By contrast, the killing of fathers Gomez, Burgos and Zamora aka Gomburza got the Propaganda Movement started which Rizal belonged to, the execution of Rizal made the Revolution rage more, the death of Ninoy eventually sparked EDSA. What if Filipinos now are numb, cannot care anymore? What if 91% of Filipinos really like it that President Duterte acts like a God-King, not bound by any limitations except his own? And what if they will vote for a President Pacquiao who might be very similar, except that he might cherry-pick Bible verses to justify similar stuff? What can we all do?
Irineo B. R. Salazar, München, 26. December 2020
P.S. do NOT watch this video unless you feel you can handle it. It took me many days to process it.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
El Filibusterismo, Chapter 38 – Fatality
Matanglawin was the terror of Luzon. His band had as lief appear in one province where it was least expected as make a descent upon another that was preparing to resist it. It burned a sugar-mill in Batangas and destroyed the crops, on the following day it murdered the Justice of the Peace of Tiani, and on the next took possession of the town of Cavite, carrying off the arms from the town hall. The central provinces, from Tayabas to Pangasinan, suffered from his depredations, and his bloody name extended from Albay in the south to Kagayan in the north. The towns, disarmed through mistrust on the part of a weak government, fell easy prey into his hands—at his approach the fields were abandoned by the farmers, the herds were scattered, while a trail of blood and fire marked his passage. Matanglawin laughed at the severe measures ordered by the government against the tulisanes, since from them only the people in the outlying villages suffered, being captured and maltreated if they resisted the band, and if they made peace with it being flogged and deported by the government, provided they completed the journey and did not meet with a fatal accident on the way. Thanks to these terrible alternatives many of the country folk decided to enlist under his command.
As a result of this reign of terror, trade among the towns, already languishing, died out completely. The rich dared not travel, and the poor feared to be arrested by the Civil Guard, which, being under obligation to pursue the tulisanes, often seized the first person encountered and subjected him to unspeakable tortures. In its impotence, the government put on a show of energy toward the persons whom it suspected, in order that by force of cruelty the people should not realize its weakness—the fear that prompted such measures.
A string of these hapless suspects, some six or seven, with their arms tied behind them, bound together like a bunch of human meat, was one afternoon marching through the excessive heat along a road that skirted a mountain, escorted by ten or twelve guards armed with rifles. Their bayonets gleamed in the sun, the barrels of their rifles became hot, and even the sage-leaves in their helmets scarcely served to temper the effect of the deadly May sun.
Deprived of the use of their arms and pressed close against one another to save rope, the prisoners moved along almost uncovered and unshod, he being the best off who had a handkerchief twisted around his head. Panting, suffering, covered with dust which perspiration converted into mud, they felt their brains melting, they saw lights dancing before them, red spots floating in the air. Exhaustion and dejection were pictured in their faces, desperation, wrath, something indescribable, the look of one who dies cursing, of a man who is weary of life, who hates himself, who blasphemes against God. The strongest lowered their heads to rub their faces against the dusky backs of those in front of them and thus wipe away the sweat that was blinding them. Many were limping, but if any one of them happened to fall and thus delay the march he would hear a curse as a soldier ran up brandishing a branch torn from a tree and forced him to rise by striking about in all directions. The string then started to run, dragging, rolling in the dust, the fallen one, who howled and begged to be killed; but perchance he succeeded in getting on his feet and then went along crying like a child and cursing the hour he was born.
The human cluster halted at times while the guards drank, and then the prisoners continued on their way with parched mouths, darkened brains, and hearts full of curses. Thirst was for these wretches the least of their troubles.
“Move on, you sons of ——!” cried a soldier, again refreshed, hurling the insult common among the lower classes of Filipinos.
The branch whistled and fell on any shoulder whatsoever, the nearest one, or at times upon a face to leave a welt at first white, then red, and later dirty with the dust of the road.
“Move on, you cowards!” at times a voice yelled in Spanish, deepening its tone.
“Cowards!” repeated the mountain echoes.
Then the cowards quickened their pace under a sky of red-hot iron, over a burning road, lashed by the knotty branch which was worn into shreds on their livid skins. A Siberian winter would perhaps be tenderer than the May sun of the Philippines.
Yet, among the soldiers there was one who looked with disapproving eyes upon so much wanton cruelty, as he marched along silently with his brows knit in disgust. At length, seeing that the guard, not satisfied with the branch, was kicking the prisoners that fell, he could no longer restrain himself but cried out impatiently, “Here, Mautang, let them alone!”
Mautang turned toward him in surprise. “What’s it to you, Carolino?” he asked.
“To me, nothing, but it hurts me,” replied Carolino. “They’re men like ourselves.”
“It’s plain that you’re new to the business!” retorted Mautang with a compassionate smile. “How did you treat the prisoners in the war?”
“With more consideration, surely!” answered Carolino.
Mautang remained silent for a moment and then, apparently having discovered the reason, calmly rejoined, “Ah, it’s because they are enemies and fight us, while these—these are our own countrymen.”
Then drawing nearer to Carolino he whispered, “How stupid you are! They’re treated so in order that they may attempt to resist or to escape, and then—bang!”
Carolino made no reply.
One of the prisoners then begged that they let him stop for a moment.
“This is a dangerous place,” answered the corporal, gazing uneasily toward the mountain. “Move on!”
“Move on!” echoed Mautang and his lash whistled.
The prisoner twisted himself around to stare at him with reproachful eyes. “You are more cruel than the Spaniard himself,” he said.
Mautang replied with more blows, when suddenly a bullet whistled, followed by a loud report. Mautang dropped his rifle, uttered an oath, and clutching at his breast with both hands fell spinning into a heap. The prisoner saw him writhing in the dust with blood spurting from his mouth.
“Halt!” called the corporal, suddenly turning pale.
The soldiers stopped and stared about them. A wisp of smoke rose from a thicket on the height above. Another bullet sang to its accompanying report and the corporal, wounded in the thigh, doubled over vomiting curses. The column was attacked by men hidden among the rocks above.
Sullen with rage the corporal motioned toward the string of prisoners and laconically ordered, “Fire!”
The wretches fell upon their knees, filled with consternation. As they could not lift their hands, they begged for mercy by kissing the dust or bowing their heads—one talked of his children, another of his mother who would be left unprotected, one promised money, another called upon God—but the muzzles were quickly lowered and a hideous volley silenced them all.
Then began the sharpshooting against those who were behind the rocks above, over which a light cloud of smoke began to hover. To judge from the scarcity of their shots, the invisible enemies could not have more than three rifles. As they advanced firing, the guards sought cover behind tree-trunks or crouched down as they attempted to scale the height. Splintered rocks leaped up, broken twigs fell from trees, patches of earth were torn up, and the first guard who attempted the ascent rolled back with a bullet through his shoulder.
The hidden enemy had the advantage of position, but the valiant guards, who did not know how to flee, were on the point of retiring, for they had paused, unwilling to advance; that fight against the invisible unnerved them. Smoke and rocks alone could be seen—not a voice was heard, not a shadow appeared; they seemed to be fighting with the mountain.
“Shoot, Carolino! What are you aiming at?” called the corporal.
At that instant a man appeared upon a rock, making signs with his rifle.
“Shoot him!” ordered the corporal with a foul oath.
Three guards obeyed the order, but the man continued standing there, calling out at the top of his voice something unintelligible.
Carolino paused, thinking that he recognized something familiar about that figure, which stood out plainly in the sunlight. But the corporal threatened to tie him up if he did not fire, so Carolino took aim and the report of his rifle was heard. The man on the rock spun around and disappeared with a cry that left Carolino horror-stricken.
Then followed a rustling in the bushes, indicating that those within were scattering in all directions, so the soldiers boldly advanced, now that there was no more resistance. Another man appeared upon the rock, waving a spear, and they fired at him. He sank down slowly, catching at the branch of a tree, but with another volley fell face downwards on the rock.
The guards climbed on nimbly, with bayonets fixed ready for a hand-to-hand fight. Carolino alone moved forward reluctantly, with a wandering, gloomy look, the cry of the man struck by his bullet still ringing in his ears. The first to reach the spot found an old man dying, stretched out on the rock. He plunged his bayonet into the body, but the old man did not even wink, his eyes being fixed on Carolino with an indescribable gaze, while with his bony hand he pointed to something behind the rock.
The soldiers turned to see Caroline frightfully pale, his mouth hanging open, with a look in which glimmered the last spark of reason, for Carolino, who was no other than Tano, Cabesang Tales’ son, and who had just returned from the Carolines, recognized in the dying man his grandfather, Tandang Selo. No longer able to speak, the old man’s dying eyes uttered a whole poem of grief—and then a corpse, he still continued to point to something behind the rock.
https://www.kapitbisig.com/philippines/el-filibusterismo-the-reign-of-greed-by-dr-jose-rizal-a-complete-english-version-chapter-38-fatality-english-version-of-el-filibusterismo_834.html/page/0/3
Your comment was longer than the blog. Hehe.
Peace and order cannot be ordered by a despot
Still remains are the ff.
Warlords
Organized crime
Loose firearms
Rebels
Mostly petty criminals fill our over crowded jails including minors that would not be taken by juvenile centers.
The big fish are out, only proxies are jailed or the wrong big fish like Delima.
Going back to that tragic incident.
Let us say the cop was only some armed neighborhood tough guy, unfortunately there would be less outrage.
But this abuse of authority, ejks, unnecesary must be nipped not only in the bud, but uprooted.
The muzzling of guns due to holidays is an admission of lack of discipline and control after drinking booze during festivities which
Without resolving the lack of discipline, they just de-regulated it outright.
Stop for now.
*unnecessary killings
‘THE MONSTER IS NO LONGER AFRAID TO SHOW ITS FACE’
Growing up in a rough neighbourhood south of Manila, I once found myself in a street fight with a boy my age. I was 8 or 9 at the time, and the older boys had pitted me against an opponent to prove with my fist that I was man enough to join their gang.
I remember that, as I raised my fists, the boy in front of me, with menace in his eyes, said, “My father is Metrocom.”
This was in the 70s. The “Metrocom” was a police intelligence unit that had the reputation of being the Marcos regime’s “death squad”. It was generally believed that if the Metrocom picked you up in the middle of the night for being a dissident, you would never be seen alive again.
My opponent was firing off a warning: Think twice because my father can make you disappear.
This was the memory that came back to me after I saw that now infamous five-minute video of an off-duty police officer killing in cold blood a mother and a son she was trying desperately to protect.
To recount that incident, at around 5pm on Dec 20, in a sleepy town, 200km north of Manila, Sergeant Jonel Nuezca, 46, was in a heated argument with Mrs Sonya Gregorio, 52, a teacher, over noises set off by her son, Mr Anthony Gregorio, 25, with an air cannon made out of a PVC pipe.
There had always been bad blood running between Nuezca and Mrs Gregorio over a land dispute, neighbours said. That quickly boiled to the surface.
About 30 minutes from when the scuffle began, Nuezca pulled out his 9mm pistol and shot Mrs Gregorio in the head, with dozens watching and at least two people taking videos with their phones.
He then shot Mr Gregorio, also in the head. Just before he fled the scene, he again shot Mrs Gregorio in the head as she was sprawled on the ground.
What was disturbing about this was not just how matter-of-factly the killings transpired, but the role Nuezca’s daughter, a minor, played in it.
Just seconds before Nuezca pulled the trigger, his daughter approached Mrs Gregorio, pulled at the woman’s hair, and told her to let go of her son.
Mrs Gregorio, all throughout, had her arms wrapped tightly around her son, to prevent Nuezca from taking him.
“Just let go of him! Just let go!” the girl yelled. Mrs Gregorio replied: “You tell (your father) to let go.”
The girl then shouted, punctuating every word: “My father is a policeman!”
Mrs Gregorio yelled back, “I don’t care!”
Hours later, after he surrendered, Nuezca was said to have confided with a fellow policeman, “I just lost it when I saw her (Mrs Gregorio) shouting at my daughter.”
ARBITER OF WHO LIVES AND DIES
Nuezca’s daughter was pilloried by the online mob, as if she herself pulled the trigger.
A kin of the victims called her “a brat”, and demanded that she be sent to a detention facility for juvenile delinquents.
But child rights advocates have said she is herself a victim. How she behaved arose from how her father wanted her to see him.
Neighbours said Nuezca was known for wading into scuffles and bringing along his daughter, so she could see for herself how he wielded his authority as an officer of the law: as someone who should be acquiesced to and feared.
That was exactly how she saw her father. That is also how most policemen here regard themselves: with a bloated sense of entitlement and sometimes an arbiter of who lives and dies, without accountability, especially over those who are “nobodies”.
‘PRAETORIAN INTERESTS’
This didn’t happen overnight.
It is generally believed that this malevolence has haunted the police since the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos declared martial law in 1972.
To hold on to power, Marcos politicised the country’s security apparatus – both the police and the military.
In exchange for their loyalty, he lavished the men who ran the police force and the military with sizable perks and plum posts. He tolerated corruption within their ranks, and endorsed human rights abuses by security forces that were often committed under the pretext of national security.
