“Hey, I’m opposition, where’s my leader?”
Analysis and Opinion
By Joe America
Well, there’s even a more basic question. If you have no leader, do you really have an opposition?
The Philippines is so tribal. Can’t we all just get along? And find a leader?
Here are the leaders as best as I can discern:
- The crush on Leni Robredo
- The ghost of Noynoy Aquino
- A rabble of tribal chieftains from Sonny Trillanes to Teddy Casiño
- Some good governance mayor somewhere hiding in the woods
In other words, there is no leader and it’s a huge shame. It is a recipe for losing. It’s mind-boggling. What part of organizing do oppositionists not comprehend?
Good grief!
It seems to me that, without question, Leni Robredo is the heart and soul of the opposition. She’s just not the brains. She doesn’t want the job. She hates national politicking and wheeling and dealing and fund-raising. And carrying the weight of a nation on her tired shoulders.
But most in the opposition can’t get past her because there is no one better.
Here’s an idea. Make like it’s your basketball team and your super-star has just blown out his knee. You don’t give up. Next man or woman up., and work harder.
And the opposition should actually CARE ENOUGH ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES to find a leader who WILL work night and day to build a winning coalition. Stop the tribal backwardness that has been here since Aguinaldo had Luna shot and be freakin’ professional for a change!
Compete, man, compete.
Find a leader.
Organize like it’s never been done before.
_________________________
Photograph cropped from photo of Leni Robredo posted in the Manila Standard article “Leni Robredo slays in new photoshoot for fashion mag“ published there courtesy of Mega Magazine.
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
I read the interview of Magalong about how DPWH increase the prices of materials not twice but ten times, he knows because he purchases the same. Gosh, the things they do to fool everyone. Daming kurakot. I hope by 2028, he would run in any position in the government.
Incredible. It’s saddening that greed overwhelms care for Filipinos.
if magalong knows who in dpwh are responsible for the jacking up of the prices of building materials he ought to have hard facts and irrefutable evidence and present them when confronting those officials involved. as mayor, he has the power and clout to confront the secretary and the under secretaries of dwph so an inquiry can be taken. magalong cannot just make accusation of the appointee of the president such as the dwph secretary without regard of their status and position. if he does so accused them, he must have in his possession the data needed to back up the minutiae of his allegations.
Below is an excerpt From Abaya vs Ebdane. This was the time when the IRR of the procurement law took solong to come up with the guidelines for foreign funded procurements.
Example Abaya vs Ebdane, which was when former Cong Abaya together with his PMA class sued the government because some irregularities they want to correct.
It is the contention of the petitioners that RA 9184 is applicable to both local – and foreign-funded procurement contracts. They cite the following excerpt of the deliberations of the Bicameral Conference Committee on the Disagreeing Provisions of Senate Bill No. 2248 and House Bill No. 4809
REP. ABAYA. Mr. Chairman, can we just propose additional amendments? Can we go back to Section 4, Mr. Chairman?
THE CHAIRMAN (SEN. ANGARA). Section? Section ano, Del, 4? Definition – definition of terms.
REP. ABAYA. Sa House bill, it is sa scope and application.
THE CHAIRMAN (SEN. ANGARA). Okay.
REP. ABAYA. It should read as follows: “This Act shall apply to the procurement of goods, supplies and materials, infrastructure projects and consulting services regardless of funding source whether local or foreign by the government.”
THE CHAIRMAN (SEN. ANGARA). Okay, accepted. We accept. The Senate accepts it.
THE CHAIRMAN (SEN ANGARA). Just take note of that ano. Medyo nga problematic ‘yan eh. Now, just for the record Del, can you repeat again the justification for including foreign funded contracts within the scope para malinaw because the World Bank daw might raise some objection to it.
REP. ABAYA. Well, Mr. Chairman, we should include foreign funded projects kasi these are the big projects. To give an example, if you allow bids above government estimate, let’s say take the case of 500 million project, included in that 500 million is the 20 percent profit. If you allow them to bid above government estimate, they will add another say 28 percent of (sic) 30 percent, 30 percent of 500 million is another 150 million. Ito, this is a rich source of graft money, aregluhan na lang, 150 million, five contractors will gather, “O eto 20 million, 20 million, 20 million.” So, it is rigged. ‘Yun angpractice na nangyayari. If we eliminate that, if we have a ceiling then, it will not be very tempting kasi walangextra money na pwedeng ibigay sa ibang contractor. So this promote (sic) collusion among bidders, of course, with the cooperation of irresponsible officials of some agencies. So we should have a ceiling to include foreign funded projects.
https://lawphil.net/judjuris/juri2007/feb2007/gr_167919_2007.html
G.R. No. 167919 February 14, 2007
PLARIDEL M. ABAYA, COMMODORE PLARIDEL C. GARCIA (retired) and PMA ’59 FOUNDATION, INC., rep. by its President, COMMODORE CARLOS L. AGUSTIN (retired), Petitioners,
vs.
