MABUTI MAY BAGUIO AT MAYOR MAGALONG TAYO
Analysis and Opinion an Interview by Wilfredo Villanueva
Baguio isn’t just appealing because it’s eight degrees cooler than Manila; it’s also because of its mayor, Benjie Magalong, a magna cum laude graduate of the Philippine Military Academy’s Sandigan class of 1982. His dedication to good governance and integrity sets him apart as a public servant.
Just last year, Mayor Magalong established the Mayors for Good Governance, a group that includes Mayor Vico Sotto and around a hundred other mayors. According to Mayor Magalong, the organization is apolitical. “We are a movement,” he said, meaning they don’t engage in politics as a group. The group conducts value formation seminars focusing on integrity in public service. At the time of reporting, there are about a hundred members, which is less than 10 percent of the approximately 1,500 mayors of cities and municipalities in the Philippines. “If there will be changes in the system, it may happen but not in our lifetime,” the mayor said.
Their commitment to integrity is crucial, as they discovered that about 40 percent of the total project cost per the General Appropriations Act (GAA) ends up in the pockets of officials. “This doesn’t include instances where they are the contractors and suppliers, leaving only about 44 to 52 percent for expenditures directly related to the project,” he explained. “Billions ang binubulsa!” the mayor exclaimed.
When asked what the Philippine Military Academy alumni could do about corruption, he said, “They are aware, but taking action requires a different level of commitment.” Despite this, he remains hopeful. “However, I can sense an awakening. For the upcoming elections, more alumni are expressing their desire to run for public office.”
Discussing his future plans, Magalong was clear. “None. I’ve said this before. Some people think I’m active because I’m targeting Congress or the Senate. That’s not true. I have one more term left as mayor of Baguio, and that’s my focus.”
Reflecting on his youth, Mayor Magalong shared a pivotal moment that shaped his commitment to integrity. “I was in third-year high school at St. Louis Boys’ High School when I read books by Thomas Smith. One quote that stood out was: ‘Integrity is doing the right thing even when no one is watching.’ From that time on, during exams, I would separate myself from my groupmates, sit at the back, and answer the questions on my own. I didn’t mind getting a lower grade as long as there was no cheating. Thomas Smith’s words had a profound effect on me.”
Interestingly, his path to the PMA wasn’t direct. “After high school, I entered the seminary of the Passionists, following a calling. But my father wanted me to study engineering. In college, a friend suggested we enter PMA. ‘We’ll just march there, and we’ll get paid,’ my friend said. So, PMA it was. Courage, Integrity, Loyalty. These are the PMA’s maxims that was drilled into the future Mayor, and he welcomed every lesson with thirst and appetite.
His dedication was evident even before joining the academy. The PMA requires a minimum height of five feet five inches, and young Magalong was only 5’4. So, every day for two weeks before the interview, he would hang from a chinning bar, using his hands to stretch himself. His dedication and drive paid off.
When asked about his heroes, he cited Gen. Antonio Luna and Jose Rizal, proudly displaying mementoes of Rizal in his office. While he didn’t become a Passionist priest, he brought passion to everything he did. Has he brought a sense of holiness or piety to his role as mayor? “Yes,” he said. “Every Monday or the start of the week, we have an ecumenical prayer session an hour before the flag ceremony. I’m there not as a pastor or prayer leader, but as a fellow believer.”
Regarding the mayor of Bamban, Tarlac, he commented, “Ang laki ng impluwensya ng pera. Akalain mo, ibinoto kahit hindi kilala.”
So, thank you, Thomas Smith, and thank you, PMA, for shaping Mayor Magalong into the public servant he is today. Incorruptible leaders like him are as rare as a 20-degree Celsius day in sweltering Philippines. Both the cool temperature of Baguio and its exceptional mayor are indeed incredible.