“As the most autonomous element of the Marcos regime, the Philippine defence establishment derived lasting benefits from authoritarian rule. Increased budgets, weapons procurements, illicit rackets, and the formation of militias enriched and empowered the military to a point where it could no longer be controlled,” Mr Mesrob Vartavarian, a visiting fellow at Cornell University’s South-east Asia Programme, said in an analysis he wrote for the International Institute for Asian Studies.
The People Power revolt in 1986 that ousted Marcos failed to cut down the outsized role of the military and the police.
Their influence, in fact, even grew because a coup led by senior military and police officials who turned on Marcos was pivotal in that revolt.
These people later occupied key posts in the revolutionary government of democracy icon Corazon Aquino and dragged it, literally at gunpoint, to the right with a succession of coups that, while unsuccessful, signaled to succeeding civilian governments that if they wanted to remain in power, they would have to accommodate what Mr Vartavarian described as the security apparatus’ “extra-constitutional praetorian interests”.
‘PERMISSION TO KILL’
These interests have been front and centre under President Rodrigo Duterte, who took Marcos’ playbook and twisted it in even more disturbing ways.
Mr Duterte has removed restraints that previous presidents had worked so hard to put in place and set loose the military and the police on what he sees as menaces to his politics: drug dealers and armed rebels, and everyone else who stands in his way.
He has promised pardon for any police officer found guilty of murder while carrying out his drug crackdown. He has dangled rewards in exchange for fealty to him and his cause: pay hikes and sidearms for rank-and-file soldiers and policemen, and plum government posts after retirement for the generals and other senior officers. At least 59 retired generals, admirals and colonels are now occupying posts in his Cabinet and key agencies, including government-owned corporations.
Mr Duterte also often pleads with the military and the police not to stage a coup, in a nod to their roles as power-brokers.
Critics said that kind of patronage has been interpreted as a “permission to kill”, leading to a long, bloody trail.
“Whatever disagreement there was, we used to agree that the solution is to let the courts decide. Now, it doesn’t matter. Now, all it takes is the judgment of the men wielding the gun. Communist, addict, paid hack, resisting arrest, cocky. Any of these words is a death sentence,” said Mr John Molo, a professor on constitutional law at the state-run University of the Philippines.
Over 8,000 drug suspects had been killed either by the police or police-backed vigilantes in Mr Duterte’s brutal drug war. Rights groups have reported higher numbers, and said the violence has continued, even as the country remains under a coronavirus lockdown announced in March.
At least 300 politicians, lawyers, judges, journalists, priests, academics and students who were tagged as communist sympathisers have also died, as the military stepped up its anti-insurgency drive.
It is not surprising, then, that during one unremarkable afternoon, an off-duty police officer hardly blinked when he shot, execution-style, a mother and her son over a petty dispute.
“It has come to this,” said Mr Molo. “The monster is no longer afraid to show its face. It doesn’t care to hide in darkness anymore. It will come for you at stoplights or checkpoints for being cocky. It will take you while in line at a store for being rowdy. It will kill you, even as your entire community watches.”
rdancel@sph.com.sg
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10158008511373277&id=554193276
While I find it noble that you defend the daughter, I must say that detention/arrest would be exactly what would happen to her in Munich, USA or any other European country based on being part of murder and attcking the mother physically. I know that your reasoning about what made her that way is sound, but that does not change the fact that she was part of a double murder and did nothig to prevent it. (she aggravated the situation actually) It shows how far down the drain this nation already fell, that this is used as an excuse. (See my comment on Joe’s FB post.
I would love to read the full peace of Mr. Vartavarian as it hits on a really good point. While Duterte certainly has this game sorted to the “T” the one thing that will unhinge the whole thing eventually is the ICC and the fact that no state since Mao got away with things like this. Might take many years but eventually it will catch up with the perpetrators……. and yes maybe the whole PNP needs to be disbandment and a new police force needs to be established. However without a functioning courts sustem this is all futile.
A lot of Filipinos on socmed make it look as if it was almost exclusively the daughter’s fault, that is the context I am coming from, it isn’t as if Nuezca is a poor helpless guy provoked by a women’s fight like some Pinoys tried to imply.
In Germany criminal liability starts with 14, so being 13 she would be a case for the Youth Office and psychiatrists, probably the parents could lose custody. Wonder how DSWD in the Philippines is dealing with the child.
The article I quoted in the comment is of course not mine it is by Raul Dancel, see mail address and FB link at the bottom.
https://www.adobomagazine.com/philippine-news/insight-progenies-of-power-what-goes-on-in-the-homes-of-the-powerful-according-to-chief-joel-pablo-salud/
..YET, THE REAL TRAGEDY HERE IS HOW THE YOUNG DAUGHTER’S ACTIONS IS REFLECTIVE HOW SHE WAS RAISED.
She was captured in one of the videos pulling the hair of an elderly woman during the altercation.
That image, and the latter altercation with the mother, raise a lot of questions, like how the young girl spent her growing up years, or worse, what she had been witnessing inside her home. Was the father violent within their four walls?
And there’s the other misfortune of having witnessed a microcosm of what has been happening all over the country since the current administration’s term in 2016—a herd of “blind children” to their Stately father figure, cheering on the deaths of tens of thousands in the bogus drug war.
What we saw in the father-child symbiosis is but symptomatic of this larger malady.
The daughter, however, being a child, should not be condemned. While her actions may have been deemed by many as directly responsible for the seemingly murders of the Gregorios, she may well have been the victim of bad parenting, or worse, a home too steeped in hostility, aggression and cruelty, let alone arrogance, that there is simply no way of escaping it. We’ll probably never know.
The instant gratification perpetuated by the sense of power is a disease that leaves no one unstained by its grip. All across several administrations, we’ve witnessed how some children of power have forged for themselves their own twisted sense of entitlement, which, in more cases than they would like to admit, had left a trail of bedlam in its wake.
“My father is a policeman!” is a smug, condescending line, hurled by the young girl on the soon-to-be victims of murder. This will forever be etched in our collective memory as a failure of the whole village to raise this particular child.
The silence of the powerful in this regard has bartered the future of their children in ways that make me wonder: what goes on in the homes of the rich and the powerful that even children would not be safe from the infectious anarchy of unchecked power?..
That this was an on-going feud, that there was history, makes sense to me, Ireneo. Most police are taught over here to always take domestic and neighbors dispute seriously because they tend to devolve the most. Again emotions, passions. etc.
That all parties were waiting or had come to a tentative agreement to wait for tanod officials, also makes sense.
Why this agreement was breached by the interaction of the cop’s daughter and the mother, its not as clear in the video. I had to Google 2NE1 and their “I don’t care” song (from 2009). That K-pop is again involved doesn’t surprise me at all.
p.s. — I’m confused by another video mentioned in which cop’s daughter was pulling someone ‘s hair, same incident or a separate previous one?
It is from the 4th minute that things go South. You have the daughter telling the old woman to go home, looks like she pushes her – maybe other videos show it is hair pulling I just see a shove, the woman says we are in our place, the daughter yells “my father is a policeman”, the old woman chants “I don’t care” and the cop reacts by saying “if you want I’ll finish you now” the 4xbang.
1. Seems the daughter complained to her father about the loud “boga” PVC fireworks cannon and that made him go to the neighbors.
2. Some Filipinos on FB commented the daughter showing off her father’s status and the old woman singing “I don’t care” mockingly may have set him off.
Two aspects to that: we all know about how a certain type of Pinoy gets into a vindictive mode due to perceived insults. My Way killings, foreigners in Angeles ending at the wrong side of a Filipino’s gun because of “wrong stare” etc.
Second I noticed among Filipino overseas basketball teams – usually cliques – that they had no issues with each other playing on court with no women watching. Brawls often happened during official games with wives watching, as if they had more to prove. Could this, LCPL_X, be the inverted Don Quixote syndrome you mentioned, macho on the outside but afraid of being revealed as a loser by women? Dutz has a bit of that. Women set him off very easily.
Dutz putting De Lima in jail, Nuezca shooting mother Gregorio for saying she doesn’t care if he is a cop, could that be the same kind of sicko insecurity?
“Most police are taught over here to always take domestic and neighbors dispute seriously ….”
Lance, just inputing comparatives. In Singapore, the police takes domestic quarrels lightly as civil disputes. Unless there have been physical abuse.
chemp, I think you’re talking tactics. Yeah, police approach situations with as light a touch as possible (no need for guns drawn, nor backup, etc.), but several examples thru training formal or experiential (peer to peer, colleague to colleague) the assumption is always that of passion crime. People running amok. There’s element of mediation but with all the other calls for service in a big city, everything gets swept under the rug, thus ever y police that encounters said parties will most likely be ignorant of the history— training alleviates that by simply making the assumption for passion crime.
https://nolisoli.ph/91029/my-father-is-a-policeman-child-cop-tarlac-bn-ymagcamit-20201221/
..Her father—the policeman, who has a sworn duty to protect citizens—was the one who pulled the trigger, not her. He was the one who owned, carried, pointed and used the gun on the mother and son after their argument. As an instigator, she is part of the problem and we’re not really defending her, but we should also acknowledge that she’s not the root.
Sure, what she said and did was wrong, and we are all in utter disbelief that a child sees being a police officer as a privilege instead of duty, but isn’t this a mere mirror of what’s actually happening in our country? Yes, this kid needs to know better, but we’re literally focusing on the wrong thing. Instead of mocking her and calling her names for being an instigator or reacting as if she’s used to hearing gunshots and seeing people die, maybe we should stop and think about how terrifying it is that someone at a young age seems to be so used to witnessing such cruelty that she remains unmoved when two people are killed in front of her. As if claiming other people’s lives is normal.
A long record of cruelty and impunity
Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said that the Palace condemns the policeman’s actions, adding that the incident will be treated as a regular murder case. However, the President still stands by the order that permits police officers to carry their guns even if they’re off-duty. He’s just one rotten egg, the Palace says. Not all police officers are like Nuezca, the Palace says. But that doesn’t erase the fact that 155 persons were killed by the police from April to July 2020 based on Human Rights Watch’s latest report in September.
Let’s not forget the fatal shooting of former Army Cpl. Winston Ragos in April. The rampant culture of impunity and perpetuation of violence in the country must have also encouraged unknown gunmen to kill Anakpawis chair, activist and peace consultant Randy Echanis in August, and red-tagged health officer Dr. Mary Rose Sancelan earlier this December. If violence and wielding guns were to become the default response instead of dialogue in every conflict, will anyone even remain alive in this country? Is this what we want children to learn?
What a child sees, a child does
Roque was right: Nuezca is a rotten egg, and he embodies all the rotten eggs in the police force. We’re talking about the trigger-happy gun wielders and those who abuse their position and act as if they’re above the law, instead of being tasked to enforce the law.
There are a lot of red flags about Nuezca. Prior to the incident, records show that he has two previous homicide cases that were dismissed due to lack of evidence. He also received a 10-day suspension in 2010 and had cases of grave misconduct and neglect of duty filed against him from 2013 to 2016. With these very serious administrative cases, why was he allowed to remain in the police force? We mean, homicide being overlooked, really? And this is not really an isolated case, if we’re being honest..
The issue about kids raising and education goes way beyond this case or the type we see here. I can see on my own stepdaughter how “screwed up” this all is. She hardly ever speaks to me and almost wetys herself if she does. The only time me and my asawa ever really argue is when I think the kid needs something and she doesn’t agree as she thinks I “shouldn’t be bothered/burdened” by it……… Noteworthy that things the kid needs are the only time ever where I might pull “the boss” card and just overule my misus.
The current admin calling him rotte/crazy/etc is what we in Irish call … “The pot calling the kettle black” (meaning take a good look at yourself….)
The cop will get away with it, and will be “recycled” when the dust settles. He’ll owe his master a favor after it which is how this system works. You are correct in saying that this isn’t a single incident, and so far….nobody was held accountable for any cases. I read already that the girl who took the video needs to testify……….
, maybe we should stop and think about how terrifying it is that someone at a young age seems to be so used to witnessing such cruelty that she remains unmoved when two people are killed in front of her. As if claiming other people’s lives is normal.
As I mentioned in my post on FB I worked with child soldiers from Africa and while I agree on many points you make I think to just say …” a the poor kid let her go” is missing the point. Yes I also was utterly surprised that she didn’t even flinch when the gun went of but as I learned with those child soldiers they knew this is wrong/not right. That girl doesn’t and yes the implications of that are sad, shocking and really disturbing. But …when I watched “Aswang” I weped at that young boys way to describe the ghost the make the bodies float down the river at night……
There is a general issue with upbringing and sadly this generation that grows up with this utter madness ….is truly in trouble and might be lost if not for some major interventions.
My generation grew up during Martial Law and mostly just HEARD about killings. Still a lot of us grew up trying to play it “cool” when talking about it.
Is it really a surprise that there are many DDS in my age group? Many mocked my “bleeding heart” FB posts around 2016 and I unfriended a few for that. Now think about the Philippines when those young now are in their 40s and 50s.
The generation that experienced Japanese occupation was overwhelmingly behind Martial Law, wondering how the trauma also played a role in their overweight support for a dictator. That generation was truly old school as in don’t show weakness let alone deal with repressed trauma or going to a psychologist which even today often bears a stigma in the Philippines.