HON. SECRETARY HERMOGENES E. EBDANE, JR., in his capacity as Secretary of the DEPARTMENT OF PUBLIC WORKS and HIGHWAYS, HON. SECRETARY EMILIA T. BONCODIN, in her capacity as Secretary of the DEPARTMENT OF BUDGET and MANAGEMENT, HON. SECRETARY CESAR V. PURISIMA, in his capacity as Secretary of the DEPARTMENT OF FINANCE, HON. TREASURER NORMA L. LASALA, in her capacity as Treasurer of the Bureau of Treasury, and CHINA ROAD and BRIDGE CORPORATION, Respondents.
The Revised Implementing Rules and Regulations was just completed in 2016.
Click to access Updated-2016-Revised-IRR-of-RA-No.-9184-as-of-03-July-2023.pdf
the dated noted is year 2007, gloria arroyo was president at the time.
fast forward to year 2025, bong marcos is now president. I am presuming the procurement process we now have in place has been fine tuned and corruption is lessened.
Yes
Lots of improvement has happened. Thanks for being positive about this KB.
off tangent ito, if president marcos is lazy gaya ng sinabi ni digong, then I allege digong is epitome of what true laziness is about. it is apparent to me digong paid very little attention to the improved procurement process, and leave mostly all to the likes of michael yang, his chinese adviser. as a result, we got pharmally fiasco, our national power grid is china lead and pogo flourished, its illegal activities siphoned money from our treasury, and our country became haven for chinese embezzlers.
An off tangent where I agree one hundred percent. Digong literally laazy by sleeping on the job literally. And yes Pharmally and blatant favors to Dennis Uy that when his term ended all the influence of UY vanished. plus the alleged advantages of Bong Go in Davao.
The brother of whats his name had fake steel manufacturing aside from drugs. That is Economic Sabotage and a killer.
Boy, Uy shot up and dropped like a rock. His Mactan Island resort was his last project, I think, and he had to bring in “investors” to cover his inability to pay his loans, so lost it, too. Bong Go is the dandruff of government. Creep.
lol on dandruff plus snort chuckle.
Joe I can not do a fresh comment on the comment box. I can only reply as an admin.
I gave up on figuring out WP years ago. Try rebooting your computer. That’s the aspirin of technology.
Thanks Joe!
always be yourself, I think that’s bad advice. dapat always be your best self. I dont like people being themselves and picking their noses in public, or going shopping in their pajamas, and throwing rubbish everywhere without thought for the environment, have bad breathe and not brushing their teeth, or not using deodorant to offset offensive body odor.
so, be your best self and put your best foot forward, smile even if you dont want to, that applies specially for our candidates hopeful of obtaining government positions this election year 2025. that they be in the moment and be better than their awkward and boring self, be nice. and try hardest to convince voters they deserve a place in the government.
Some people look off even in a suit.
Some have fitting suits, but not just basic skincare is lacking. Their vibe is basically disgusting.
If they were aiming for a villain aura, there could have been more elegant ones to emulate, but alas even in that they were mediocre.
Hindi lang nga ten times, padded by 100%.
I wonder why do people like magalong need to buy those uber expensive materials from kurakot suppliers, when there must other suppliers who can sell the same materials at a lower cost. like leni sa panahon ng pandemic, she managed to get ppes like face masks, face shields and protective gowns from filipinos private suppliers at a cheaper cost but of better quality than those procured by the duterte govt.
He was not the one who bought them, it the staff of DPWH.
I mean ‘it is the staff of…..’
thanks you po, for clarifying. kasi po sa itaas sa nauunang comment nyo, sinabi nyo kasi na he knows because he purchases the same, akala ko po na ang purchaser na tinutukoy nyo ay si magalong.
One would think that given all the godawful options currently in the field it should be easy to find, in a nation of over 100 million, more than a sufficient sampling of people who possess the decency, willpower, charisma, and competence to lead the opposition. Pilipinas got talent, for pete’s sake. We just need to discover and rally around those folks.
