When white men rule the world, what can Filipinos expect?
Analysis and Opinion
By Joe America
The Joint Chiefs of Staff run the American military under the civilian Secretary of Defense and civilian President. The first two high level firings by the Trump Administration were the black man and the woman who sat on that panel. By their acts, so they are known.
“Be quiet, small man” said Elon Musk to the Polish Foreign Minister after he criticized the idea of Musk blocking Ukrainian usage of Star Links. Poland pays for the Star Links service for Ukraine. By their words, so they are known.
The US switching allegiance to back Russia in its assault on Ukraine is one of the most stunning acts of betrayal in recent history. I can think of no other case so outrageous and murderous. By their policies, so they are known.
What will America’s acts, words, and policies be toward the Philippines? Let me guess, then we can discuss it further.
- The US view of China is different than of Russia. China is clearly hostile toward US interests and Chinese are not white. We can guess frictions will intensify as China presses forward.
- China is quietly investing in Musk companies. This could be to gain his favor, or to manipulate his acts.
- Musk has significant business interests in China. He does not want conflict.
- The US has said its alliance with the Philippines remains “ironclad” and has apparently granted the Philippines an exception to the cutbacks of foreign aid that are being implemented world wide.
- The US does not care about Filipinos, the US cares about having a military footprint in Asia; EDCA provides that utility.
- The Philippines no longer drives its alliance relationship with the US military, Trump drives it.
- There is a chance the Philippines is about to be softly recolonized as a clear American interest.
- President Marcos must mind his manners toward the US and very likely will have no difficulty doing so.
- The US will support Philippine defense build-up.
- America imports nickel.
This last point is interesting. The Philippines has a lot of nickel ore. China loves the stuff. I asked Google if the US imports nickel and got the following information.
- Yes, the United States imports a significant amount of nickel, primarily from Canada, with other key import sources including Norway, Australia, and South Africa; in 2023, the US imported roughly $2.39 billion worth of raw nickel, making it the largest importer globally, with Canada contributing the most to these imports at around $1.15 billion.
Canada and the US are at odds, so we see national interests shifting like tectonic plates.
Someone might want to whisper “Philippine nickel” to the US Embassy. But recognize that the Philippines might start to look a lot like Greenland without all the troublesome ice.
My, I seem to have drifted off point.
The white men who rule the world deal in the currency of “usefulness”, not humanity. The Philippines is mighty useful. Don’t expect kindness. Expect to deal, but do it softly.
_________________________
Cover photo from Reuters News article “Philippines eyes boost to nickel processing capacity“.
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[…] The impetus of this letter addressed to you, sir, was because I posted a quote by Malcolm X on Joe’s recent article titled “WHEN WHITE MEN RULE THE WORLD, WHAT CAN FILIPINOS EXPECT?” […]
The Society of Honor by Joe America 
BBM is going to be very busy in the next few months. May elections will be key in which plan of action trump will pursue here. If DU30 klan somehow returns triumphant from the Netherlands, China will no doubt feel emboldened even further and trump will have to determine the risk of escalation using PH as its proxy while somebody (other than PH) get out the raw materials under the ground or below the sea. Both China and the US can wreck a lot more than one thing at a time. But China might be better planners and trump sometimes has the mindset of Elon’s little kid.
I dunno….either way it looks like I’ll be drinking something much stronger than San Miguel in the coming days…
Guessing here. I think the ICC is committed to the trial and there is not much that can be done to bring him back. 2028 election is wide open. Sara’s impeachment is likely I think. I can’t imagine that trial would help her. It would make visible all that she is trying to hide.
Drink hard and drink well.
“If DU30 klan somehow returns triumphant from the Netherlands,”
I’m gonna venture to say that, no matter how it turns out in The Hague , the Duterte klan will emerge triumphant. and relevant to Joe’s blog on White Men, especially if and when Trump steps in to target ICC. Now i still hold the original sin was Hillary in 2016. when it shoulda been Bernie vs. Trump. thus Bernie winning.