Manolo Quezon sees Filipino generations as “Survivors”
https://opinion.inquirer.net/136196/survivors-3
Certainly true at family and individual level but how much intergenerational trauma plays a role in preventing social cohesion is the question which probably even the pros will find hard to answer.
The same could be seen in German and English after WW2 gen’s. There is more facets to the situation in the Philippines then just the “how to ..with violence”. Quiet a few points have been mentioned at one point or another from you, Joem or Garcia. I still don’t know enough about filipinos to make a informed “judgement/observation” bar some ideas that I have. I really hope I can run my work ther next year to get a better insight. On a side note had some fun conversation with my asawa and my stepdaughter about your quoted Ritzal book.passage 🙂
https://www.rappler.com/voices/thought-leaders/opinion-the-monster-will-come-for-you-why-tarlac-killings-threaten-all-filipinos
..Whether it be vigilantes, death squads, assassins-for-hire or “rogue cops,” killings are now occurring at an alarming rate.
Violence is overtaking law as the preferred method of dispute resolution.
We all know what led us to this situation. We just didn’t care.
Our “shock” from the video isn’t from realization, it was from the discomfort of being confronted with an inconvenient truth. Did we really think this was not how it was being done in the dead of the night? But we wanted solutions and we wanted them yesterday. Who, after all, didn’t want to weed out “addicts” in their neighborhood? Who didn’t hate the “bayarang media”? And who doesn’t think lawyers “deserve it”? Besides, why should we care if we weren’t “addicts” or “corrupt”?
But that’s the problem. When you discard the rule of law and favor killing as an appropriate response, you are saying “yes” to a system that respects no boundaries. It was only a matter of time for that very same system to come for you.
Law is an artificial concept. Like stage magic, it is only as powerful as the belief that fuels it. When we clapped as “addicts” died, we took the first step in undermining that belief. When we cheered as bodies began to pile up in morgues, we heralded the creation of a monster that doesn’t feel bound by the same rules as the rest of us. When we clapped when entities like ABS-CBN were shut down, we confirmed that the ends are all that matters..
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10159887593244672&id=649319671
JUST WHEN we thought it couldn’t get any worse, Bato, Catanduanes police chief Capt. Ariel Buraga writes a Facebook post about the Tarlac double murder that goes like this:
“Lesson Learn (sic) kahit puti na ang buhok o ubanin na tayo eh matuto tayo rumispeto sa ating mga kapulisan…mahirap kalaban ang Pagtitimpi at pagpapasensya…
RIP Nanay at Totoy..”
Buraga in effect says the lesson in the shooting was the need to respect policemen. And that even elderly people should still respect policemen. And if they can’t, then people should not rely on the ability of policemen to hold their temper and patience.
In a later interview with a local radio station Radyo Natin Virac, Buraga defended his post, saying that he also condemns the shooting by Sgt Jonnel Nuezca. But he still insists that the lesson is that people should show respect for policemen, no matter how old they are. And that apparent lack of respect is what triggered the shooting.
From the interview by Radyo Natin Virac:
“Nung inulit ko yung video, dun ko na-gets yung storya ng video, dun ko nakita na di sana matri-trigger yung shooting… dahil sa kawalan ng respeto ng matanda. Pero di ko kinakampihan ang ginawa ng pulis, maling mali yun… Sana kahit may edad ang tao, dapat pa rin siyang respeto sa kapulisan kasi yun ang nawawala sa atin…”
It was bad enough when he first posted it, it got worse when he explained it.
If Sunday’s double murder was bad, this kind of thinking is appalling. It betrays a sense of entitlement that has taken root among some members of the Philippine National Police.
It is a sense of entitlement because it holds on to the notion that people are obliged to show policemen the respect they want, otherwise there may be consequences. Mahirap nga naman daw kalaban ang pagtitimpi at pagpapasensya.
It is entitlement because while everyone deserves a measure of respect, no one is entitled to even imply that failure to show respect could result in the application of force. When a policeman says that the main lesson in a murder is the need to show policemen respect, THAT is precisely his message. Yung pahabol na lang ni Buraga sa radio interview na mali rin ang pamamaril ni Nuezca simply comes across as a perfunctory oh-by-the-way nod to the rule of law.
And alarmingly, it does not look like Buraga is a lone ranger. In the last two days, there have been other posts by people wearing police uniforms saying more or less the same things – that this is what happens when you do not show us respect. In one post, a lady wearing what appears to be a police uniform even says she would have shot the old lady too.
I suggest that the PNP collect all these postings and bring these people in for verification, a briefing on the Bill of Rights, a very lengthy and detailed seminar on their obligations AND responsibilities as policemen, and if need be, a hard spanking. As well, the PNP should reorient the entire police force and make sure that this kind of thinking is not taking root, because while Buraga and a few other post-happy policemen are just a very small portion of the force, lord knows how many other policemen quietly agreed with him and think and act the same way. The PNP needs to show concern, not only over incidents like Nuezca’s rampage, but Buraga’s attitude as well. Leaving these attitudes unchecked will only reinforce them.
Policemen and soldiers are the only people whom we allow the use of instruments of legitimized violence. That authority granted by the people is not an entitlement but a privilege and a burden. Some countries do policing by power, others do it through policing by consent. The former makes use of the threat of force and intimidation. In the latter, the police acknowledge getting their power by maintaining the respect and approval of the public. But in both cases, respect is sought from the public, it is not demanded.
The force is made up of 220,000 people, and we would like to think that this mindset has taken root only in some members of the police force. I say SOME because we are still counting on our many friends in the police force to hold the line and fight this mindset, this erosion of the basic values of public service. The good policemen need to speak up, and as well speak to their colleagues about this matter, because like it or not, they tend to listen more to their brothers-in-arms than to outsiders. The voice of the many good members of the force would carry more weight than the voices of a hundred politicians or a million people on FB. TO SERVE AND PROTECT is not the same as DESERVED NAMIN ANG RESPECT. Yes they rhyme, but they are not the same.
By the way, if one were to use Buraga’s argument, then the old lady should have also been entitled to respect as well. At one point in the video, Nuezca’s child appears to grab at the old lady, and then she is heard screaming at the old lady that her father is a policeman. Were Buraga and Nuezca also alarmed, outraged, and inflamed by this apparent lack of respect for the elderly? No. Does this mean only policemen deserve respect?
When the old lady answers back, that is when Nuezca angrily pulls out the pistol that we the people provided him, and pumps a bullet that we the people paid for into her head. Then he shoots her son twice, before turning back to the old lady and giving her a coup de grace. It was disturbing to watch Nuezca move so naturally, as if he was just watering the plants. And he was aiming at their heads. It was plainly an execution.
It was the shooting that should have disturbed Buraga, much much more than the supposed lack of respect by the old lady for policemen.
It should be the seeming lack of respect shown by Buraga and some of his colleagues for their real roles in society that should also disturb and move the PNP.
And it should be the growing lack of respect for life that should disturb us all.
Like I said, everyone deserves respect. No one has a special entitlement to it, and more importantly, no one is entitled to trade it with a bullet.
Just to add. Someone unfortunately remarked here that people should first show respect to the uniform. “Para walang problema.”
To that I say this:
The people who have the utmost obligation to show respect to the uniform are THOSE WHO WEAR IT.
I tend to agree with the above that citizens in general should obey police, that’s the whole essence of civilization. Make complaints whether legal or administrative, at a later date.
Basically , the same thought on BLM over here during summer; But in the Philippines though (3rd world in general) yes, cops do in general as norm abuse their power, on and off duty. I’ve seen it first hand. Over here there’s a sense of professionalism, but early on in the 1850s say in NYC, or the Wild West in late 1800s, same as the 3rd world really.
Back then abuse of cops was well balanced by say bandits or bigger fish.
In the Philippines yeah, in this type of situation yeah that PNP guy is correct, but from a policy stand point, he also needs to mention that there were other options on the table for that off-duty policeman. Like getting his colleagues who’re on duty in uniform to respond (essentially additional units) or to have engaged in barangay authorities to his cause, again more back up.
So although respect of police is the main tenet; the ability for police to be versatile is another. That’s the whole point of professionalism, thinking on one’s feet and subtracting emotion from said thinking.
show respect to polis, if only the daughter of said polis respected her father’s status, both her father and thier name would not have been dragged through media glare. and being 13yrs old, the daughter knew the difference between right and wrong. methink, sa bansa natin, criminal liability of children has been brought down to 12yrs yata. offenders made to undergo community service.
show respect! the said polis mismo did not show respect sa ranggo niya and what he stood for, trigger happy ang hayup! killing two individuals on the spot must have made him happy, dispensing instant justice is balm for his depraved soul. and now mamang polis has to face the consequences of his depraved action.
instead of killing both mother and son, the stupid polis could have headbutted them, the worst he could get was headache, haha.
https://philippines.licas.news/2020/12/22/inheriting-madness/
..Human Rights Watch placed Nuezca’s new crimes “in the context of an enabling environment for police violence that President Duterte himself has encouraged.”
“Countless times, Duterte has excused police misconduct and promised to let them off the hook,” said the organization.
A system of impunity gave Nuezca a free pass case after case after case. And four years of Duterte encouraging killings, even ordering them, or threatening these on perceived enemies, have cemented among “protectors of the people” a belief that death is the solution to problems.
Duterte didn’t just encourage. He laid down a policy that trashed due process, that identified several segments of the population as subhumans needing extermination.
That child in the video is a daughter of a cop whose own words betray a monstrous sense of entitlement. A child will absorb what a parent teaches. As they grow older, they either wrap those lessons around them — or they rebel.
Many Filipinos are like that child. They actually call Duterte “Father.” They excuse the murders around them, the assaults on citizens as signs of a father’s tough love. They rationalize the bloodshed by saying they feel safer. They dismiss the exposure of corruption scandals, the weaponizing of the law against dissenters, even the prevalence of poverty because their father and his generals blame these as communist propaganda..
what kapolisan need to understand is that duterte is elected official, kapolisan are certainly not. duterte may get away with being hopelessly demented, utterly barumbado and napakasira ulo, but not kapolisan. there is a fine line. crossing the line at their own risk and kapolisan risk being yelled at, hounded, exposed and charged, and if they’re lucky, they lose benefits and their feet still intact, not chopped off.
kapolisan has to bear in mind they are not duterte, and will be called to account.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=10223942891230296&id=1537592734
Please allow me to share some thoughts on this extremely disturbing state of things right now:
1. Having worked as a Human Rights advocate for some time now, and well before the current administration, I can say categorically that the rot in the Philippine National Police long predates this administration. One could even say that it never fully broke free of the utter depravity that permeated its predecessor, the Philippine Constabulary, despite some sincere efforts over the years. Does anyone remember the Wheel of Torture in Laguna? The old man made to walk naked in a police precinct in Tondo with a string around his penis, who was then “disappeared?” Both incidents happened before the present administration, and there were plenty more even before that administration.
2. I’ve worked with many police officers over the years who profess to acknowledge and respect human rights, and I’d like to say that they are all upstanding people, but I also know that some of them have voiced some very disturbing opinions. One, for example, said that people shouldn’t judge the station commander in Tondo because he was a “decent” man, a family man, as though that somehow absolved him of his sins as a torturer. To my knowledge, the Tondo commander was just administratively reshuffled; as far as I know, no case for either the Anti-Torture Law or the Anti-Enforced Disappearance Law has been filed against him to date, though I’d be happy to be proven wrong. Either way, the fact that the institution has even allowed the cultivation of a mindset among its members that torture is excusable, or that killing is somehow justified if the victim “disrespects” the killer, warrants a close reexamination of how that institution promotes its core values, which, to my knowledge do not include such despicable thoughts.
3. Even though the killings and brazen human rights violations had been going on before Duterte became President, they have increased exponentially since he did. This is a fact; no amount of gaslighting or posts by a troll army can alter it. If a more “restrained” PNP was already capable of murder, torture and cruelty, one that’s basically been let off the chain is what we’re seeing now.
4. The main problem I am seeing here is that there is little to no accountability for all but the most brazen, absolutely indefensible of offenses, like the killing of Sonya and Frank Gregorio, or the killing of Kian de los Santos, all of which were caught on video. Even then, it seems that only the small fries are ever caught. Debold Sinas’ quarantine-violating mananita was extensively photographed but he was made chief of police after that even as law enforcers continued to round up “pasaway” quarantine violators. Any real reform has to include extensive, genuine accountability for violators up and down the chain of command. Slaps on the wrist or adminsitrative reshuffling will not do, and calls for the general public to “move on” should be outright rejected until a proper reckoning has been made.
5. There is a human rights affairs office in the PNP and has been for years, but I have observed that it has such a poor process of turnover and succession that it seems that every time the head of the office is replaced, everything goes back to zero. One former head of that office once boasted to me that through a series of trainings and lectures he had ensured that every single candidate for chief of police was conversant on human rights. I can think of a few who slept though all of those. In comparison, the human rights office of the AFP, for all the brickbats thrown against that institution, has a much better-defined sense of continuity, and policy directives carry over even throughout changes in leadership. The PNP-HRAO should be spearheading the efforts to reform the institution; it shouldn’t be populated with sock-puppets determined to cover up for its shortcomings.