Editor’s Note: Photos provided by the Office of Mayor Magalong.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
Very informative read, Wil. thanks. is there a map of all the participating mayors and cities involved. maybe it can draw business and tourism towards said cities. i’m looking thru their social media and i don’t see any maps just photos of participating mayors. they don’t have a youtube channel either which is great for long form documentary type videos, cuz the bulk of tourist travel Philippines type videos i noticed were done by non-Filipinos. but yeah make people go to these well managed cities. maps and travel videos would be helpful.
like this silly video,
or like this one explaining local gov’t processes,
A capital idea, Lance. I hope they pick up…
for example Travels with Charley by Steinbeck about his roadtrip thru America is now widely used as a template for peoples’ roadtrip, so i think people in general like doing pilgrimages, quests, roadtrips, etc. and if you give ’em a map eg. visit all the non-corrupt cities in the Philippines, its kinda like that movie Field of Dreams if you draw it on the map people will come. thus creating a positive feedback loop, people visit local officials realize its more profitable for everyone to not be corrupt. like I would love to know how Oposa’s (of Oposa Doctrine, i’m surprise this guy isn’t some sort of nat’l hero yet) Bantayan island is doing now, his vision transferred to his daughter was cleaning the environment thus inviting investment. in Cebu (side towards Negros) their taking care of the whale sharks is inducing more visitors. or LKY’s Singapore no corruption equals more people and businesses thus floating everyones boats.
https://asiafoundation.org/2023/07/26/to-save-the-philippines-forests-he-sued-for-future-generations/
Just curious: Which one is the “capital idea”?
Preparing a map of cities tourists can confidently visit because they are well run.
Yes!
also, maybe these mayors and cities can also shed light on the mechanics of corruption there thus illuminating the process for the rest of us to identify and recognize. from lowly policeman placing his cap in which jeepney drivers donate to him, to bigger fish like contracts how much money is shaved off here and there. for example i would really like to know the connection of POGOs and Chinese students in Cagayan valley which I guess went from 4,000 to 400. like did the Chinese students pay people off to make it 400? lol.
It is not feasible for mere citizens to get that data. You’d have to figure out the way, or research it yourself. Or approach the Department of Tourism to get some resources applied to the project you recommend.
Dept of Tourism is the enemy, Joe. so we have to stir clear from them. although Lilo-an, CEBU seems goodly governed.
Mayors for Good Governance it seems their fb is the hub but i’m having trouble figuring out how many mayors and cities/towns are actually in their line up they have lists of “women” of mayors for Good Governance and this and that awardees mayors. but i’m having trouble finding their membership list.
The more i look at it though the more I’m thinking Mayors for Good Governance is just another Filipino civic group to give rich Filipinos an excuse to have formal parties and such. and pictures. lots of these in the Philippines. basically gimmick and diskarte central. which i guess is fine in and of itself, there has to be hubs for such things.
But I don’t see the mechanism to actually fight corruption like how LKY set up a whole gov’t bureau with teeth to actually catch corrupt officials.
So for Mayors for Good Governance to be at the very least passive aggresively effective they have to take a comparative stance, eg. if theres Mayors for Good Governance there has to be Mayors for BAD Governance. then position themselves as the better deal. for tourists for businesses etc. like Sith vs. Jedis. although now under the new Acolyte series the Jedis are the bad guys. so it might be tricky. blowback.
But yeah a simple map won’t hurt get students from local colleges’ fine arts dept to design it. then list all the good mayors. maybe as psyop also they can do a bad mayors map. for your adventure idea, Joe.
I leave it to travelers to chart their own path.
“…map of cities tourists can confidently visit because they are well run.”
Here’s a crude/basic map starting with two locations (Pacdal in Baguio and Mojon in Bantayan) that are possibly closely associated with the two personalities (Magalong and Oposa) mentioned thus far:
https://magilas.me/bbgbcpc-bcbbnmj
bbgbcpc: 7-character code for Pacdal
bcbbnmj: 7-character code for Mojon
Can’t the *whole* Philippines be confidently visited?
After a particular sea change, perhaps?