But for me the biggest win for White Men was BLM 2015 (over Mike Brown vs. police) and BLM 2019 (over George Floyd vs. police). keep in mind BLM started in Cal State LA in response to two specific police shootings, one in Venice then in Skid Row, in which the LAPD threw both ofcrs under the bus (for bad shooting) but the DA Lacey won’t prosecute.
Both LAPD cops were black, so too Lacey. from there BLM snowballed nationally. and begot us anti-police. eg. Defund Police etc. that for some reason also coincided with statue toppling in the South which weirdly came all the way here to California with folks toppling statues of Father Junipero Serra, a bunch of Pioneer icons in Oregon and WA, then in British Columbia both Vancouver and Victoria, toppling of Capt. James Cook statues.
Then all the military Army bases down south name changes. why Hegseth became popular. also what propelled Trump in 2016 (BLM that is) and again in 2020 (not so much BLM cuz the national media stopped covering police shootings/brutality, but the southern border). I think Malcolm X was correct, beware the White Liberal. cuz essentially what was just a very LA BLM issue got spread nation wide.
What was police specific became basically everything else, every grievances imaginable. thus brakes have to be slammed on and that was Trump. by the time Trump won the presidency, it wasn’t even about BLM anymore but free sex change operations, and that s what garnered Trump’s win eventually. so maybe its not so much Trump and Hegseth as the issue,
but the forces that coopted a very police grievance into trans rights, eg. sex change operations to teachers encourage children to come out, sort of like in the Philippines at fiestas boys are encouraged to do trans fashion shows even going so far as bikini wearing. I never understood that. pound for pound there seemed to be more homosexuality in the Philippines, and the only forces pushing back against that
were the eskrima groups (not even church groups). very interesting dynamics. at the barangay level.
here’s his quote:
“The White liberal is the worst enemy to America and the worst enemy to the Black man. Let me first explain what I mean by this White liberal. In America there’s no such thing as Democrats and Republicans anymore. That’s antiquated. In America you have liberals and conservatives. This is what the American political structure boils down to among Whites. The only people who are still living in the past and thinks in terms of “I’m a Democrat” or “I’m a Republican” is the American Negro. He’s the one who runs around bragging about party affiliation and he’s the one who sticks to the Democrat or sticks to the Republican, but White people in America are divided into two groups, liberals and Republicans…or rather, liberals and conservatives. And when you find White people vote in the political picture, they’re not divided in terms of Democrats and Republicans, they’re divided consistently as conservatives and as liberal. The Democrats who are conservative vote with Republicans who are conservative. Democrats who are liberals vote with Republicans who are liberals. You find this in Washington, DC. Now the White liberals aren’t White people who are for independence, who are liberal, who are moral, who are ethical in their thinking, they are just a faction of White people who are jockeying for power the same as the White conservatives are a faction of White people who are jockeying for power. Now they are fighting each other for booty, for power, for prestige and the one who is the football in the game is the Negro. Twenty million Black people in this country are a political football, a political pawn an economic football, an economic pawn, a social football, a social pawn…”
― Malcolm X
I suspect Malcolm X would have a different conclusion and set of differences today. Certainly Republicans have flipped, and liberal policies (Democrats) have freed and given rights to a whole lot of black men since Malcolm’s day. But I really want to stay away from US politics except as it pertains to the Philippines. I was 51/49 on whether to approve this post as it is a screed about American politics, not Filipino politics.
As for Duterte rising, I’d put that into an unlikely bucket, but dreams are free.
What the posting did cause me to think about is ” what is a Filipino liberal”? Do they exist? Are they a help or a hindrance, as Malcolm suggests. So I may write about that, or you can. You remind me a lot of Chemrock who got old and lost his relevance and developed an inability to understand a simple concept, the blog is about the Philippines, not American conspiracies.