6. Regardless of who is voted into office in the next year and a half, we are still going to be stuck with this PNP and all of its glaring infirmities, so overhauling this tragically broken system has to be one of the top priorities not only of whoever’s in charge but of whoever is in a position to help.
We can do this. It will take some doing, but we can do it.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/123112/notes-on-the-presidents-generation
(By Manolo Quezon)
..If the President’s inclined to belong to the Muzak cohort, he belongs to another cohort, too: the kind indicted by the Philippines Free Press in an editorial cartoon titled, “Teenage punks on the loose.” It shows a teenager, in a polo shirt, tight denims (what my generation would call “baston” cut) with the cuffs rolled up, and chukka boots, twirling a revolver in one hand, the other hand arrogantly in his pocket, breezily puffing on a cigarette as he emerges from the gates of a mansion, a chauffeur holding open the door to a big fancy American car. A portrait of the Baby Boomer taking to handguns and hooliganism, upper-class style. You find a preoccupation with this phenomenon in Nick Joaquin’s crime reportage from the era.
Someone who belongs to this elite generation — and thus a cohort of the President who also belongs to this generation — once told me something that struck me: “In the late ’50s and ’60s, people forget we were getting quite violent. Every kid had a knife, and guns were popular. What saved us was Rock and Roll, Flower Power, Free Love and Pot. If we hadn’t become hippies, we would have become violent killers with a total sense of impunity.”..
..The President, it seems, though getting into his own scrapes and with his fair share of truancy, didn’t go through the hippie stage. A photo exists of him glaring at the camera, with the same rolled-up denims and chukka boots as shown in the editorial cartoon. So today, he represents what his cohort would have been like, if they knew not John Lennon. The generational impulse toward knives, then guns and impunity went unchecked. It was thus logical for him to admire Marcos, whom Adrian Cristobal described as follows: “[H]e sees himself as the great tribal chief, the Datu of pre-Spanish times. He destroyed much of the old network of family and regional loyalties to become the one and only patron, the king of Maharlika…”
Where there are datus, or rajahs, there must be peasants, there must be a static order. For how can you glory in supremacy if you are subject to evolution, which sooner or later discards chiefdoms and serfdom? Nick Joaquin chronicled, in 1966, how the Beatles were run out of town: “How could they not flop in a land which only wants not to be disturbed, not to change, not to be shocked? Having made a career of outrageousness, they have taken for granted that any audience that asks for them is asking to be outraged. If they made a mistake in Manila, the mistake is flattering to us: they assumed we were in the same league. But they were Batman in Thebes.”
Which is why, for decades, Manila was solely Nostalgia Circuit for overaged acts.
https://www.psychologytoday.com/intl/blog/talking-about-trauma/201402/death-becomes-us-the-psychological-trauma-killing
..In Grossman’s view, it has long been a myth that one of the greatest threats to mental health while at war is the fear of dying. At least as distressing is the act of taking the life of a fellow human being, regardless of nationality or circumstance. This can be seen when soldiers put themselves in danger to avoid having to kill someone else, an act that, in Grossman’s experience, occurs more frequently than we think.
In animals as well as in humans, it is more natural to make attempts to initially frighten away enemy. Known as posturing, the hope is that the target of the attack will retreat, and death will therefore be avoided. Even a rattlesnake, that will kill a human without hesitation, will avoid killing another rattlesnake where possible. Posturing was readily adopted by soldiers in both World Wars resulting in 80 to 85% of soldiers firing their weapons into the air above the enemy’s head rather than directly at them..
Oliver Stone’s Born on the 4th of July opens with that above quote.
John Poole says it best, essentially that police and military should take on more risk not less.
from a reviewer comment in Amazon:
“Colonel John Boyd, the greatest American military theorist of the 20th Century, observed that war is waged at three levels: the physical, mental and the moral. The physical level-killing people and blowing things up, is the least powerful level. The mental level, where maneuver warfare is largely waged, getting inside the other guys head, is more powerful than the physical. But the moral level is the most powerful of all.” ~William S. Lind, tactical advisor to 29th Marine Commandant
Poole observes that America has clearly been suffering from dichotomy of intentions. While Washington continues to champion human rights around the world, its preferred way of war is still through “overwhelming firepower.” I would argue Policing in America is currently fighting the same dichotomy of intentions here at home. Although police use of force is low only 1.4% of 50-60 million contacts annually with deadly force being only .0002% of these encounters. The perception due to media and social media coverage over the last several years has policing struggling to find more effective ways to police a free society. What are the law enforcement ramifications?
John Poole observes:
“As most American police departments are largely composed of military veterans, their procedures are still largely based on U.S. tactical doctrine. Among the basic axioms of that is fire superiority (use of force)”.
So what, some police might respond. Use of force has always been and always will be needed in fighting crime and violence. This true but how we police and utilize that force is judged by society who are often times unfamiliar with police strategy, operations and tactics and therefore judged through the eyes of society based on what they know about police which is all to often what the see on television and their social media networks. While police state, they cannot release information due to a pending investigation and are gathering the facts they can release at a later time, the false narrative travels like lightening around the Country and the globe creating unrest and violence we are seeing currently here in the United States.
Part of the problem is in how we develop our people which is often telling them what to do that centers on one way of doing something, a school solution. In the book John Poole talks about “not using all available techniques” and explains for an infantry squad, a tactical technique is like an offensive or defensive football play.
I saw the video, and I thought passion killing. Which is a type of murder, both rich and poor countries share.
this is now (to me atleast) self defense or political or us/them, although the us them could be poor vs. rich, like EJKs commentary i’ve stated before stand-bys being too unruly in a neighborhood or town, thus folks of said town take matters into their own hands.
This killing could be that, but
I think this was simply passionate killing, don’t know exactly if theres history if both men knew each other. but you can tell from the exchange that the mom made it worst as mom’s tend to do when stuff like this happens, I believe the mom was insulting the off duty cop by her tone.
here’s a recent similar video i just saw over the weekend, cops are on duty, but notice the mom’s emotional response making situation worst.
I won’t be surprise if one or two of the guys were drunk, Ireneo. I’ve seen guys over there imbibed with liquid courage shank one another with bbq sticks or knives.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Crime_of_passion whether in the 3rd world or 1st world, tend to look similar Ireneo. In both scenarios, yours and mine (above) subtract the mom and the essence of passion is subtracted, a more positive outcome becomes likely.
The video i’ve shared above the Sheriff deputies stopped the wrong car, it could’ve been a simple sorry, our bad our mistake… now the whole family’s going to court.
It all goes back to just comply when it comes to cops, but specific to the Philippines especially EJKs complying could mean not coming back; regardless i’d take my chances complying with authorities in the 3rd world than taking my chances ending up in some gutter.
My point, EJKs should compel folks there to comply more. Live another day, but that’s just me my calculus, others will of course be different.
The other point , is the cop’s daughter speaking English, which means the cop is high ranking being able to afford private schooling for the daughter; also, what was the daughter doing there? was she the victim that precipitated the whole incident, ie. the dad was impassioned because protecting the daughter?
With all that said, cop should be sent to prison for life where he can karaoke to his hearts content. Its bad around but i’d have to agree that this murder is of a type that’s so prevalent the world over, you can’t really use it as some gauge, yes it does pull hearts strings.
But honestly that could’ve happened anywhere. Different cultures will have different triggers, but I can totally see how the cop just went amok. And from my perspective the mom triggered everything.
Well, the daughter complained to her father that the Gregorio son was too loid with his boga or homemade fireworks cannon.
That she probable went to a private school and the standard of housing they had seen at the end of the video does suggest the cop has money aside from his normal salary, but a local could render better judgment on that than me.
As I mentioned it seems cop’s wife, girl’s mother is related to Gregorios.
In such a personal situation better not go with a gun, especially as a cop better be more professional and call the barangay or colleagues. The offensive WAS by the cop and his daughter entering the lot of the family that IMO counts a lot.
It is indeed something that can happen anywhere but still in its specifics is symptomatic of the kind of violence so common in the Philippines – like you mentioned barbecue sticks even – plus impunity, always there but escalating.
..too loud..
Agreed. the more I ‘ve read on this, the more it is becoming clear that this was a family dispute that had history. The mom’s disrespect wasn’t so much him being a cop, but as party to a family dispute. in-laws, etc.
The more I look a t the video, he’s already gone amok, why not also shoot the rest of the folks present. I mean you’ve already screwed the pooch, why not make it cleaner. If it wasn’t a live feed, he could’ve made evidence disappear,
so he’s not a smart dirrrty cop, which means Imee Marcos is correct he’ll have “padrinos”, he’s a attack dog only. not too much in the thinking arena.
Imee is playing Capt Obvious. Though I don’t see Dutz as the one cleaning up.
The way I see him they might even find ways to connect it to Sen. De Lima.
Looking at a video several times is like Rashomon. One sees ever new angles.
I agree its obvious, Ireneo, what’s not is that Yellows siding with Imee’s demand of this cops “padrinos” being sought. Are the Yellows following suit, or is Micha’s Cojuangco connection at play hence not?
ooops, this is *not (to me) self defense….
It looks like this cop was a happy participant of DU30 EJKs, but previous offenses tend to mark him as what DU30 deemed cops deserving of EJK themselves, of which plenty have met this fate, that or being assigned to autonomous regions as punishment.
so Nuezca slipped thru the cracks. Which i think will mean DU30 will focus his attention now on Tarlac. Means there are dirrrtier cops there, i assume. Shielding more Nuezcas there.
A very interesting story indeed, Ireneo. thanks for the blog by the way.
Some Filipinos suspect he is a high value EJK enforcer with protection.
Notice two dismissed homicide cases in 2019. Well we don’t know for sure.
Imee Marcos’ query for his “padrinos” should be easily found if you pull those 2 homicides’ threads. I’m sure there’ll be more and that he’ll be part of clique. But behind all this should be another narco-family.
Make an example of that narco-family. No need to go higher as I’m sure one can easily, but just one family as example should be enough. In response to a viral video, just to prove that this social media game should be feared by those in power over there.
You had me with your apt analogy of what’s happening to the Philippines today with Rizal’s El Fisibusterismo. I too find it upsetting that history just keeps on repeating because of the weaknesses of the Filipino people. Filipinos are better off when they are working and living abroad, they become more decent and introspective, just like Rizal?
Well, Rizal was away from the Philippines and in Germany and Belgium pretty much at a distance from other Filipinos as well, the ilustrados who were both “woke” and oftentimes also brash young men, many of them heavy drinkers, inveterate gamblers (Rizal I recall reading was disapproving of that) and looking for duels with Spaniards (Antonio Luna especially) etc etc
The Philippines and Filipino groups can be a madding crowd, not conducive to peace of mind or self-reflection, the latter is seen as strict or “may problema”. Entertainment is preferred often to the point of inanity and maybe I am a too serious German now but where is the point when Pinoys take stuff seriously or think deeper re cause and effect? Seems few do but Rizal had the opportunity in loneliness, isolation and cold abroad, Noli almost became firewood. Sure diverting oneself is a way to avoid pain but it can also lead to denying reality, then stuff like this comes as a sort of wake-up call. Some go back to “sleep”.
Of course not everybody can be a thought or even an opinion leader but there are woefully few quality ones, and the influence they have on public discourse is very small. What Rizal really wrote is forgotten even as he is idolized. The world and countries can only become a somewhat better place through the influence of better ideas on society, shaping people’s hearts and minds.
in this modern times po, we can be our own opinion leaders and not wait for others. who knows, maybe others are just waiting for the likes of us to push and put things on the table. wise men says only fools rush in, but who are these wise men anyway? yet to woke, mayhap.
many good people cannot lead, I’d happily settle for a mediocre one with a good sense of balance.
anyhow, I studied rizal at school because I have to. yet I cannot relate to him. and still, I respected what he stood for.
You are right, there are many brilliant people who can’t lead. A leader has to be able to reach people and motivate them.
And yes, communication in society is not a one-way street. Prof. Chua said today that one major lesson of Rizal is that different kinds of Filipinos should talk more to one another to move the country forward.
Rizal I do get why he is not so relatable. One he is from a time very similar yet very different to today. Second he is often made into too much of an idol. The likes of Prof. Ambeth Ocampo have humanized him in recent years. I wonder how relatable Bonifacio is, some say more because he used Filipino. But I think the present is more important anyway, the past is only a guide.
we all know our limitations but that does not stop us from trying. very good of you, Irineo, to put your thoughts out there, for people to see and mull, and for them to proverbially pick your brain. win some, lose some. you are one tireless worker.
Thanks and a Happy New Year! Well, all culture and civilizations is built up from the lessons learned by people before us and around us. From the proverbs and words of caution our elders teach us to the complex works of great philosophers, used as the basis for more.