@i7sharp, Cool. The challenge would be how to certify a city as, say, “progressive”, or “good”, versus “risky” or “corrupt”. It would require knowledge and judgment which I’d guess few have and no one will commit to for fear of getting sued by the “bad” or “corrupt” cities. The entire Philippines is an adventure I think. The US advises Americans to avoid Mindanao. Or did a while back at least. Muslim and NPA unrest. I think a lot of people would visit the “corrupt” places as a part of their adventuring. For me, the whole nation should be labeled “adventure” and out of the ordinary.
It will depend on where exactly you go, just like anywhere in the world.
In Quezon City, which has the reputation of being very well governed and is mainly middle class (unlike Taguig and Makati, which have their rich and poor respective areas) one might probably better avoid Barangay Batasan Hills. 😲
One will also hardly be able to walk from UP to Ateneo – both in QC- even if the drive can take longer than a theoretical walk, as Katipunan in front of Marymount College and Ateneo always was a risky place where one could get mugged and it seems is teeming with dangerous junkies now so you simply don’t walk, aside from the fact that there are hardly any sidewalks. But getting into the wrong hood can happen in LA as well. To a lesser extent, even in Berlin..
BTW, Berlin has been known for corruption scandals, especially in the building sector, and that has been across political parties. Don’t know if there were any scandals recently.
Berlin doesn’t even have a uniform IT. Every district (like borough in NYC) has its own system.
So better not expect perfection as a lot of First World places are run miserably as well. Though it might well be that after coming out of the rut, Philippines cities will be model towns. “But many who are first will be last, and the last first” (Matthew 19 30, channeling i7sharp now)?😯
Yes, that’s true, isn’t it? LA can be a dream or horror depending on where you visit. I can’t figure out why I’d want to visit Quezon City. Mountains and beaches for me. Alas, I’ve grown accustomed to higher end resorts, of which there are lots. But there are also rustic resorts galore, watch your wallet though. Well, I think “more fun in the Philippines” is a bit of a lie if traffic is jammed in Manila. That’s why I like the “adventure” tag. Even street kids begging fit into that. And traffic. And beaches.
No reason to go to QC? You’re NOT considering sending your son to UP or Ateneo, the two only true places to go to college? 😲
Well OK, better not as he might end up in the government or in Makati. 😉 What I also understand is to keep a mestizo away from GMA or ABS-CBN, also in QC, as they might try to make him a movie star. 😀
Well, those are reasons for him to go there, but they are down his list a bit. Leah Navarro has already advised him to keep his pretty face out of the entertainment industry, for all the predators there. Quezon City for me is like the suburbs of any US city, not a destination. Destinations are resorts with views and good food. They don’t have to have basketball courts anymore, but a pool table or massage table is nice.
pretty boys can be so lucky, they got to travel overseas free of charge, lol!
https://www.philstar.com/lifestyle/on-the-radar/2024/06/18/2363740/who-ar-de-la-serna-harry-roques-europe-travel-companion
Remember how The Philippines suddenly be ame the capital of SMS?
They just were there at the right time and PLDT was history and Smart and Globe became leading.
it just suddenly could happen..
But, I won’t hold my breath
Take you for channeling me, Irineo.
May all places (sitios, puroks, etc.) in the home country be safe to visit and “fitly joined together”:
Ephesians 4:16
“From whom the whole body fitly joined together and compacted
by that which every joint supplieth,
according to the effectual working in the measure of every part,
maketh increase of the body unto the edifying of itself in love.“
reads like a tourist ad for Siquijor, i7sharp!
Joe, thats a good point about judgement. so cursory lurking of their fb profile. the two hot women mayors of Mayors for Good Governance (there are plenty more it looks like) happen to be of Magallanes, Cavite and Rizal, Nueva Ecija. so based on this arbitrary judgement you can go on adventure from NCR either visit one of these municipalities or both. if you had 5 more strung up, that’s a quest. or pilgrimage. if Chinese and Chinese students are visiting these places already, what’s stopping you? that should be the new tourism campaign ad, no more its more fun in the Philippines. people respond to a challenge. like playing chicken.