I think much of Fil-Am/Filipino support for Trump is Filipino conservatism, anchored in Catholicism (or INC, or born Again stuff). is there a Filipino liberal. I have no idea. there’s Filipino reds still that’s for sure. but they don’t seem to think big picture like over here. but for sure liberalism over here got waylaid, watch Catharine Liu on this she’s a media studies professor at UC Irvine. gone are the days of your anti-Vietnam protests, Joe. people for sure are reacting negatively to liberalism now. But Filipino liberalism, i think if Heyderian is the litmus test for Filipino liberalism, then the trajectory is same as here is my guess, Joe. can I do a blog attacking (lightly of course) Heyderian?
Yes, I’ve fought with him before, so maybe dig out that article or two ( search Heydarian on home page). It would be an interesting topic I think.
I just found this one, Joe:
https://joeam.com/2019/03/18/heydarian-on-petty-elitist-self-absorbed-liberals/
I think i’ll write one using Catherine Liu’s critiques over here but then I’ll apply it to Heydarian specifically. let me read up more on Malcolm X too. (by read up, i mean watch more youtube videos of course 😉 )
Excellent.
filipinos are good for back channeling and no white man is going to be left unscathed, untouched, etc. when white men rule the world, there will be lots of filipinos hedging bets. filipinos maybe seen as sitting and waiting and doing nothing but in reality, filipinos are already planning of ways and means of getting ahead, of surviving and getting the most out of dire situations. always. the sycophants. bidding their time. pliable as bamboos.
That will work well, in fact. Bamboo it is.
The collapse of the Soviet Union and Warsaw pact definitely wasn’t the end of history, as Francis Fukuyama wrote. After that, at least, there still was the rules-based order, even if it often was obey the rules on paper. Historians might call TODAY the Age of Craziness.
Much of politics was a chess game before 1989, a card game after that, and now it is basically what Joey Nguyen called out-crazying the other side. Though, if one is relatively weak, the best strategy is to stay alert and prepared but not get too close to the games of the crazy.
Excellent, excellent strategy!
Hmm, more of a survival mode than strategy. Those who want to check out strategy are recommended to read Macchiavelli, especially his stuff on the conflicts between Italian city states and earlier Greek city-states. Basic stuff on situations where it is everyone for himself.
About as fun (or not) as going through dozens of chess situations and checking the options to get a feel of the game. But that is the only way for those who want to be good at analyzing the present situation for their country and NOT be Heydarian. That is a synonym for clueless BTW.
Ha, surviving is a strategy. I’m not on Heydarian’s island these days. What did he do?
Heydarian said something I think in an interview about his part of the Philippines having Southern European HDI (human development index) while Mindanao has HDI like Sub-Saharan Africa, which is why they voted Duterte. Some people said that is only true if one compares his hometown Baguio with Lanao del Sur, not necessarily the poor parts of the Cordillera with Davao. There are memes now showing Sulu and Zulu and Davao and Wakandavao.. 😉
The Tagalog-Visayan conflict rekindled a bit online over this as people got mad at Manila again, even as I see the Visayas as the Mediterranean sea of the Philippines, that would fit with Heydarian’s geography. Are you on Malta or on a Greek island by that definition?
https://x.com/tribunephl/status/1900297852716540080 this..
https://x.com/cebudailynews/status/1900305897215119786 and this.
People are high strung on Filipino socmed at the moment.
if senyor heydarian wants to push the issue he ought to show scientific proof, have dna proof that mindanawans are related to sub saharan cohorts. so, maybe have digong’s dna compared to sub saharan counterparts and see their genetic markers. or how many of mindanawans have similar genetic markers as the sub saharans.
Well, his basis was HDI or human development index, and it is lower in many parts of Mindanao for a lot of reasons, not genetic. It is like Visayas was not poorer before because Barok really was a caveman, Yoyoy Villame, a singer who became a comedian because they laughed at his accent in Manila just humored certain prejudices. I knew a Pinoy band whose bass player was Bisaya. His Tagalog band mates referred to his BMW as his carabao. That was in the 1980s, and there are old stories of Bisaya government employees mocked for their accent in Manila.