And of course we all learn from one another by conversing – from the smallest family unit or group of colleagues to entire nations. Just to mention at the turn of the year (still three hours to go here in Germany) some people I have learned from by reading them or conversing:
Manolo Quezon (MLQ3) – in my book the best chronicler of the contemporary Philippines
Prof. Xiao Chua – great popular historian with a certain nationalistic yet liberal direction
Prof. Vicente Rafael – Filipino historian in USA with a liberal yet anticolonial direction
John Nery – Inquirer columnist who has some of the greatest insights, top opinion leader
Gideon Lasco – writer, anthropologist, doctor, mountaineer, globetrotter (“modern Rizal”)
Ninotchka Rosca – former activist now in NYC, novelist with great insights
Nuelle Duterte – psychiatrist in NYC, highly active on FB and Twitter – Dutz’s niece
Inday Espina-Varona – left-leaning journalist, great-grandniece of Lopez Jaena
Joel Pablo Salud – left-leaning author with a very unusual biography and strong insights
Dozens of people on Twitter and Facebook that give insights and views into things
Commenters and writers in the Society of Honor who have given countless impulses
The late Edgar Lores must not be forgotten – I learned a lot about structure from him
https://opinion.inquirer.net/97526/a-failure-of-empathy – BTW this article by Gideon Lasco, which I partly quote, explains a lot of the issues of the Philippines and how they came to be in a nutshell:
—————————————-
t did not begin with the extrajudicial killings. It began long ago when we failed to look after each other, when we refused to consider one another as belonging to one and the same community.
When the Spaniards came they were but a few but we were nonetheless defeated, because at the time we fought not as one but as many. The Lapu-Lapu we now regard as a national hero fought for Mactan, and fought Magellan only because the latter took the side of a rival chieftain named Humabon.
The coming of a foreign power should have made us realize how little—and how small—our differences are compared to our differences with strangers who looked at us not only differently but also condescendingly. The menace of an oppressor should have made us realize that we had to unite—or be divided and conquered.
Eventually, some of us did unite—not as a nation, but according to socioeconomic class and vested interests. The land-owning ilustrados and principalias, seeking to be like the Spanish insulares and peninsulares, acquired not only the latter’s aesthetic but also their distaste for the “Indio.” In the process, they became the oppressors themselves, blind to the suffering of the people.
(it goes on with the known history until 1986)
ory Aquino brought anew the promise of a democratic, prosperous society, but her administration, and those that came after her could not stamp out the systemic corruption, and the arrogance with which the government treated its own people. Calamity after calamity was met with indifference by those who were not affected—and only something of the magnitude of “Yolanda” managed to catch our collective attention.
Meanwhile, even as our leaders continued to boast of progress, injustice prevailed: the displacement of the lumad, the destruction of the environment, the betrayal of agrarian reform, and the everyday violence and inconvenience that people endure—from long commutes and difficult labor conditions to the constant threat of crime. Seven years after the Maguindanao massacre, the case drags on, exemplifying the glacial pace of justice in a country where the corrupt are set free and the wicked go unpunished.
(then a bit more about mutual recrimination)
When will the cycle of indifference end? When will we learn to think and act for the greater good: not for the good of our family and friends or our region, but for the good of the country?
When will we muster the courage and empathy to tell our fellow Filipinos that we are taking ownership of their hardships and struggles?
It is just as our history teaches us: We can only achieve real progress when we learn to think as a nation. And we can only be a nation when we have learned to share each other’s pain.
——————————————————-
BTW in my old blog, I wrote an article just after the Munich amok incident in July 2016, where I was mocked by some Pinoys for being “panicky” about it – it was called “Stayin’ Alive”, and I wrote that yes “everybody’s thinking of stayin’ alive” (Bee Gees) but those countries where people care about whether their own are stayin’ alive are more likely to stay alive. Yes, and to add the point about economic justice, the moment people care more about their fellow citizens the more they will be aware of and do what is needed to improve that. Because staying alive on scraps isn’t a dignified life either. HAPPY NEW YEAR TO ALL.
happy new year to you, too, Irineo, and happy new year to all here in joeam’s blog.
yr 2021 and we’ll keep on writing.
Yes Irineo, it’s a sick dystopian world. Spare me the shock and the drama. Too many tragedies. Too many small unhappy pathetic lives. Too many cruelties. Values bastardized. One can get so comfortably numb. Nothing shocks anymore.
And nothing delights our PTB than when the proles are at each others’ throat (preferably captured on video) while the looters hoard (stealthily, of course) the country’s wealth.
From Ezra Acayan, award-winning photographer of many EJKs, the burial of the Gregorios in Tarlac. I do believe we need to confront human suffering to have an idea of what we don’t want and start thinking of how to improve matters.
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3230500197049741&id=100002693788139
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=3230150990417995&id=100002693788139
Too many suffering to go around you can hardly miss them.
The question you should be asking is, what (or who) are causing those mostly gratuitous suffering?
My article I think tackles that sufficiently.
A culture of violence and impunity coming from a terrible history.
And a culture of entitlement, face and power, the “who are you, do you know who I am, we treat you like ordinary person” culture where you are either “respected” (actually feared) or are treated with contempt.
The irony here is that obviously theres something rotten in Tarlac, more (maybe) than the rest of the Philippines. DU30 has been hunting narco-cops, many of them have suffered the fate of EJKs.
The push, and I’m just reading now that Imee Marcos is leading this charge (“padrinos” query), is to bring down the Eye of Sauron, that’s DU30. So Filipinos should keep this incident alive and get Imee Marcos and DU30 to tear down whatever is going on in Tarlac.
This is similar to the $2,000 stimulus check demanded be Trump, in which Bernie and AOC and all other Dems, all supported. Whether youre yellow or Dutard you should be pushing DU30 to uncover this cop’s “padrinos”.
And I understand what Micha’s trying to say, Imee Marcos and DU30 are part of the problem, etc. but since you have consensus, and you have a popular incident, get DU30 to catch bigger fish he’s promised. Since there’s this video, Tarlac is arbitrarily it.
Nuezca’s mistake should result in narco families in Tarlac (his “padrinos”) to suffer. Sure i know they can’t go too high up (per Micha’s call) but high enough to appease Filipinos, not just more dirrrty cops but actual narco families brought down.
@Irineo
Nope, with due respect, your article doesn’t answer the question of cause sufficiently. This isn’t just a case of police abuse emanating from a long history of police state. There’s a far larger picture in this drama.
You see, Paniqui, Tarlac is also the hometown of Danding Cojuangco where he (bless his soul) once served as mayor and congressman. Even today, Paniqui is pretty much a rural agricultural town where economic activity is centered mostly on sugarcane, corn, or rice cultivation. Many of the resident’s woes and poverty can be traced to this feudal economic set up where the Cojuangcos are, as is well known, one of the biggest landlords in the province.
That both the victims and the assailant in this tragedy have had simmering feud over a small piece of land is rich in irony and direct metaphor for how the peasants are made to go for each others’ throat over scraps thrown from the table of the wealthy. That is true in the case of the landlords (feudalism) and that is also true in the case of our modern corporate titans (capitalism).
In a sense, all of these pain and suffering we are witness to and which are replicated across the country in one form or another can be summed up in 5 words : failure to deliver economic justice.
Our liberal leaders from the fourth republic (1987) up to this day failed to deliver economic justice and we are reaping the fruits of that failure in tragedy after tragedy, such as this one.
Fair enough. Danding BTW was also a known Marcos crony.
Economic injustice and feudal entitlement are pretty much twins.
The attitude of favoring one’s own group goes very deep among Filipinos.
Marcos favored his Ilocano cliques. Dutz is favoring his Davao cliques.
Filipino leftists if they ever ruled might just do exactly the same in their tropa.
Even Aguinaldo had his Kawit brigade which killed Boni and Heneral Luna.
The Philippines is a winner-take-all society where either llamado ka o dehado.
And this stuff happens in many places not only Tarlac. Paniqui is everywhere.
And this goes far before 1987 of course. Good you didn’t say what DDS say “probinsya kasi ni Panot iyan”.
BTW the story of Kabesang Tales who became Matanglawin was based on real-life events in Calamba where the Rizal family was also affected by friqr orders abusing their tenants which included even affluent Filipinos.
That Rizal’s social class would benefit from the sale of confiscated friar lands in American times was something Rizal of course did not foresee.
But he did see the effects of economic injustice resulting in rebellion plus a repressive and unjust system that pitted people against one another AND had a lot of people acting as self-dealers, not knowing fairness was possible at all.
1987 was when we were supposed to rebuild after the Marcos devastation.
We didn’t. Or we couldn’t.
Our elder statesmen at that time – Laurel, Tanada, Roces, Diokno, Mitra, Salonga, Kalaw, Pimentel, Roco, Adaza, et.al. – couldn’t get their acts together, bickering and posturing for personal ambitions.
Rebuilding the country was not on their agenda. There was only triumphalism at the fall of a dreaded dictator but there was no roadmap or unifying call to rebuild.
So instead of Mitra, the country elected El Tabako, the purveyor of toxic unmitigated neoliberalism taking his cue from McKinsey resulting in hyper atomized society where greed and individualism goes hand in glove. Same as it ever was.
30 years later, a new dictator comes forth.
Thanks for that view. Re lack of a roadmap that was my personal impression too, most seemed to believe in miracles while Cory struggled to survive coups and fix stuff.
Re FVR neolib that is what Walden Bello says too in a long article I linked in a comment to another article, outlining how local firms went bust due to it.
It probably took until GMA times for its full effects to be felt, my impression was that inequality grossly increased then with the middle class propelled into a high standard of living, the rich even more while the poor were grossly poorer.
Add to that two major social displacements which continued: 1) urban migration since the 1960s which created Metro Manila whose urban outskirts now reach all the way into Calabarzon and Bulacan 2) OFWs whom Marcos started sending out in the 1970s. Seems common sense that this disrupted the traditional society which was somehow able to moderate certain conflicts.
Third SPACE. UP Balara residents were poor but still had pigs and chickens in the early 1970s. Poor in Metro Manila now often can’t even have the classic goat for sale anymore due to space, the poorest eat pagpag. How many rural poor who used to plant on the side lost land to subdivisions or mining?
A lot of stuff coming together that nobody it seems has looked at in detail yet.
Add to the economic and power-relations aspect the cultural aspect. In more feudal times all the inequality was somehow covered up by delicadeza and all, nowadays it has totally brutalized and become dog-eat-dog at so many levels.
Another aspect we need to look is the role of population explosion that happened in the last 30 years. In 1990, Phil population is at 60 million. 30 years later our population is at 110 mil. Infrastructure, education, social services just couldn’t keep up. Which leads me to the next point on the role of Catholic Church – for so long they opposed efforts to introduce family planning and use of condoms. To Pnoy’s credit, he really pushed hard to have the RH bill. But overpopulation needs to be addressed. In these times, how I wish we have someone like the late DOH Sec and Sen Johnny Flavier at the helm.
The Philippines has just over 20 million people in Magsaysay’s time and around 10 million during the first American census, and in fact I read somewhere that smaller families at least among the middle class slowed down population growth since 2000, but you are right. Imagine the pristine Philippines of 1521 with just half a million people, where the barangays of old could survive with simple agriculture, fishing and hunting – even the old kaingin agriculture was still sustainable – hardly any mining yet as that was not even extreme in Spanish times (Mindoro means gold mine) or American times (Benguet mining and Marcopper got started) and it was extreme including logging in Marcos times (Samar, Cagayan) and Philippine Mining Act of 1995 and Arroyo times paved the way for massively destructive mining. Ok agribusiness is a two-edged sword (tobacco and sugar from late 18th century, abaca from 19th century, pineapples etc. in Mindanao from the 20th) if the economy cannot give former subsistence farmers proper jobs. Anyhow PNoy even went against his mother’s legacy, AFAIK she stopped the Marcosian family planning program to please Cardinal Sin, though I don’t know how much real follow-through that had – I do recall first attempts at sex education in state schools though. In any case the archipelago is definitely overpopulated now and Metro Manila has one of the highest population densities in the world.
Adding this too for reference from Gideon Lasco today: https://opinion.inquirer.net/136616/the-philippines-is-not-a-poor-country
..saying we are a poor country flattens our country’s experiences, which are more accurately characterized by inequity, not poverty. Just like the terms “developing” or even “middle income” country — which is how we are officially classified — it hides the obscene wealth, privilege, and impunity enjoyed by a few, and the relative comfort enjoyed by many of us that prevent us from empathizing with the majority. Saying “we are poor” distributes — and dissipates — responsibility, but acknowledging that “we are unequal” raises questions about the unfairness of our society and how this unfairness is perpetuated across generations..
The plus side of over population is PH helps solve the demographic winter of places like Canada.
PH can offer skilled labor to places like Vietnam.
I do not believe in brain drain.
It will only happen if we can not offset the so called brains that were drained.
Education, training , innovation and best practices can hellp put strainer in that brain drain.
Now on urban decay, urbanization, that can be solved by regenerative development.
Of course Reprodictive health law implementation.
I thought Pope Francis will be the one to allow condoms even for stopping the spread of AIDS, I guess he is not the one.
There are plenty of good brains in the Philippines, I agree. Not enough of them are in government, properly paid for what they do.
Yes Joe, I fully agree!
Neph, The use of condoms will never be proposed by the Catholic Church, the pope, as solution for over-population. The solution that is favored that is not morally compromised is the Billings-Ovulation-Method (BOM). In my opinion, its know-how should be disseminated to the Christian Filipino and anybody who would listen. It is a slow-process compared to the Pill but it buys time for reflection and judicious use. The Pill on the other hand, is fraught with side-effects that even medically speaking are not favorable. Also, failed condoms become strong candidates for the abortion industry.