“What’s stopping you?” That’s quite good, a challenge and a call to action. Better than my “So you think you have what it takes to deal with the Philippines?” Then show volcanoes erupting, waves crashing the beach, and a cop taking a bribe.
this is a very good point, Ireneo. speaking of LA area. the Compton PD was dismantled due to very high corruption in its ranks, infiltrated by crips or bloods i forget which. so now LA Sheriffs police Compton but the city gov’t itself is always getting into trouble. so corruption still around. for trivia Kevin Costner grew up in Compton. so before NWA there was Kevin Costner. recently, in the news is Dolton, Illinois’ mayor
I was thinking in terms of getting people to visit their cities. but yeah you’re right maybe tourism isn’t the point of these cities. like the schools you’ve listed on Katipunan UP students take jeeps but Miriam and Ateneo get driven to and fro. who cares about those squatters high on shabu. so theres cities within bigger cities like Makati etc. but theres cities like Dumaguete and Cagayan de Oro that are stand alone cities. and i think those would want people to visit. but i do get that most cities are not really designed for tourism like take Palmdale or Victorville those cities exist solely to feed into bigger cities. IF corruption is the point of Mayors for Good Governance though maybe the mayors and police chiefs can come together to make a bigger org. i know PNP is national whereas over here law enforcement is thru local and counties. thus local, county & state corruption investigations is done thru the FBI. like the only state law enforcement in CA is the CHP they’d not have the resources to investigate corruption. but if you get Mayors for Good Governance and (i don’t if there already is a…) Police Chiefs for Good Governance together that would be a really powerful entity. closer to LKY’s mechanism.
Thanks for another great interview kuya Wil!
More, please.
kahit na interview ko na before.
Thanks, Karl. Miles to go before I sleep. These interviews can go into a book. Tentative title: Truth to Power. Thanks again.
My pleaaure
typo….nainterview mo na
Acknowledgements:
The Mayor, of course. Graciousness and depth personified. Straight shooter. Knows the power of the word. Talk the walk, walk the talk. Say that again.
Denise Balasa, the Mayor’s executive assistant. Humble yet effective. A beeline to the busy Mayor.
My durable friend from my marathon days, Rudi Ocampo, who picked up my idea, and wouldn’t let go till project completion. My fellow Atenista, him from Davao (correct me), me from Naga.
Helen and Art Tibaldo. Helen is head, Philippine Information Agency-Cordillera and husband Art is executive director of an environmental movement. They know the right buttons to push.
Super Super Renée, my wifey, who will go with me anywhere, but not blindly. Behind the scenes but up front in critical junctures. She’s bullet proof.
Thanks Willy , 2 years Ateneo de Davao and 2 years Xavier Ateneo de Cagayan (CDO). Yes indeed Mission Accomplished… Adjorem Deo Gloriam 🙏😇
what can I say but: THANK YOU
Hi Will, this is very informative. Wondering about that list of mayors who joined Mayor Magalong.
Many thanks, Will. There are two reasons why this article is significant:
1) There is what is known as Maslow’s hierarchy of needs, as first pointed out by Juana Pilipinas in this blog.
The stuff liberals value like self-esteem and self-actualization are higher level than stuff conservatives and liberals value like belonging and love, and higher than the most basic needs like safety and survival – which are the needs of DE plus lower rungs of C classes.
Dutertismo played on the need for safety while trapos that use the poor guarantee their survival or pretend to. Those who are at levels 1 and 2 just laugh when someone comes with good governance and asks, “makakain ko ba iyan.” UNLESS someone comes to them that unlike Mar or PNoy is seen as understanding levels 1 and 2. Even a social worker like former VP Leni might be seen as knowing about survival but not about safety, somewhat naive in their eyes. Someone military will usually command respect in a country that is mostly in crisis mode.