I wrote about these matters in an article:
“..It occurred to me that I have been to more islands outside the Philippines than in it, and that I know more European languages than Philippine ones. Growing up in the 1970s Philippines, I experienced a time when news of the “provinces” was rare in Manila. The Visayas were far away and Mindanao was Terra Incognita, a place of “strange beasts”. Cebu Pacific budget flights were from the mid-noughties, and nowadays Boracay, El Nido and Siargao are places a lot of people have been. So much has changed really..”
it’s weird that Heydarian uses sub Saharan cuz that’s the new word en vouge right now for MAGA as the new N-word. it think it was first popularized in Europe though. but even the Arabs are hating on sub-Saharans right now too (especially Egyptians). so am sure Heydarian knows the connotation. still weird, kinda like Sudan, calling one group Arab (though black still) and Africans. with a few choice epithets. my point SubSaharan is racist.
Yep, it does have certain overtones.
Especially in the context of the regional divides that still exist.
Ah, thanks for the brief. The Visayas are the Mediterranean, for sure. Mindanao the Wild West. Luzon little America. Chuckle.
wild west and if there is the baddest gun totting cowboy of them all, he got lassoed, and is now waiting judgement in the hague.
That wild west is very accurate since American manifest destiny stopped in Davao. Americans attempted to work the land as they did in the west (USA), only lumad Mindanaoans kept leaving their plantations, thus no consistent workers.
The japanese took over and they imported Japanese workers, thus stabilizing work. til WWII. thus the Marxist are correct. still about workers. til they get that contolled and consistent , it’ll be Wild West for some time to come.
“Did you know the relations between Davao and Japan is now more than 100 years? During the pre-war period, many Japanese migrated to Davao to engage in the production of Abaca. At that time, the biggest Japanese Community in Southeast Asia was found in Davao, with its number reaching as high as 20,000. With the rich Nikkei Jin or Japanese descendants’ history in Davao, the Philippines Nikkei Jin Kai established the Philippine Japan Historical Museum in 1994 in Calinan in order to convey the historical relations between Philippines and Japan. In 2019, this museum was renovated under the Japanese Grassroots Cultural Funding Cooperation (GGP) of the Japanese Government and additional funding coming from Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai and Philippine Nikkei Jin Kai International School. Under its new name: “IMIN 移民”– The Philippine-Japan Historical Museum, the museum is now enhanced with better exhibit space and materials augmented with digital devices that further enrich the learning experience of visitors.”
https://www.davao.ph.emb-japan.go.jp/itpr_ja/11_000001_00467.html
fascinating history…thanks!
The other side of that, cd, is while that’s what the Americans came across in Davao. apparently in Cotabato they saw the Maguindanao still heavily using slaves. irony abounds. so they had consistent workers, but not the kind Americans saw as ethical, lol. so long as you pay them measly then “slave” becomes subjective i guess.
Chatgpt re nickel
The Philippines has historically exported minimal amounts of nickel to the United States, with exports totaling approximately US$1,220 in 2023. In recent years, the U.S. and the Philippines have engaged in discussions to enhance cooperation in the nickel sector. These talks aim to reduce China’s dominance in nickel processing by exploring partnerships where the Philippines supplies raw nickel materials, the U.S. provides financing, and countries like Japan, South Korea, or Australia offer processing technology. Additionally, Philippine lawmakers have proposed a bill to ban raw nickel ore exports to encourage domestic processing, mirroring Indonesia’s approach. This initiative seeks to attract investment in local processing facilities, adding value to the country’s nickel resources. Given these developments, it’s plausible that the Philippines may increase nickel exports to the U.S., especially if partnerships focusing on domestic processing and supply chain diversification materialize.For more insights, you might find this recent discussion informative:
Terrific! Already in the hopper, now possibly to be accelerated if war with Canada develops, which does say how absolutely lunatic things are in the Western Hemisphere east of here.
As KB said Wild Wild West”.
I tried noodling with the Alpabet alliances and bodies.