(Joe, this reply was intended for under Karl’s entry just above yours. my eyes are failing me)
KarlG, for women po who think having 3 children is enough and dont want anymore chidlren, there is tubal ligation, a medical procedure that only takes less than a day’s stay in hospital. it’s permanent solution for fertility in women. for men there is vasectomy requiring also only a short stay in hospital. sort of stop both men and women from having anymore unwanted children they can ill afford to provide the basic necessities of life. less abandoned children and less feral street kids around.
we desexed cats and dogs so they cannot have anymore litters and no more strays, quieter neighborhood too with less cats and dogs on heat and fighting among themselves.
Is this similar to the pull-out method, because the pull-out method can be used 24/7/365 days. also no need of condoms.
With the way people wear masks, I can see why contraceptives will never work.
Joke.
Thanks Unc for the insight.
Ahahahaha!😂😂😂
Kb,
Thanks again.
Once again, Bill Gates agrees. If y’all think Moderna was a godsent, then the next contraceptive companies funded by the Gates will be a windfall.
Access to birth control boosts economic productivity by freeing up women to work, and leads to smaller families with parents able to devote more resources to their children’s health and education, Gates told an international summit in London on family planning.
Financial commitments announced at the conference were expected to total at least $2.5 billion – of which $1.5 billion has been pledged by countries in Africa and Asia. “Contraceptives empower women. And we know what empowered women do … they transform societies,” Gates said.
as to cats, Australia’s just killing them. Like EJKs. seem simpler than neutering/spading, might get infected or put thru unnecessary suffering. just kill.
https://www.usccb.org/topics/natural-family-planning/nfp-basic-information
The link is a substantial summary of Natural Family Planning, Birth Control as suggested by the Catholic Church.
LCX responded but I did not publish his response because, as he is inclined to do, he takes the discussion into the physical aspects of sex rather than policy. It’s out of place.
I appreciate the assist, Joe. Vetting the big possibility that the discussion will be in effect a non-starter is certainly the prudent umpiring that must be maintained. I will re-examine the subject to see if there are useful starting points I didn’t see.
https://opinion.inquirer.net/136494/gen-debold-sinas-and-sgt-jonel-nuezca/
..General Sinas felt he was entitled to a “mañanita” since he was the powerful chief of the National Capital Region Police Office. He knew about the planned birthday bash and allowed it to take place in violation of rules and regulations designed to halt the spread of COVID-19. If he feigned ignorance of the planned party, he must be a terrible intelligence officer since he did not have any inkling as to what was being planned by his men.
Staff Sergeant Nuezca decided he was entitled to some peace and quiet, and when not shown the respect and obedience due a high ranking police noncommissioned officer, he decided that he could take the law in his own hands, shooting two people in the head at point-blank range. Perhaps he felt supremely confident that he could get away with it, just as his boss was able to evade any punishment eventually moving up to the position of PNP chief over the heads of senior police lieutenant generals..
Culture of entitlement goes even further with the present vaccine scandal.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/12/28/20/nurses-on-covid-vaccination-of-psg-parang-inapi-yung-health-workers?s=04
..The Filipino Nurses United (FNU) on Monday expressed disappointment over reports that members of the Presidential Security Group were vaccinated already against COVID-19..
https://www.rappler.com/nation/fda-surprised-cabinet-officials-soldiers-use-unregistered-covid-19-vaccine
As soldiers and top officials of the Duterte government rolled up their sleeves to receive COVID-19 vaccines, not even the director general of the country’s Food and Drug Administration was aware of the early inoculation activities.
FDA Director General Eric Domingo said on Monday, December 28, that President Rodrigo Duterte’s news that some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines already received a vaccine caught him by surprise, considering the government itself had not yet approved any vaccine for emergency use..
apparently, soldiers have no adverse reaction sa 1st sinovac dose, on the 2nd dose ay saka na lang daw sila nagkaruon ng reaction like headaches, etc.
thinking ko tuloy na the 1st sinovac jab was too weak to cause a reaction and that it needed the 2nd dose to boost efficacy; could well be that two doses of sinovac is equivalent to one dose of the pfizer vaccine.
whoever injected the soldiers are probly thinking a 3rd sinovac dose is in order.
and I hope someone is gathering data and reporting findings like testing the soldiers to see if their acquired level of covid immunity is enough to give protection.
https://www.rappler.com/nation/malacanang-statement-soldiers-covid-19-vaccine
Malacañang on Monday, December 28, defended the use of an unregistered COVID-19 vaccine on soldiers and urged the public to just “accept” that uniformed personnel were among those already inoculated against the disease.
“Huwag ‘yo naman pong ipagkait sa ating mga sundalo kung nagkaroon sila ng proteksyon. Tanggapin na lang po natin na importante na iyong ating kasundaluhan, iyong mga nagbabantay sa ating seguridad, ay ligtas na sa COVID nang magampanan nila ang kanilang trabaho,” Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said in a virtual briefing.
(Don’t deny our soldiers protection. Let’s just accept that it’s important our soldiers, who secure us, are safe from COVID so they can do their jobs.)
Roque issued the remarks in relation to news that soldiers were among those who already received a COVID-19 shot despite the absence of an approved vaccine in the country.
It was President Rodrigo Duterte himself who revealed that some members of the Armed Forces of the Philippines received a vaccine.
“Sabihin ko, marami na magpainjection dito sa Sinopharm…. I have to be frank, I have to tell the truth. Marami nang nagpatusok and lahat up to now wala akong narinig for the select few, not all soldiers, hindi pa kasi policy eh,” Duterte said in a televised address..
health sec duque ought to demand new sinovac vaccine data from injected soldiers, that they share knowledge and add to database. how many of the soldiers subsequently develop covid variants as a result of having been injected with the presumably weaker vaccine? i.e. the vaccine received not strong enough to knock out the virus kaya virus was able to sidestep and mutate.
expect the best but prepare for the worst. I hope they’re ready, hic.
Excellent point.
how did the vaccines get into our country, many asked. bought in the black market, some said smuggled and the soldiers injected themselves helped by their own medical personnel.
in the black market, vendors knew one another, what they sell and for how much, intel is strong among them. but their goods have to be delivered and signed and that would leave a trail. and they’d be caught in cctv backtracked to september 2020.
but soldiers said vaccines were tokens. and that gives me idea the vaccines got into our country legally and right under the noses of customs officials. how? ever heard of diplomatic consignment? diplomatic cargo? they’re like sacred cows no customs officials would peek. coming in and out of airports at anytime of the day and night, under the care of diplomatic officials like the chinese ambassador. any cargo big or small ambassadors have in their proximity are exempt from both customs and duty.
Sec Locsin says China (the country) had nothing to do with it and their Embassy is irked about it because it gives their vaccine a bad name. The line of thinking that makes the most sense to me is a flight from China to Davao and from Davao to Manila on the Presidential plane. Crony shipping line.
teddy locsin went to china in the 1st week of october 2020 and personally met his chinese counterpart. among things discussed by them was both were ‘looking forward to vaccine cooperation.”
the soldiers were 1st inoculated in september 2020 and received their 2nd dose round about october 2020. sorry, I’m not smart enough to work out the timeline. but, I think, if anyone think big enough, there’s enough info to connect the dots.
Interesting. Certainly causes me to sit up. He’s certainly busy defending the injections.
When Diplomats get vaccinated they will have Diplomatic immunity.
Now the NBI and the AFP will investigate as you often say: kuno.
want to know a fat lie? have a hearty good laugh ako listening to good ol’ senator bato defending presidential security guards and thier patago-tagong bakuna. trying to protect the president kuno sila, which president kaya, the present or the next? they cannot even say his name, haha.
if they really want to protect the president whose name they cannot even say, they should have offered to jab the president too, give him the honor of saying yes or no instead of keeping him in the dark. labas tuloy na conniving ang psg sa likud ng presidente at nagkaisa.
in short po, psg protected themselves vs the president who is not vaccinated. if the presidents gets covic sick simbako lang, presumably none of psg will get sick and they get to bury and mourn the president, and then maybe also serve the next president. nice ha?
psg protecting themselves from eventualities. segurista.
https://johnnery.wordpress.com/2020/12/29/column-take-our-country-back/
..In March 2018, I wrote that “we see ourselves, largely, as a nation of martyrs. President Duterte’s brand of politics and patriotism, however, is remaking the Filipino character; by the time he’s done, we will be a country of killers.”
Do we still recognize our country? “For better or for worse, these virtues are what define us, to ourselves, as Filipinos. Nietzsche would not have approved—and I think that, deep down, if we ask President Duterte himself, away from the microphone or the crowd, he will agree that this is an inferior constitution: We can be better than this. But unfortunately for us, his alternative is to offer a culture based on the killer instinct: Bully the weak, curry favor with the strong, insult the critic, make allowances for the rich and connected, kill the poor.”..
Latest Pulse Asia survey on Presidential preference is either total mind conditioning or what the hell.. Sara Dutz leads, followed by BBM.. VP Leni behind Pacquiao and just ahead of Lacson.. if true I wonder WHY.
Wonder what especially those in the Philippines can say about that, kasambahay is the one among us here I think closest to the people’s pulse.
Seems the view many get of current events is totally different from ours here.
The people get their news from FB, Instagram, GMA (populist slant), and friends. It is shallow and lacking any values-framework whatsoever. Gossip, basically.
many informants keep eye on gossips sa kanto, sifting through the millions of ‘useless’ info, there are nuggets to be found. dig deep and far enough and you could hit jackpot.
https://the2016aftermath.wordpress.com/2020/12/30/year-end-musings-on-the-future/ – by Nuelle Duterte:
Happy New Year, everyone! This one is dedicated to those who are imparting some valuable lessons for the next generation.
What a year, right? It started off with a volcanic eruption, and was quickly followed by the news of a viral outbreak in China that became the start of a worldwide pandemic. Soon enough, positive cases were identified in the Philippines, thanks to the lack of a travel ban, and then the longest lock down in the world began in March. In the midst of the health and economic crisis that followed, the Duterte administration — courtesy of his minions in Congress — shut down the largest television network in the country. Healthcare workers started dying at an alarming rate, government officials, and then the police, began breaking their own lock down rules without consequences, which regular citizens were being punished for. And then there were the countless who lost their jobs, their homes, their means of transportation, their family members, and even their hope.
But, of course, not everyone was so unlucky. There were many who simply had to hunker down, stay home, watch television (Korean television shows got an unexpected boost!), and play video games. There were many who only had to make a few modifications to their lifestyles, whether it was working from home, limiting their outdoor activities, or adjusting their daily practices. Some even had it easy, especially those who were barely working at their jobs in Congress or Senate anyway. One former PNP Chief would be a good example of that, since he was quite vocal about enjoying the work from home situation.
Looking back, I think it’s important to acknowledge the people who’ve played a pivotal role in bringing the Philippines to the state it is in today, especially since what’s going on now is going to heavily impact the future. It’s tempting to say this all falls on one man, the president, as he’s a favorite target for the horrors his administration has wrought. But he did not do this alone. And the children who will inherit the world as we’ve made it today deserve to know who’s responsible.
First, we have Harry, Delfin, Eduardo, Francisco, and all the rest who are in charge of putting themselves in the line of fire to defend and protect their president, even when what comes out of their mouths are totally ridiculous lies. In school, we’re supposed to learn about honesty and integrity, regardless if you’re in public service or not, but especially if you’re a public servant. Alas, these men and women are proudly demonstrating to the public, to their colleagues, to their friends, and to their families that these characteristics are not actually necessary, and are even considered to be hindrances to one’s ambitions. The children of today have much to learn from these people when it comes to becoming successful and rich.
Then there are those elected officials in Congress, the Senate, and even the local government units who, instead of serving the public as they were hired to do, are actually serving themselves by supporting Digong’s every whim.
Regardless of whether what the president wants is legal or not, ethical or not, moral or not, they are showing the public, their colleagues, their friends, and their families that opportunism, not public service, is the name of the game when you’re elected into office. The children of today are learning that aligning yourself with the powerful is what matters when you become an adult.
Let’s not forget the paid trolls who are willing to exchange money for their self-respect. Yes, survival is important, especially in these hard times. We all have families and our own well-being to take care of. But from them, the children of today are learning that morals and ethics have no value in a world where money is worshiped above all things.
Most of all, though, there are the private citizens — the ones who continue to be openly supportive of Digong, the ones who noticed that it’s a bit embarrassing now to be so vocal, and especially the ones who decided to become fence-sitters, neither supporting nor condemning the man they voted for. I continue to be astounded at what they are teaching their colleagues, their friends, their families, and their very impressionable children with their indifferent and/or cultish behaviors. Imagine extolling his vulgarity, his promotion of violence, his bullying, his sexism, his penchant for innuendo and gossip because they consider these behaviors as him being a ‘totoong tao‘, and then in the next breath absolving him of any responsibility when women get verbally abused and threatened, when dead bodies start piling up, when children adopt the cussing and threatening behaviors, and when people who committed no crimes get arrested or assassinated. Imagine openly condemning corruption and then, when he and his people break regulations and rules with impunity, becoming silent as church mice because there is just no way to defend their actions. Imagine being proud of a president whose legacy turned out to be not the economic paradise he promised, but instead a killing fields filled with peace officers who don’t even know what that word means anymore. Imagine boasting about his ‘strong political will’ that would solve everything from the drug problem to corruption, only to defend him when he clearly can’t even oversee a functional or organized pandemic response, even asking the critics to go easy on him because, boo-hoo, he’s old and frail and sick. So where did that political will they were endlessly harping about go? Or maybe it never existed, except in myths and fantasies.