Haha, in the Philippines of these days, it often seems to be that the decent and/or competent lack the willpower and/or charisma – and vice versa. Where are the Quezons and Magsaysays of these days?
Besides, there is the misconception among many Filipinos nowadays that decent people are weak, that one has to be a bad person to be strong. Nice guys finish last in a country like that. Somehow, the nation seems like a woman who keeps choosing abusive partners.
mitos magsaysay of the magsaysay dynasty when she was senator, most of her tirades were quite livid and directed mostly at ex pres noy. I celebrated and got drunk when mitos did not get reelected to the senate. one of the time when I think there really is god in heaven!
The son of President Magsaysay, Senator Magsaysay, looked a lot like him and was as tall but otherwise not that impressive. I don’t believe in dynasties anyway.
Over here in Europe, the sons of great rulers could be mediocre if not horrible. At some point, we decided to keep some for the tabloids to report about, but otherwise, let rulers get elected. The chances are about as bad or good.
She was congresswoman if I recall and yes she had a spat with then communication secretary Ricky Carandang,when Carandang apologized she did the labas sa ilong gesture.
you are correct, mitos was congresswoman, a member of the magsaysay political family. she was gloria arroyo’s staunchest supporter, and ex pres noy’s biggest critic.
Ramon Magsaysay Jr. was Senator for a while. Ironically, Mambo Magsaysay was played during EDSA Uno, among other melodies. Gloria Arroyo was first appointed into Cory’s cabinet. He sister Cielo Macapagal-Salgado is probably nicer than her, but she never figured big in national politics. And so the Game of Thrones continues as well as the fandoms of politicians. Though what VP Leni started was more than a fandom, I noted that you walked your talk.
When will all that stop looking like an absurd teleserye plot, though? Maybe never.
I suppose your question, Where are the Quezons and Magsaysays of these days? has been answered.
your other question, When will all that stop looking like an absurd teleserye plot, though? I think, you can answer that. I’m not big into teleserye.
My question was not about clan members. It was about people with the same character as those two men. I would count Jesse Robredo among them. His widow also except that she has her reasons for going into the background now. I don’t want to be judgemental.
As for clan members, it is, for instance, clear to me that Bam Aquino only looks like Ninoy. There is nothing to suggest that he is anywhere near Ninoy’s caliber. Maybe it is a good thing, though, that Marcos Jr. doesn’t have the same energy as his father, just the resemblance.
As for teleserye, I only managed to finish two relatively short ones with “only” around a hundred episodes, that was enough. Philippine politics has the same absurd plot twists – even as the world is “catching up.” But then again, I have referred to the Philippines as Absurdistan. Well, I did involuntarily hear the dramas our labandera heard on her battery radio. Or sometimes I watched Fernando Poe, Erap or Nora Aunor with her when she secretly used my parent’s TV.
Some people possibly made the mistake of expecting from Gloria Arroyo what they might have remembered from her father, President Diosdado Macapagal. Gloria’s sister Cielo might have been better, she seemed nicer, but she stayed in province politics.
Anyhow, the Fifth Republic has already had three Presidents who were children of former Presidents, and hopefully, the fourth won’t come in 2028.
If I asked in the American political context where the Lincolns are nowadays, it would be clear it isn’t about a family. Well, with Kennedys, I would have to specify JFK maybe and with Roosevelts FDR. But even if I asked about the Kennedys of today, I wouldn’t care what the rest of that clan did. Royal families in Europe are mentioned in magazines one reads in doctor’s waiting rooms. The time when people here sacrificed themselves for a ruling family like Hagen of Tronje did everything for the Nibelungen clan to prevent Siegfried was ages ago.
The Kennedys have bifurcated into sense and nonsense branches but Americans can’t tell the difference between policies and steely eyed square jaws.
both bam aquino and ex senator noy aquino though tied by blood, were both lackluster as lawmakers but did not do worse as to be constantly absent at work. as many have observed, noy shone and showed his brilliance once he became president.
at the moment, bam is not yet at noy’s caliber, bam is only running to be senator. and if bam uses his connection with ex pres noy to win a senate seat, I say, well and good! noy is an asset to be wielded, not a hindrance to be ashamed of.
“Absurdistan” snork, chuckle. I’m trying for a little positivism around here, but that fits like a surgeon’s glove.
Again remove all the true or false propaganda on them they were excellent leaders. Quezon and Magsaysay.Nobody is perfect.
As Gary V has advised younger performers, don’t try to be perfect but be excellent. The nitpicking 100 percenter mentality is the just as toxic opposite of puwede na.