A deep dive into the geopolitical and economic power blocs reveals a world shifting toward multipolarity, where traditional Western-led institutions like G7, NATO, EU, and UN are being challenged by BRICS, SCO, ASEAN, and other emerging alliances. Below is a structured breakdown of these groups and their interrelations.I. Major Economic and Security Blocs1. Western-Led AlliancesG7 (Group of Seven) – Economic Powerhouse of the West
NATO (North Atlantic Treaty Organization) – Military Alliance of the West
EU (European Union) – Political and Economic Bloc
QUAD (US, India, Japan, Australia) – Indo-Pacific Security & Trade Alliance
2. Emerging Multipolar AlliancesBRICS+ (Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa + New Members)
SCO (Shanghai Cooperation Organization) – Eurasian Security Bloc
ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) – Regional Economic & Political Bloc
II. Global Financial & Trade InstitutionsUN (United Nations) – Global Political and Humanitarian Body
WTO (World Trade Organization) – Global Trade Regulator
IMF & World Bank – Global Financial Institutions
SWIFT (Society for Worldwide Interbank Financial Telecommunication)
III. Military and Geopolitical Conflicts Between These BlocsBRICS vs. G7 & NATO
SCO vs. QUAD
ASEAN’s Neutrality
IV. Future Trends – Shift Towards Multipolarity1. Economic Shifts
2. Military & Security Realignments
3. Trade and Financial Systems Diversification
V. Conclusion – The New World Order
The world is no longer unipolar (US-dominated), but multipolar, with BRICS+, SCO, and ASEAN countering G7, NATO, and QUAD.
Key Question for the Future:
Would you like a deeper dive into specific regions or economic impacts?
The Trump foreign policy boondoggle is likely to weaken the “western” groups and China’s relative power will increase. That’s my top of mind assessment.
Yes Joe.
There are numerous reports that state that China has this ticking time bomb economic problem, but I think they will still project power even with a poorer population.
Here is one analysis.
https://www.philstar.com/opinion/2025/03/13/2427912/chinas-uncertain-future
Well, in Duterte’s time, many thought China would rule the world eventually. Nowadays, many believe Europe is doomed to be divided between Trump and Putin, but I still give it 51-49 or so.
Aside from the German sayings about not rejoicing too early, including not to wish anyone advanced happy birthday, there is also a grandfather saying that one shouldn’t count the dead until the war is over which is kind of the return of history to its I guess usual state.
We won’t have it easy over here, but in fairness, we had it a bit too easy for a long time.
Even Nostradamus has many hits and misses.
Yes tough times everywhere.
Going back ton the ICC. I watched the delayed video of the pre trial and stopped on the alleged kidnapping of Duterte.
Funny that his wife failed to join him for reasons of no passport. My opinion is “I don’t believe her”.
Now she is in hot water here for assaulting a police officer.
Well, I have some comments on this whole matter.
1) the ICC showed Filipinos how a proper court works, no nonsense.
2) the constant insistence on a hard copy of the warrant is outdated Filipino legal thinking. As long as it is clear who issued the warrant and what the charges are – and they were read by a court officer – all else are technicalities. My pet peeve with Philippine law practice. That crap about wanting to void Trillanes’ amnesty because the original was “lost.” A legal practice that goes by Schrödinger’s cat more than by Occam’s razor. It is not what I see as common sense.
3) the sickness defense when the ICC gave him a full medical checkup.
4) of course, it would have been better if the Philippine justice system didn’t have to suffer the humiliation of being shown as inefficient. For all the crying, the Indonesians looked way more efficient when trying Mary Jane Veloso.
5) a lot of Filipinos still prefer workarounds to a proper system, Duterte proves that.