2) The Philippines is I think somewhat in arrested development because not everything foreign masters taught it was fully understood, assimilated, and adopted for own use. The highest level of governance understood in 1571 was the Rajahnate, basically the city-state.
Instinctively, most Filipinos have a good, practical understanding of what effects good governance can have on making a city run well. I still recall how Richard Gordon was lauded for how he ran Olongapo, though he shows that urban competence doesn’t mean great nationally. Another example of a man who ran things excellently at “Rajahnate” level is Joey Salceda when he was Governor of Albay. At national level, he was the “greatest” turncoat and trapo.
Still Cities – and provinces – fixing governance first can be a step in convincing people that good governance is not “salita lang” – just empty words. The “Rajahnates” turning into properly governed democratic city-states or provinces can be a first step in changing the Republic, which is often still “postcolonial” aka at times indifferent to the people and predatory with those running it often not caring, or seen as a source of patronage for one’s own group or as captive to whoever is in power. There is more true sense of community at the local level. The best part of VP Leni’s Presidential campaign was in Naga, where 2 million people gathered. That could be one reason she might run for a local post in 2025, as per interview, if at all.
reminds me of the whole sanctuary cities and counties over here. with mayors and county officials virtue signalling their goodness. so governors Abbott and De Santis bus and fly over illigal immigrants to test their goodness. my point, the Sith lords are powerful. and makes sense the Mayors for Good Governance shouldn’t rock the boat. but like the Dem mayors over here when tested by the GOP governors they themselves got the ball (or turd) rolling up hill thus to the national stage, getting some policies finally changed. so in a less direct manner i think things can change via orgs like Mayors for Good Governance, eg. rolling shit uphill to the national stage. but watch Acolyte, cuz this business of being good is a difficult balancing act.
I’m just wondering what happened to mayor magalong pending two court cases recently filed by a baguio councillor, whether both cases have been resolved.
https://www.baguiomidlandcourier.com.ph/2nd-graft-complaint-filed-vs-city-mayor/
Good question. My hesitation about the Mayor goes back to his write-up for PNP on the Mamasapano incident in which he held President Aquino at fault for the ambush killings, along with Purisima and Napeñas. Expecting perfection and assigning blame to the President in a military operation that went bad because of battlefield decisions by subordinates seems to me to be bad military thinking. It undermines confidence in the entire military decision-making chain of command, assuring that any event gone bad will be viewed as if perfection were the way to wage war, and second-guessing of commanders is policy.
They can argue it was a police operation, and Aquino’s choosing Purisima to run things was a bad decision. As I could argue conceptually that, had D-Day gone wrong, Eisenhower would be at fault. Not Hitler.
Fault rested first and foremost with the Muslim rebels who ordered the ambush, and second with the peace committee member who apparently tipped them off about the operation. Anything after that is fog of war. The Mayor was encouraged not to file his report, but did so anyway. That, to me, reflects bad military judgment.
Senator Poe wrote up a similar report but never filed it because she could not get the signatures.
Well, isn’t it ironic that the “graft case” is, based on a short skimming of the posted article, just a contractor he hired for the city having “slippage” (cost overrun) of over the 10% allowed.
The Mayor made a command decision, and the contractor may or may not have messed up, as cost overruns happen all over the world, how many German mayors would be in jail if such rules applied here?
I know, I know, their are “clowns” that aren’t funny who intentionally bid low and ask for extra money afterwards with tons of excuses, but to assume a mayor is a crook and in cahoots with them is a stretch.
If my reading is right, this is the same spirit that removed CJ Sereno for missing a few years of SALNs when her finances hardly changed as she was a simple UP Professor. Quo warranto et ab initio in saecula saecolorum makes everything colorum in the long run.