We all know, focusing on what really matters, that no President ever looked better than Quezon (one could debate about whether Laurel dressed better) and no one could dance (especially the Mambo) like Magsaysay. Let’s not get into Magsaysay’s towering height. That’s unfair. 😉
mr high energy dodge the issue that many performers probly use drugs like benzies to keep up the semblance of excellence. often performing at their peak, concerts after concerts, always perky and never getting tired. adrenaline is no match for benzies. but then comes the low. and that’s another story.
I think with excellence, he meant quality, not quantity. Of course, you can afford to say no if like him, Regine, or even Morissette (her own label has some young artists that are doing well now) you probably have enough money to do so. Probably getting enough money on the side is the reason why Gigi de Lana and the Gigi Vibes are on another US tour again this springtime. Not even just the US but also Guam and Alaska. Not everyone manages to stay as physically fit in spite of the inevitable realities of age like Gary B does. And not all manage to stay relevant.
Add to that the psychological effects of fame. The issues are similar for pro sports players. You either manage to survive and avoid major injuries and build a business on the side at home if you are an “import” or manage to move up the ranks as team captain, coach or functionary of the team itself if you are a local like the late Franz Beckenbauer. Many you don’t hear of again. Living in Munich, which is the city of Bavaria film studios, BMG Germany, and Bayern Munich, means I hear enough of the glittery sports and showbiz world to know it is clearly not all gold.
Ha! Well put, Gerald. You share my exhasperation that the opposition seems lost in the jungles of impotence.
maybe we have found those leaders to lead the opposition but people are mainly interested in their weaknesses and amplifying them, rarely their strength. leaders are humans too, and needed to be reassured of people’s unequivocal support, not their contempt. nurtured, not abused.
Yes, everyone is 100 percenters, expecting perfection from others, to match that of themselves. (Laughing to myself), ltm, I suppose.
like what gerald said, We just need to discover and rally around those folks. I think we have long discovered who those folks are lest to my thinking, but instead of rallying around these folks, people keep assailing them, that they are not good enough and just because they are good, they’ll finish last. because the bad wins! all the time, most of the time. thus reiterating it is good to be bad.
maybe a change is needed and the good needs to be voted in, they maybe weak like we all have weaknesses, but when it comes to courage, the weak has got it in spades. they can withstand and stare down corruption coz they’re lest corruptible, they may not have friends in high places, but they’re not afraid of going after those in high places that have grossly erred, have put our nation at risk and have plundered the treasury. they maybe awkward at times, but effective and get things done in time.
the bad need not be voted in, they are quick to form cliques and become untouchables, despite all the gloss and glitters they embodied. they bribed their way through troubles, other times, unreachable but promises a plenty. bribing only leads to bigger bribes and problems remain simmering on the surface but boiling underneath. until they become humongous and things get out of hand.
give the weak a chance and vote them in, that may will be the best chance at nationhood we will ever get. dont worry about the bad, they’ll cry their eyes out in their election loss, maybe in luxury surrounded by their wealth and material goods, big shoulders of their hangers on to cry on, comforted by fast cars and their big mansions, and overseas vacations to the best places in the world, courtesy of our hapless taxpayers.
This in line with Joe’s and some of our new thesis that dynasty’s are not the ultimate problem.They are a big problem but not the biggest. If we allow novices to market themselves without calling them epal then that is more than levelling the field. Information battle. So long as they do not fake news themselves out of the ball game thdy will be then they might have a chance.
our supreme court has given chance to all candidates who would otherwise be called nuisance candidates by comelec because they dont have the fund to launch a robust election campaign. our supreme court said money should not be the sole the decider of who can be legitimate candidates. and yes, candidates now are much happier, more relaxed and eager to get on the campaign trail.
candidates just have to follow guidelines of where they can display their posters and the size of their posters should be within the size allowed.
The enjoyment people get from tearing down good people is flat out kinky. Obscene. It should be a sin but even murder is okay these days. My dog is both kinder and smarter, and he’s just a mutt.
Not sure if this is related to what is being discussed. Robert Reich said “Don’t agonize, organize!” I read about this in the news today, I think from a Newsweek article. I went to the website. Let me know what you folks think:
>>The 24 hour Economic Blackout
As our first initial act, we turn it off.
For one day we show them who really holds the power
WHEN:
Thursday February 27th from Midnight till Friday The 28th Midnight
(A full 24 hours of the 28th)
12:00 AM to 12:00 AM
WHAT NOT TO DO:
Do not make any purchases
Do not shop online, or in-store
No Amazon, No Walmart, No Best Buy
Nowhere!