One man and his cabal are not the only ones responsible for the state of the country today. And though they may not yet feel the repercussions of what they began, their children most definitely will. And I wonder how these children will turn out. Will their parents tell them, ‘Wag mo ako gayahin, anak. Be better than me‘ and hope against hope the children WILL do the work of making a better world? Will the children curse their parents for serving up a country full of corruption, impunity, death, and rampant incompetence? Or will they stay true to their parents’ legacy of aligning themselves with the most powerful, sell their self-respect for money, lie, cheat and steal in order to become rich, and cloak themselves in silent indifference even when crimes are being committed in front of their eyes? I mean, how are they supposed to learn integrity and ethics anyway, when precious little can be found in their midst? Most of all, will their children thank them for the kind of world they’re leaving behind?
Optimism is ingrained in me, so I always have some hope that most people will end up doing the right thing. But my being Filipino has also taught me to be realistic. Our problem has always been both systemic and cultural. And it’s only when we are ready to change ourselves, our thinking, and our behaviors that real progress will be made. Expecting someone else to make the change happen, with minimal participation from us other than obedience, was never the answer. Our children need to learn that, and if they don’t, well, that’s on us.
Smart woman.
The Philippines is a broken society. It may take generations to fix. Where do we start?
By teaching voters they are responsible for the nation.
kung ako lang po, I’d make erring politicians and devious public officials accountable for their actions. we now have the internet at our disposal and we all have opinions that can storm social media 24/7. true, we often meet stronger forces, well paid and well resourced, vexacious and malicious in both nature and intent. exciting for others, devastating to some.
so where to start? lend our hearts and voices to those already on the move; support them that support our cause, be there for them and help strengthen them from vicious attacks. give instead of take.
I’m not forgetting that politicians and cohorts are voters too, their families and multitudes of friends as well as those working for them; their employees and dependents, are all voters as well. to trust them with our own welfare as well as that of the nation is dicey to me.
voters may do what is right, but there are many more voters who dont.
it’s what’s being done between elections that give me hiccups. the house already has 34 deputy speakers! too many mouths, not enough sense, haha.
Good point.
How do you handle the network of the politicians who knows how to use them.
Magdalo has its own network but not big enough if all the trapos combine their networks.
there are those that vote in block too, iglesia ni kristo is one, then el shaday, and quiboloy’s. I dont know about the muslim votes.
maagang nag-umpisa ang survey for hire, mukhang nangungumpanya na. iba talaga ang may pera, money speaks loudest. tapos, uutang pa sa world bank upang makabili ng bakuna contra covid. o baka votes ang bibilhin at hindi bakuna. daming utang tuloy, uutang upang makabayad ng mga utang!
these people are set in their ways na. how to handle them? ay, they dont always win, dont always get what they want, bong marcos lost. jejomar binay and his son lost too, erap as well. win some, lost some. we lost good people too. such is politics.
Correct
The Sandiganbayan has 3900 plus pending cases and the ombudsman recently has been slow to file cases that is why they pat them selves at the back for bringing the cases down to that level.
But in fairness it has bern a long time to accomllish a thousand cases in a year.
Socmed bashing can be destructive to young people but to the vile trapos, they just dance to the tune and bend with the wind.
I’m not so worried about young people that got socmed bashed. they’ll learn so enough, change and up their netiquette. that’s the beauty of internet, response and consequences are instantaneous. they’ll learn when and when not to push, and when to lie low and how to take bad reviews. tomorrow is another day.
Yet some have chronic mental issues which may be pre-existing or not and take their lives.
Hopefully not many.
we help those that ask for help and talk about their issues and concerns, those that dont are different thing. we can only go and intervene if asked and invited else they tell us to piss off! scat! get lost, and mind your own business!
friends should look out for one another too and give support.
2020 leaves behind much debris – pain, fear, broken lives, smashed dreams. But, we also owe a debt of gratitude to 2020: It has helped expose seven fundamental secrets.
We used to think of governments as powerless. But since Covid-19 struck we know better: Governments have stupendous powers that they hitherto chose not to use, deferring to the exorbitant power of Big Business.
Yes, the money-trey does exist after all. Except, of course, that is only harvested by the powerful on behalf of the oligarchy: Money created by the rich for the rich.
Solvency is a political decision because power-politics, not markets, decide who is bankrupt and who is not.
https://www.yanisvaroufakis.eu/2020/12/30/a-festive-message-on-behalf-of-diem25-for-2021-because-things-are-the-way-they-are-things-will-not-remain-the-way-they-are-b-brecht/
happy new year, mischa. kaming mga pulubi merong fat money trees that exist in our dreams. our wealth cannot be measured in ingots, but in the smiles and warmth of kinship of loving friends and families. mahirap ang buhay and hardship is shared. sort of lightens it up, a load shared. happy new year!
Sa lahat ng may neolib policies tayo pinaka mahina sa FDI dahil sa restrictiveness.
This is what the proponents of Chacha is using even using Covid to back it up
https://www.rappler.com/nation/speaker-velasco-pushes-new-defense-charter-change-covid-19
porbida, speaker velasco must be told chacha is not vaccine for covid!
at dapat magsipagunat-unat na ang doh and amend health policy. the old covid is mutating to a more infectious covid. more infectious means more deaths like what is happening in england.
doh’s current health policy is applicable to old covid, and needs to be updated.
Yes DOH coordinate with other agencies normally without needing of an IATF.
More noise, and no funding if the agency heads are not the czars.
not happy ang pamunuan ni duterte et al, lgus showing initiatives kasi in procuring their own vaccines. dapat daw i-course ng lgus sa govt ang procurement. kaso, lgus are also govt in their own rights, albiet local, elected by the people at may mandate.
instead na kasalungatin, dapat suportahan ng national govt ang initiatives ng mga lgus, laud them at hwag masyadong magselos sa success ng lgus.
lgus kasi being smaller units are able to mobilize quickly and with much lesser bureaucracy, lgus are faster to pinpoint and communicate their own needs and wants.
the best thing national govt can do is stop playing the grinch, give blessing to lgus and help them get their vaccines.
many are asking, why would duterte buy the expensive but less effective sinovac vaccines vs all other vaccines? theorists said duterte is not really buying sinovac vaccines but getting them for free in exchange of what’s in benham rise! no money change hands.
china has lots of money and dont need anymore, what is needed is resources like maybe cobalt, nickel, manganese, etc: rare earth and batteries for electric cars.
china can name its price, resources rich benham rise has enough to pay for millions of doses of sinovac vaccines. already 25millions doses are said to arrive with millions more in the offing.
the visit of the high ranking chinese official just this month and in the middle of pandemic just for him to say our country’s covid responses are weak when same can be conveyed easily thru diplomatic channel seemed suspicious and much like a smokescreen.
but if the message from beijing needs to be delivered in person, between the official and his intended, away from all prying ears and prying eyes, high ranking chinese official just have to brave the pandemic: give china the benham rise and duterte can have sinovac.
filipinos have the pandemic and mutant covid to deal with and with chacha distracting them, no one is looking closely at benham rise, or at the anomalous procurement of the chinese vaccines.
Neoliberalism is not restricted to the measured volume of FDI. Capital movements also consider political stability and adequate infrastructure as factors for where it’s going.
Thanks.
Lkke Gian told me once, he blames neolib for over supply of diploma mills,
The poor are crowded out in the State Inis because the can affords also enroll there(my words)
Plus Maymilad and Manila Water.
Their services s- ck.
how many times had vietnam amend its constitution? methink there is predictability in vietnam, easier for investors make forecast and long term plans.
unlike our country na each time top govt officials are in hot water, there is talks of chacha kaagad. threats of changing the constitution makes investors nervous coz there might be changes in business laws too, and economic blue prints have to redone, contracts redrafted na naman, tax perimeters amended. all these may create uncertainties.
naturally, investors opt to invest in countries with stable govts like singapore. that’s what the marcoses are doing: invest their money in singapore.
Thailand hasmore amendments and more coups yet they are better.
We must trace the roots of our shortcomings maybe begining with neolib and oligarchs like Micha has been pointing out ever since.
Even before neolib when Marcos attempted a form of state capitalism it ended up with cronies filling their pockets and the Philippine economy was way down in 1983 – even if it was ahead of even Singapore in the 1960s and ahead of Sokor in the 1950s.
Or course the toxic mix of neolib and protectionism that exists now made the fat cats even fatter. When Ramos privatized utilities of course most cheered as water shortages and brownouts which had been a scourge in the Cory time and late Marcos era due to inefficient public firms became a thing of the past.
And it has been mostly the private sector which was trusted to deliver via PPP and other models. Example being DOT which even now gets little done except ribbon cutting PPP projects started in PNoy’s time. Horrible example of neolib privatizing profits and making burdens public is the MRT as Chemrock showed.
Seems water privatization is a big fail in the Philippines in terms of service degradation. Privatization as the major example of neolib is something I grasp better I admit. Biggest example of privatization failing is the rotten state of British railways today versus Swiss railways which are public and work perfectly inspite of mountainous topography.
The most egregious damage of the Ramos presidency was done in our agricultural sector which, until today, has not been able to recover. He just simply left our farmers to hang dry when he signed on with GATT and trade liberalization policies. We were flooded with agricultural imports of all sorts from sibuyas to bagoong and, of course, rice from Vietnam Thailand and China – the production of which were highly subsidized by their respective governments hence, the inability of our local farmers to compete.
The consequences of Ramos’ neoliberal policies are manifold – crowding of urban centers, increased balance of payments deficits, widespread poverty, crime incidence spike including drug use and trafficking which, incidentally, led to a successful coming into power of our present dictator whose campaign was mainly based on demagoguery against drug addicts.
Ramos sowed the wind of decadence of our post 1987 Republic.
Paano kaya kung tinuloy ni Miriam yung Electoral Protest saan kaya tayo ngayon?
Pero nagkaroon ng time na tawag sa kanya ay Brenda Mage baka sa kangkungan din tayo.
It doesn’t matter kung sino ang nakaupo, as long as he/she doesn’t have the spine to push back doon sa dikta ng mga dayuhang tikbalang ganoon pa rin ang manyayari, sabi nga ni Joe Conception. It was Ramos who took the call so the onus is on him.
There were stalwarts for economic nationalism kagaya nina Larry Henares, Ramon Jacinto, Herman Tiu-Laurel at iba pa, kung saan sana dapat ay binigyan natin ng kaukulang pagdinig ang kanilang mga mungkahi but we did not.
And so, here we are, stuck with that semi-literate psychopath from Davao.
This president played tough pretending to play hard ball.
We need not the silent types but those with the minimum requirement of walking the talk.
The competitive enhancement funds even until now was never fully implemented.
What is the AFMA for kung wala naman budget na nilaan?
Tapos laging palusot yung irrigation
Yung drinking water nga ng central to Southern Luzon Angat Dam lang pinagkukunan ang daming pwedeng source.
Recto (Claro not Ralph)
and Tañada after him were the champions of economic natoinalism.
I tried to discuss the agriculture and industrial development though you might tell me time and again what for?
I still believe our dscussions here is not a waste of time even if it just a few of us.
I submit that I was wrong to say that there is no money.
With money get diverted to miscellaneous funds and COA refusing to call them intelligence funds,
I agree there is money it just goes down the drain most of the time
I still maintain though that most of the budget go to salaries and interest payments but that for Congress to figure out .
Once they figure it out, since vertical integration is one form of economic nationalism,
Let us use our natural resources wisely for raw materials and for the nth time, lots of raw materials in the garbage dump.
Do it like Ghana without the warlords pointing a gun at their heads.
Thanks to wiki I learned that it was Cargill chief who wrote the agricultural provisions of the Uruguay Round which gave birth to WTO.
The Doha round contentions were never resolved.
Methinks the developing countries were left fending for themselves and the developed countries subsidized heavily their agriculture and agri biz.
That’s the word, karl. Subsidy, subsidy, subsidy.
If the national government cares for its people at all, it should be subsidizing (bigly) our agricultural sector and the farmers that do the back breaking work and make it a viable means of their livelihood.
A lot of our national ills can be cured by just doing initially that.
I agree.
Looking at the Greater Munich area, if there were no EU farming subsidies the conversion of farmland to residential and industrial areas would be going faster than it already is – at least the Green Party thinks it is way too much.
Of course small farms are still hardly enough to make a living, but medium-sized farms still do quite well even if the economies of scale of large East German farms (many former plantations, later communist collectives, now heavily mechanized large private farms) are way better. And the pull of city life is still there, better broadband access, better access to doctors, schools etc. but at least the push factor of being totally left behind is not that strong.