Excellent comparison of justice frameworks. The Philippine system favors the entitled. Thus, the ICC knew there was no hope of justice within the Philippines.
https://x.com/deanmelofficial/status/1900782954768724349
Dean Mel Sta. Maria writes about the differences from a lawyer’s POV:
‐———————
UNSOLICITED ADVICE TO TYRO-FILIPINO-LAWYERS INTENDING TO APPEAR BEFORE INTERNATIONAL PROCEEDINGS. I have been appearing before international arbitrators in a number of commercial arbitrations abroad since the late 1990s and I can say that what we saw last night at the Hague is not far from what is being done in international arbitrations. And so, my unsolicited advice to Filipino lawyers without experience appearing in international tribunals are the following:
1.) There is a decorum of formality in the room. Unlike in local courts where, before the hearing, opposing counsel can talk, joke and even appear to be happy with each other, in international litigation/arbitration, once you enter the court/arbitration room, the impression that you are professional adversaries even before the start of the hearing becomes clear. No talking to each other, no casual or cavalier greetings. There was a time when my opposition was a retired Philippine magistrate who was a novice in international arbitration. Because we know each other, he attempted to approach me before the hearing in the litigation room. I just smiled and gestured to stop approaching me. After the hearings, I had to talk to him and just explained that what I did was part of the unwritten decorum required. He understood. He learned.
2.) International Judges/Arbitratrors are very strict on schedules. This is very important and , unless there is truly a very compelling reason, there will be no postponements or reschedulings. That is why , in this Duterte Case, should the charges be confirmed and trial proceed, whoever will be the Filipino counsel of Duterte will most likely experience continuous trials for an average of two-weeks per setting. That is half a month per scheduled setting. So be prepared.
3.) Unlike in local courts where you can make manifestations after manifestations, nothing of that sort in international arbitration/litigation. The reason is that all concerns must already be ventilated prior to the hearings. These concerns will be resolved posthaste so that the schedule will not be disrupted.
4.) You always have to be respectful. If you do not like the forum or you wish to inhibit an arbitrator, you should do it prior to any hearing. They will stick to the schedule.
5.) Study your case very very very well. I have seen a situation when an opposing counsel asked the arbitrators that he wanted a little bit of time to go over his files, the counsel was told that it was just a waste of the arbitration’s time and so , the arbitrators moved to another point.
6.) The standard is very high. In oral presentations or summations , you may even be asked about the footnotes in your submission. When I appeared in international hearings, I had all the summaries of cases ( including the footnotes) in my index cards and then in my laptop. And I had to review all of them, together with copies of the exhibits, the night before the hearing.
I have retired from active practice except in international arbitration. I learned to like the discipline involved and , yes, the scheduling.
For every topic, there is a related TSOH article.
This one is vintage 2013:
Short summary – the top 5 institutional failures of the Philippines are:
1. Justice and the Judiciary
2. Manufacturing
3. Education
4. Agribusiness
5. Land Use Law
Hahaha! I’ve written about everything here and now am just on rinse and repeat. I have forgotten 90% of what I’ve written, so just do it again.
The ICC seems to be what Philippine law schools teach, but lawyers do not do when they enter the realm of entitlement and impunity. Lawyers are the glue that holds Philippine justice to injustice.
duterte’s lawyer, medialdea, can be forgiven being medyo laggard siya, coming from the backwater. this is 1st time kasi that an asian leader got hauled before ICC and medialdea may not know the intricacies of the hague. but if medialdea is quick study and fast learner, he has to adapt quickly. if not, he is of little use to digong.
Digong
What Human rights human rights when arrested
what about my human rights
that’s the problem with human rights, it is not absolute, and as prosecutor, digong ought to know that.
in the courts of law, it one’s human rights vs the human rights of another. hence, it will be his human rights vs the human rights of those he has supposedly ordered killed in his war against drugs.
DU30 during those 4comm hearings kept on saying, within the law so long as what the cops/soldiers responding to his EJK pronouncements acted within the law that he will take responsibility for their actions.
so i think much of this will be litigation of his rhetoric, which though am not a lawyer seems an up hill battle. unless there is evidence that he had ulterior motives, eg. Trillanes theory of him working for a drug lord and that DU30 was simply getting rid of the competition.
burden of proof and all. but if ICC accepts affidavits then maybe theres a chance DU30 can be convicted. I asked Grok on ICC’s stats:
all 11 are from Africa.
He went on record on many things. Will he use the freedom of speech or I was only joking card?