Do not spend money on:
Fast Food
Gas
Major Retailers
Do not use Credit or Debit Cards for non essential spending
WHAT YOU CAN DO:
Only buy essentials of absolutely necessary
(Food, Medicine, Emergency Supplies)
If you must spend, ONLY support small, local businesses.
SPREAD THE MESSAGE
Talk about it, post about it, and document your actions that day!
WHY THIS MATTERS!
~ Corporations and banks only care about their bottom line.
~ If we disrupt the economy for just ONE day, it sends a powerful message.
~ If they don’t listen (they wont) we make the next blackout longer (We will)
This is our first action.
This is how we make history.
February 28th
The 24 Hour Economic Black Out Begins.<>>Who We Are Fighting
The People’s Union is not just about resisting corruption, it is about exposing it. For decades, corporations, politicians, and industries have worked together to rig the system against the American people. They have built an economy designed to exploit workers, suppress wages, and keep the majority of us in a constant state of struggle. These are the forces that have stolen our financial freedom, manipulated our government, and kept power in the hands of the wealthy elite.
Mega corporations have driven up prices, underpaid their workers, and outsourced jobs while raking in record profits. Banks and financial institutions have trapped generations in debt, inflating interest rates and making homeownership nearly impossible. Politicians ”both left and right” have accepted corporate bribes, passed laws that serve billionaires, and ignored the needs of the people they claim to represent. The system has been designed to keep us powerless, but that ends now.
The People’s Union will name these corporations, industries, and politicians. We will expose their corruption and ensure the American people know exactly who has been working against them. If you have information about corporate abuse, political corruption, or government overreach, submit it here. This movement belongs to the people, and together, we will bring the truth to light.<<<
Website: Join Us for the 24 Hour Economic Blackout
That is organizing for a specific action which is similar to organizing for a campaign, but is more an emotional appeal for a flash event rather than a structured campaign program which is more enduring.
Yes, I think the group is testing the waters, so to speak. They speak of longer boycotts in March. I’m keeping an eye on it to see where it goes. I wonder if it is a “Rosa Parks” moment?
I don’t sense that Americans are that invested in stopping Trump/Musk right now. Maybe in a few months when inflation is starting to roar. Unless they feel personal pain, no protest. But do keep an eye on it and let us know. Mass apathy is certainly common to the Philippines.
Let us see if all the buyouts and shrinking of government will cause an outrage.
The escape clause of accountability of the Education Secretary might appear bD to those who opted for early retirement.
They can end up with nothing.
The CIA too will feel the pain.
The farm owners will pain of no Latino workers.
Infra and Science will feel pain of no stem graduates.
India, Japan and Germany will be their chance. Unless they want to hire Chinese.
If Trump can help it, it will be worse than all that feeling the pain. Robert Reich just pointed out that Musk and his DOGE staff have not been properly vetted, and yet they have access to sensitive government information on individuals. Imagine if our country’s enemies, like Russia and China, are able to get this information from these individuals!! That will be a lot of pain to feel.
For senate I will vote Kibam 5 Alyansa maybe a few Makabayan. two or more blanks.
For the leader of the opposition.
Risa Hontiveros and Leni Robredo may or may not run for president but they can be leader of the opposition.
Alkansiya is always a good thing.
Atty Leni was with Kiko, Leila De Lima, and Bam in public recently, IIRC.
after all this time, they are still the best of friends, leni, kiko, de lima and bam aquino and still there for one another. unlike the the uniteam that rose spectacularly to stellar heights only to fall apart just as spectacularly and in so short a time. true pala, children of presidents do indeed rose to the occasion only to fall hard flat on their unsustainable tambalan. maybe because their parent presidents brought them up so liberally and quite indulgently that they failed to instill in them the meaning of the consequences of their action.
I think, the lesson of the story is not like the story of the owl and the parrot in sara’s book, coz the two birds are not compatible; the owl being a night bird, the parrot a day bird, the two could not possibly meet, let alone build a nest together. and so the uniteam collapsed, and inday is facing impeachment. her confidential fund so huge, no amount of alkansiya can fit it.
Well, life often shows that those who go for short-term gain and, among other things, betray people pay a price for it in the end. Harry Roque is not yet lechon but almost. Those who stay honest find allies among those of their own kind. Certainly, karma doesn’t always work the way it should and often doesn’t come. Hope the Philippines finds a critical mass of people who believe in “dealing straight,” as Joe would say and not just those who see decency as hypocrisy.