Mamasapano investigation and other examples stated are Filipinos missing the point as usual.
two court cases have been filed vs the mayor, let justice prevail and the court of law will decide. if at the first reading cases against him are found to be vexatious, the cases will be thrown out and the mayor goes scotsfree. but if there is probable cause, the mayor is well within his right to defend himself and show cause. he can delegate authority, but cannot abrogate responsibility.
slippage of 10 per cent is acceptable but not an alleged slippage of circa 40 per cent. if the court goes line by line of the expenditures and found out that the materials used in the building were not the same materials whose prices went up . . .
there were cases where the use of higher prices of building materials was not accepted as reason for budget blowout coz, apparently, some prices of building materials have stabilised. and 2ndly, the use of 2nd hand materials (those bought off at demolition sites and surplus building supply stores like off cut timbers, rolls of linoleum, wall claddings, etc) dont attract the cost of premium materials.
surely, the mayor knows the rules of procurement, and unless there is immediate threat to life like in pandemic, the mayor may act contrary to what is normal for the good of all but he would still be subject to transparency, audit and queries.
Oh well, if the Philippines had an efficient and somewhat normal justice system, not a system that is alleged to often destroy people due to technicalities while favoring those who know how to game it perfectly.
But I admit I don’t know much about that case or about Philippine procurement law, except some who told me it is absurd within what is already Absurdistan.
And many charged over there have decades of hassle for possibly no reason.
Are we having a “deafening silence” here?
Is it high time for a “sea change”?
Despite all, perhaps a great awakening will dawn?
I have something not nice to say, so shut up.
I already have said the not nice things I had to say about the Philippine justice system years ago in a blog that doesn’t exist anymore, but someone quoted me.
(I DON’T subscribe to what a Fraport manager said about the Philippines due to the NAIA3 case, calling it a “nation of thieves”. But yes, I am “buang” enough, if that kb is what you think I am, to say one is more likely to be gamed with “legal” means over there. And still I stay polite)
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2018/09/11/1850422/october-windmills-dutertes-mind
PARTIAL QUOTE FOLLOWS:
It sounds Greek to you? It’s Latin
Almost everybody nowadays is spouting ab initio, quo warranto, et cetera, and such Latin terms that one would think we are a nation of lawyers. The legal terms are bodily carried over by media from court proceedings to their news stories.
We are sharing below some excerpts from an article of Irineo B. R. Salazar published on Sept. 8, 2018, in München on his Filipino-German Learning Center blog:
“Social media is full of memes since the attempt to void the amnesty of Senator Trillanes. Just like the lack of a birth certificate does not make a person unborn, a missing marriage certificate does not annul a marriage, and whether one has the death certificate of Rizal somewhere in a museum or not, Rizal (and Elvis) are dead.
“Will quo warranto and ab initio go the way of in saecula saeculorum (‘now and forever’ in Catholic liturgy) which became colorum due to use by cult-like rebels? Has Solicitor General Jose Calida crossed the line, offended Filipinos?
“Laws as commitments – His predecessor Florin Hilbay asked whether anyone sent to buy vinegar (Robin Padilla) can just arrest someone now. There are even memes that ask if a marriage is annulled if the marriage certificate is missing. One thing very sacred to Filipinos is marriage, not just a legal document like so much else but a sacred commitment made.
“Just like an amnesty is a commitment by a state to a person. Laws are also a form of commitment, like contracts between people are commitments. Morality is also a form of commitment to restrain one’s own baser instincts, and be nice to others.
“The left is also defending Trillanes, not because they like him, but because the principle that an amnesty stays is essential to the safety of many former rebels among the left.
“Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo says that ‘The State cannot be shackled by an act of clemency it has given to a political offender when the latter pursues subsequent acts inimical to its interest…’ which betrays an idea of government ‘for the powerful, by the powerful for the powerful’ not the people. Government should keep its commitments, not be captive to the whims of groups or factions.”