Small- and medium sized urban centers with jobs, hospitals and industries also make it easier for people who don’t go for their parent’s farming life to commute from the old home area – though in parts of East Germany the lack of those is an issue, the places with a lot of right-wing voters are not as left behind as the so-called flyover states in the USA and in some places things are getting way better, but the point is that conditions which cause most people to have to move to just a few major centers are bad. The Weimar Republic had that with massive urban migration and attendant crime, guess what followed?
I remember a Mel and Jay episode where they had GMA and a few other senators and commentators. The discussion was about GATT. She said all the right things. but the subsidies and policy were lacking. We have almost achieved rice sufficiency during the masagana 99 years. It was done by walking a tight rope. Artificially high prices for our farmers while keeping the food prices low by government subsidy. I surmise there are probably a lot or at least a few academic papers on why this wasn’t sustained, probably a mix of the energy crisis, the Central Luzon floods, and a few other circumstances that I do not even know of. (Karl is like 12 years older than me. these events pre date us. we just love reading these.)
I could still sing the propaganda music to Masagana 99 but I shall spare us.
Seriously, it seems many Marcos projects were for short-term propaganda effect and petered out after a while due to lack of follow-up.
There was even Family Planning and attempts at SexEd in public schools but I don’t recall that having lasted more than a short burst.
I’ve met a lot of government officials and government workers who are not detail-oriented. They go through the motions of work but the output is not really measured. I’ve observed in multiple agencies that the appointed bosses depend on the few competent, hardworking, and trustworthy. The problem is finding all three in government roles. in the middle management Directors, Division Chiefs, and down.
LKY best sums it up:
In Bali in 1976, at the first ASEAN summit held after the fall of Saigon, I found Marcos keen to push for greater economic cooperation in ASEAN. But we could not go faster than the others. To set the pace, Marcos and I agreed to implement a bilateral Philippines-Singapore across-the-board 10 percent reduction of existing tariffs on all products and to promote intra-ASEAN trade. We also agreed to lay a Philippines-Singapore submarine cable. I was to discover that for him, the communiqué was the accomplishment itself; its implementation was secondary, an extra to be discussed at another conference.
Per Dominguez many banks closed during the time and he claimed that we never exported rice.
https://news.abs-cbn.com/news/05/20/20/800-banks-bankrupted-dominguez-disputes-imee-marcos-claim-that-fathers-masagana-program-a-success
Familiar with that. But that is due to how people game the system by creating mountains of debt. Masagana 99 was a fragile system and any one of the economic or political factors during that time could have pushed it to the unsustainable downward spiral we found it in during the Cory Aquino years. The counter factual is the other countries who were successful in the subsidy if their local farms.
We are experts in Snafuing anything we touch.
Hitler became
Führer und Reichskanzler des deutschen Volkes
The hyperinflation in 1923 where a loaf of bread costed 1 Billion Marks was terrible.
No wonder the likes of Hitler was looked up to as a Messiah type.
these days po, our country’s reputation is shot: there’s apparent no rule of law, bribery in all levels of the govt is rampant, and corruption is way of life. our once sitting chief justice sereno was given the boot on a flimsy whim of a president, senator de lima is jailed on trumped up drug charges, abs-cbn’s franchise not renewed having displeased same president, our peace and order is disarrayed by trigger happy kapolisan with very short fuse, shooting to kill anyone whenever the mood takes them. all this not very attractive for foreign direct investors and most shied away. and the president is not helping as well, constantly favoring erring armed personnel and promoting them instead of punishing them.
instead of chacha, congress is better off freeing de lima and show the world our country obeys and respect the rule of law. putting our country in order will make it more attractive to foreign investors.
I watched bagman
Ang target ni Bagman ay yung mga ASSOC like TODAS, vendors, church, transport group,etc
Dyan pa lang sustained na ang pag upo ni Gov.
What if it happens everywhere in the PH in real life then we are in deep sh-t.
sa panahon ng pandemic, ang panibagong target ngayon ay yaong mga bansang may variant covid na halos lahat na progressive countries: england, estados unidos, australia, europe, etc at may travel ban pa, not allowed ang citizens nila in our country.
tapos, heto our country is trying to attract foreign direct investors mula sa mga countries na yon, how in hell are they supposed to invest when they’re not allowed to set foot in our shores? mukhang nataranta si speaker velasco, haha. he wants their money only, not their persons. then those half breed pinoys na may dual citizenship ay pinahirapan at ginipit gaya ng dating owner ng abs-cbn, pina-recite pa ng lupang hinirang!
rappler pinahirapan at ginipit din po, si maria ressa raw kasi ay may mga foreign investors. impression ng karamihan? foreign investors are hated and best kept off our shores.
lately, mga kasamahan ni speaker sa house are trying to resurrect franchise of abs-cbn, kaya binara sila ng chacha. problem upon problem, solves nothing. as well, duterte wants party listers gone, again chacha na naman is default.
I thought duterte would be content and happier now that abs-cbn is gone, his psg vaccinated vs covid, those on his narco lists are killed paisa-isa, hawak na niya ang congress at senate both willing to do his bidding . . . ay iba na talaga kung walang pera at halos bankrupt na ang bayan.
. . . coupled with our country’s appalling human rights abuses known the world over, no wonder foreign investors are staying away. covid or not.
In our place that is said to have too mych democracy by a nsn who should stay in boxing till 80 si he could be away from politics, we have a balance of the left snd the right and the balance is zero sum.
A good leader must be able to mix oil and water. In the case of econimic policies he must make economic nationalism coexist with foreign investment.
We have a DTI that say buy Filipino but we get inundated with cheaper imported stuff if you buy Filipino parang itang ng loob pa ng tindera.
On businesses
The Marikina shoe industry started with their way of reverse engineering imported shoes until that shoe industry was taken over by SM.
The jeepney was like a wheel it found no reason for reinvention.
The garment industry almost gone, but no.one is walking naked .
Plus patents and intellectual property is a rat race .
Our inventors are not supported.
Inventors must apply for the position of Roque, he never runs out of invented justifications.
Karl, off topic but great news. https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1384165/filipino-shipbuilder-eyes-bigger-vessels-for-ph-navy
Indeed it is great news.
We could just pay for the designs and build it ourselves. This is not unlike the licensed production I mentioned before.
Nice! Thanks Joe!
You’re welcome. I wonder how many tactical craft Parlade’s 16 billion would produce. Propaganda vs boats.
speaking of leader, sabi ng man from dabaw na being president is not job for women. naku po! totally, totally agree po ako sa kanya, really, really.
being president is not job for a woman specially for a woman from dabaw, a close relative of man from dabaw, nag number one pa sa recent survey for hire yang woman from dabaw, preferred president kuno, haha. namugbog ng sherif, yang woman from dabaw.
what a pair, the father ay namamatay tao, the daughter ay mamugbog tao.
Me himirit nga papayag ba daw tayo sa nagpakalbo na at nambugbog pa.
I do not care what she does with her hair but there are a lot more reasons not to vote for her.
And please if the Marcoses promises injection of new life to the farmers, I hope the farmers would not fall for that.
Tulad ng napag usapan natin madaming paraan para makakuha bg boto. Para-paraan lang yan.
Very valuable insights!
The leader sets the tenor of a society. Duterte’s casual endorsement of violence and impunity from the beginning of his reign is as much the crime as this policeman’s brutal act. And no amount of platitudinal explanations can ever exonerate both men. One wonders when the Filipino will finally wake up and act to put a stop to this oppression and tyranny.
On 12/27/20, The Society of Honor: the Philippines
20 years ago today (Jan 16, 2001) President Estrada’s impeachment took to a pivotal turn. “The no votes have it” as his allies in the Senate voted not to open the “envelope”. This triggered Edsa 2 that installed VP GMA to power. A lot of people had high hopes then – but PGMA proved to be worse.
In this time of pandemic, no one seems to remember this event. Or maybe people just want to forget. In a way, EDSA 2 disillusioned many idealistic people then. I wonder how much of this has effect on the current apathy of the people.
Article coming out next morning on that. Abangan.
Thanks Ireneo! Looking forward to that! Edsa 2 was important part of our history – would have been great sana , kaya lang PGMA and his cohorts have other things in mind.
*her cohorts 🙂
@karl, Irineo, giancarlo
Masagana 99 was a flagship program of Mr. Marcos that became successful albeit for a short period.
When Marcos declared martial law in 1972, money flowed in from international bankers because western capitalists applauded that he was fighting the red menace. Hence, Marcos and his wife embarked on spending spree. There were social and infrastructure programs that were laudable : roads, rural electrification, Lung Center, Cultural Center, BLISS housing projects, irrigation system, and yes, Masagana 99.
Marcos took the bait and seem oblivious to the fact that those dollars need to be paid back. It’s a billion dollar credit card taken on behalf of the country. And when the spigot stopped, that’s when the trouble started. Ten years later, he went straight to Ronald Reagan and begged for a bailout.
Overall though, Masagana 99, along with irrigation system were hugely popular with rural folks. But international creditors will have none of it. Subsidizing farmers is taboo in the neoliberal zeitgeist.
Dominguez was lying through his teeth when he disputed Imee’s claim that we exported rice when the Masagana program was in place. It’s one of the reasons why the Marcoses remain popular in the countryside. Rural folks pine for those days of relative abundance.
The staying power of the Marcos brand is evident in the fact that Bongbong is well ahead in the survey of 2022 presidentiables.
I will try to put this in my backlog. I am not sure if we did export or not but this should be verifiable because for exports we have a counterparty who probably has better record keeping and more open data.
Gian,
I refer you to this thread.
https://joeam.com/2020/05/20/recognizing-the-decent-people-fighting-the-virus/#comment-352559
Duly noted thanks and Gian is correct that there are ways to verify false claims.
Dominguez was Cory Aquino’s agriculture secretary. It was Salvador Lopez and Arturo Tanco who supervised Marcos’ rice program in the late 60’s and early 70’s.
“With Tanco remaining at the helm of the Ministry of Agriculture (MA), the Masagana 99 rice production program was launched which made the country self-sufficient and a rice exporter.”
https://www.da.gov.ph/history/
👍
https://uplb.edu.ph/all-news/masagana-99-both-a-success-and-a-failure-experts-say/ what the agri experts at UPLB say, many details..
The implementers themselves were interviewed.
If Edgar was here he could enumerate the details in one sitting.
A big problem with a lot of people is that they prefer their talking points rather than trying to find truth.
Masagana 99 is the 1970 program.
Based on this:
https://knoema.com/atlas/Philippines/topics/Agriculture/Trade-Export-Value/Rice-exports
Yes, we did export during 1968, 1972, 1974, 1980, 1992.
If this was my job I would analyze the differences between these years.
Based on the UPLB retrospective on Masagana 99, the initial 90% repayment rate which is around the MFI/Coop levels were not sustained and spiraled to about 35%. This eventually caused the rural bank crisis that Sec Dominguez cleaned up.
01. Yes we did export rice (Imee was Correct on this statement).
02. It was unsustainable (As also attested by the implementers it was unsustainable, multitude of reasons for this, it can be that: they expanded to farms that can no longer make use of the productivity boost, oil prices making pesticides expensive making the initial packages no longer profitable, one time events like typhoons etc that create a debt spiral for rural banks etc. )
(Sec Domingues was correct on his statement, Imee’s statement that they should study what they did during his father’s time is also correct, learn from mistakes and tweak the program. There may be a way to make the program more sustainable).
03. As seen by the crisis afterward, he really did clean up a lot of Rural Bank failures (Sec Dominguez was correct on this).
Sec Dominguez was only wrong in asserting that the Philippines never exported rice.
Sen Imee is wrong in asserting that Masagana 99 was a resounding success. As stated by the UPLB implementers: It was a success in responding to the rice crisis but a failure as a long term program.
Many thanks, Gian. Makes a lot of things much clearer now! 👍
@giancarlo
A bank loan is not a subsidy. Defaults on rural banks would have been prevented if the national government made direct subsidies to farmers’ cooperatives instead of coursing it through rural banks in the form of a loan.
Farmers do not have savvy financial skills. When they cash out those loans, many found it tempting to use the money on non-farm inputs like repairing their leaking house roofs instead.
Going the cooperative way would have been a more sensible and sustainable way for Masagana 99. Farmers could make modest monthly contribution to their respective municipal cooperatives in exchange for which they could get fertilizers and pesticides at a markedly discounted price.
I agree. As study after study has shown it is hard to beat cash and a direct subsidy if maximizing benefits is the objective. Policymakers just need to be comfortable with doing this and a lot of their education and biases go against this.
As an additional anecdote. I am from the province and I’ve had an experience about 10 years ago wherein a friend sponsored her farmer uncle by paying and applying for crop insurance that the DA was offering.
Unfortunately, a typhoon wiped out the rice crop that trimester. She was really frustrated by two things in getting crop insurance. The DA’s processing, and her uncle, who really struggled to understand why they are paying for the lost crop. There was a sense of getting money for nothing was not right from her uncle’s perspective.
An early idea I had, that I never acted on was getting more people using crop insurance by getting more young workers to sponsor farmers from their town.
The idea is still in my backlog. Hopefully, when I relocate to the province permanently I can start this up.
That would be a great initiative.