First appearance of Duterte at the ICC starts in 30 minutes. Video below:
Germany had the televised Nuremberg trials after WW2 where the judges had translators as none spoke German, and all those on trial spoke no English. Probably good for Germany as no one might have dared touch those accused and mostly hanged afterward, even as the US Supreme Court considered the trials unconstitutional as they pushed through due to military jurisdiction, and some German nationalists called it victor’s justice.
Dealing with the rest took decades and wasn’t easy, but Germany learned from doing that. Question, of course, is whether the Philippines WANT to learn anything at all. I chatted with a German who watched this closely recently. He was pessimistic. I wondered if he was right. 😞
digong appeared sleepy apparently, still jetlagged maybe. he should be happy he is at hague hilton, close to the seaside. no red carpet for him this time. my friends told me, boredom is going to be his biggest problem, but while detained he can go to the library, have radio and have access to cable t.v. and he can even attend courses to keep his mind alert. there is also gym. if he does not like eurocentric food, he can order any food to his liking. detention cells are not locked and he can go around the facility. only when guards are at lunchbreak and also at night that cells are locked.
it is only around 2km from his cell to court but during trial, routes will be changed and there will be no predictability of routes to avoid detainees from escaping and also from being assassinated.
and if digong gets convicted, he can served his time in other countries like the serbian karadgic who was convicted at ICC and is serving prison time in british jail. digong cannot serve his time in philippines for obvious reason, but I think, he may choose to serve his time in singapore.
Well, yes, I am almost exactly 20 years younger than him, and I would be exhausted by such a trip. I did watch it on flight radar it took long. He was tired, but I guess there was a bit of paawa effect.
But this was just him confirming his identity and that he understood the charges. It was impressive to see judges not impressed at all by the usual Pinoy bullshit, even as they might look like evil white aliens to DDS.
ahem, want to know more bullshit? there’s this thing I saw somewhere, released by digong’s family, a statement that pbbm has supposedly signed declaring his support for digong and that pbbm wont let ICC arrest digong. looking over the statement, it was like a poorly executed prenup to me. I could not believe pbbm did not extract anything in return for his support like maybe asking the dutertes to be supportive of him as well, and that they wont badmouth him (like what sara did) or undermine his presidency (like what digong did calling pbbm not fit to be president) and that failure of the dutertes to so or act in good faith will make the statement null and void.
so the statement was like what pbbm can do for the dutertes, but not what the dutertes can do for pbbm. and to think the statement was allegedly witnessed by a top ranking lawyer!
Zingggggg! Right on point. The hypocrisy of the bully family.
https://www.facebook.com/share/p/16Cb2io3qz/
By Dino Pineda, a quite interesting take on Mindanao and Duterte:
——-‐—‐‐——–
UNDERSTANDING A MINDANAWON DDS PERSPECTIVE (A QUASI-ACADEMIC TAKE)
Woke up this morning to this post (see screenshot) claiming, in not so many words, that “people in the North” will never understand the Mindanawon perspective. And I agree with it, for the most part—many Manileños will never ever understand what it’s like to be from Mindanao. I say this as someone who spent, as a child, several months every year in and out of Agusan del Norte, and as an adult who spent seven years, fresh out of college/MA, teaching in several schools there. Many Manileños, or non-Mindanawons, will never understand what it’s like to be a Mindanawon, especially to be Mindanawons who are diehard Duterte supporters, or DDS. And there are very clear reasons for it:
1. Manileños will find it hard to understand how Mindanao was deprived of a formal government for so long. The Spaniards never really occupied Mindanao as much as they did in Luzon and Visayas. When the Americans tried establishing formal government in Mindanao, they still found it difficult to establish an order that was agreeable with them. One, the lowland population—the Lumad—there fought back well. Two, resources and manpower of the colonizers were low. Long story short, the colonizers felt it wasn’t worth occupying, except in small and distant districts, what are now Butuan City, Surigao City, Gingoog City, Zamboanga City, Davao City, etc. Patricio Abinales’ Making Mindanao (ADMU Press) enlightened me on this the most. (Interestingly, the Japanese had their priorities straight during their time in Mindanao—extract everything they could.)