Lawyers in the Philippines have the difficult task of using laws that no one respects unless it is to their advantage to respect it, adjudicated by courts that are political or corrupt, and challenged and changed by legislators who are feudal lords, actors, and killers. What can go wrong with that?
hail democracy! love, love, love court drama and got summat addicted to it. on my spare time, half drunk or not, I sit at law lectures and symposia so long as its free, and sometimes ask the dumbest question no thinking person could possibly blurt in front of such learned crowd. they are saints and answer my questions, painfully slow and sometimes explaining all there is from point a to b while shaking their heads at my apparent woeful ignorance! allowable in the spirit of the law. outside the benevolence of the lecture halls, they may have to charge me for pleasure of answering my questions. never joke with a lawyer for you could be charged for making them laugh! their time is apparent precious and not to be wasted!
democracy allows for debates and counter arguments and more debates and counter debates so long as no fisticuffs are exchange, no threats to life issued and no ramification summat, kasi I see them shaking hands later and sharing table at restos, eating and drinking.
lawyers who dont respect the law and act contrary to it may end up losing their registration and barred from practising. like atty gadon, barred from law practice 3x but hired by pbbm to be poverty czar! halleluia!
perfectly summarized the majority in Congress but those exempted to the rule must not cry foul.
True that.
😂🤣😂👍
A temporary detour to the “sea change” matter:
“Dogs Are People, Too.”
https://www.newyorker.com/video/watch/obsessions-dogs-are-people-too
I like mine with chipotle – hot dogs!
my dad’s procurement case took 20 years to be decided. Matagal pa yan pag nasa Sandigan na.
you never know, mayor magalong’s cases might hit potluck and heard sooner. with his power and far reaching influence and greater socmed presence, his cases might get elevated to supreme court.
as known great organiser, his supporting documents should all be in order and has probity. and with a good lawyer/s to represent him, his good governance will be tested and hopefully he has the integrity and the fortitude to apply it to himself.
I asked ChatGPT:
Create a map highlighting places in the Philippines that are safe to visit.
It took about a minute to create it.
How can I share the map here?
well, we have long known that davao city is safest to visit!
https://mindanews.com/top-stories/2024/01/fact-check-davao-ranked-as-one-of-safest-cities-but-number-of-rape-cases-high/
share link or find url to copy
I’m so out of topic but here goes:
sara duterte resigned as deped sec! I was so duped thinking a woman who looks stronger than an ox and once punched a sheriff with nary a thought would walk off the job made easier with hired underlings to do her biddings plus several satellite offices under her control, allegedly her retreats for her to put her feet up anytime she wants a minute off from the constant haranguing of pbbm and his minions about anything and everything, when plain old solid earmuff would do to blot out their noises.
but she would still be vice president and presumptive president when pbbm goes overseas, and she can play boss until the real boss comes back. so who is going to be next deped sec? can lisa marcos be one!
incidentally, sara is going to’ haunt’ deped hopefully not to undermine it or interfere with it, since her kids are still going to school and she is apparently a parent.
karl, I googled lisa marcos and got this, she is hot.
erratum: it’s liza marcos, the first lady of the philippines not the lisa marcos pictured above.
I was asking if liza marcos can be interim deped sec just like her husband who was president and interim agri sec at one time.
liza marcos Google her and look for the one sticking her tongue out.
mBridge CBDC is now already set up pretty much, karl. petrodollar fiat system shaky. if the US/West go for more Marcos theres a good chance they’ll push for ICC on DU30 to include even my beloved Inday Sara. which means the SCO/BRICS via CBDC will push for Inday Sara to be president throw money their way. 2028 will be interesting now for sure, karl. the Visayans and Mindanaoans will consolidate even further against the Luzoneros. the US military is still playing this like its the late 1930s with Japan. whereas China is playing a completely different game not WWII, its all about space and CBDC. the only free variable that i cannot factor in is those Tictac UFO videos, karl. cuz with that in the open source sphere China won’t dare to invade Taiwan. its like what the fuck to the Americans have, like they’re playing Go but Americans are playing Texas hold ’em, lol.
silence is not golden, apparently. mayor sebastian duterte of dabaw was summat livid and critical of one time bestie and may still be bestie, bong go for being quieter than a dormice about recent headlines in dabaw. seemingly bong go was not in the loop and did not alert digong about imminent raid in quiboloy’s compound, kapolisan making hell of a racket and turning the compound virtually up side down in search of quiboloy who is ventriloquist, there but not there where they thought he would be.
in case mayor duterte has yet to cut his teeth, the nature of the raid is confusing, noisy with lots of shouting, that’s the beauty of raids; they are meant to confuse. raiders are trained and well armed for the occasion and meant to intimidate, leaving no chance for suspect but to grovel and surrender.
so bong go is quiet, much like us in the blog. but be still me hearties! surely there are better loudspeakers in dabaw and mayor duterte can be foremost. this may well be the mayor’s time to shine and show what he is made of, be dabaw’s own homegrown hero and champion dabaw’s cause now that circumstances has changed and bong go et al have left the nest.
Interesting. Maybe Bong Go is wary of being the center of attention from various attack dogs like the ICC and his close escape on Pharmally. His buddy Dennis Uy has bit the financial dust. Maybe he likes being a senator because it is quiet and it is better to play bass in the shadows than be with a band on the run.
https://politiko.com.ph/2024/06/22/til-death-do-us-part-bong-go-reaffirms-loyalty-to-rody-duterte/headlines/
selfieholic bong go is apparently loyal to the one rumored to be dead.
maybe, bong go is on the lookout for new selfie buddy!
PS, bong is supposedly the 2nd poorest senator with income of 12million and yet spent 422millions in ads prior to election!
https://malaya.com.ph/news_news/billionaire-bong-go-reports-p15-6m-wealth/
more on bong go.
Well, the mouth is often independent of the conscience, and is frequently utilized to protect the body and the wallet, not the truth.
https://flyover.live/e/shocking-facts-about-the-largest-structure-ever-built-by-man-ep-40
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Shocking Facts about the Largest Structure EVER Built by Man – Conspiracy Conversations (EP #40) with David Whited – Timothy Schwab
june 22, 2024 7:00pm
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Could this video affect the same kind of number of people (if not more so) that, say, Quiboloy, has?
May we revisit this [Foucault] and try to relate it to the current blog article?:
https://joeam.com/2022/08/09/amending-the-national-defense-act/#comment-469168
I have such a big crush on her, i7sharp.
re Foucault, i came across this sculpture awhile back and clicking on that old post you shared above reminded me of said sculpture.
https://www.publicartinpublicplaces.info/dissimilar-equals-c-1987-by-bill-bedford
https://www.investigativeproject.org/9368/forty-years-after-foucault-death-his
I received the above in my emailbox this morning and decided to search for “Foucalt” at TSOH.
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Foucault’s search for the “limit experience” drew him to Iran. His “spiritual politics” needed something to supply the “spiritual” dimension, and Islam was exotic enough, distant enough, to supply it. He was drawn to the Shiite mysticism he found in Massignon and Corbin, and to the martyrdom rituals he read about and believed the Iranian people were replicating in the streets of Teheran as they confronted the Shah’s forces. In November 1978, he wrote glowingly that “the crowds are ready to advance toward death in the intoxication of sacrifice” (216).
…
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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1ejd3bH2Ibc
American Teens Eat Luzon, Visayas & Mindanao Foods At Manila’s Top Filipino Heritage Restaurant
My wife, when she was young, was labor for her extended family, and a part of the labor involved cooking. In those days she was trying to figure out how to make nothing taste good because poverty is a bitch. But she learned to cook both Visayan and Tagalog dishes as she was shunted from this auntie to another. Now she has the best ingredients at her disposal and is pure genius at working those Filipino dishes into their most flavorful versions. I eat like a king, every noontime meal an adventure as she experiments with new spices and branches out into Korean and Japanese styles. I can say with authority that Filipino foods are fantastic.