2. Manileños will find it hard to understand how, in Mindanao, clans rule (present tense), even when they are not in formal positions of power. Last names bear a lot of weight in Mindanao. Why? Before government strengthened its footing in Mindanao (which was only in recent decades, largely post-1986), clans and relations created the order in the island. There were warlords, warring clans, private armies, big capitalists (logging! mining!) etc. How people navigated their way around things was largely dependent on their relations, friendly or unfriendly, with this or that clan. If I may conjecture, the abolition of political dynasties is much more foreign to us, Mindanawons, than for people in Luzon.
Marcos Sr. had a good grasp of this idea and, instead of looking for ways to strengthen government institutions in Mindanao, he enforced/supported warlords and capitalists, but at the same time, gave his generals tracts of land with support from existing clans/warlords. This is why so many Mindanawons claim that Marcos Sr.’s time was “peaceful.” It’s because martial law was an agreeable order with them. Or, at least, they didn’t know any better (as evidenced by their willingness to accept Duterte’s 2017 martial law, even though it made life so much worse).
I’m also willing to stake that in every Mindanawon family, there is a relative, distant or not, who claims to be a relative, distant or not, of the Roas and the Dutertes. “Gaw” (cousin) is an easy way to address anyone.
3. There remains many contradictions in Mindanao’s population: Many (if not most) Mindanawons are settler colonizers from the Ilocos region, from Iloilo, from Manila, from Negros, from Cebu, etc. and are only 2nd, 3rd, 4th generation migrants. This problem is something so many do not want to confront. They would much rather look at the Lumad as antequated/outdated and, therefore, undeserving of Lumad lands. (Hence, the convenient narrative of bombing rural areas where the NPA supposedly exist, to clear the way for big money i.e. mining companies.) There seems to be always that need to assert rightfully belonging to/in Mindanao. Therefore, a need to distinguish oneself from others and an in-group/out-group view is very very strong.
I feel that this an important point to make, especially in trying to understand cults and cult figures (e.g. Quiboloy, Ecleo, Socorro Bayanihan Services, go Kappa way sirado!) in Mindanao. As a people who have been deprived of a history, or as a people who find it hard to locate themselves in time and place, religious cults which preach messiahs and second comings can be comforting.
IMPLICATIONS
1. Our concept of government is that it is our protector, our provider, and our soul (nationalism/meaningfulness), and not just an institution that should function/operate towards a fruitful end. Because government is relatively new in our area, it is not as mature/developed as LGUs in Luzon and Visayas. Government remains the largest employer in Butuan City (around 70%, correct me if I’m wrong). Not a stretch to say that when Duterte was President, many government workers—ergo, many formally employed Mindanawons—finally felt that they’re working for a Mindanawon/for Mindanao. Besides, before Duterte, all government directives felt like orders from Manila, a place so foreign to many of us, a place so insensitive to our day-to-day experiences. Butuan City presents a curious-er perspective with its being a MASSIVE training ground for cops (and online trolls, too, studies show), the second largest PNP camp in the Philippines.
Other institutions are weak in Mindanao. Media, the fifth estate, is weak in Mindanao and is largely controlled, too, by clans. Radio DJs change allegiances on a monthly basis and criticism is largely kept to just a few words. Say anything so bad and it would be easy to track you down and shoot you.
Educational institutions also often espouse very monolithic views. Critical thought in many spaces is often frowned upon. Student activism is an uphill battle, largely because it is so much more convenient to relegate critical thought to be “disruptive” to progress because many so earnestly believe that progress can only come from government. Because, many would say, “what was life like before government but backwards?” (So many gaps in the telling of our history!) It follows that education, and this view that education should be a ticket out of poverty, is and should only be in the service of government.
2. “Tatay Digong” as a label went hard for many Mindanawons. Of the political dynasties in Mindanao, the Dutertes held/hold the top spot. So, imagine all the clans who have for centuries set the order in Mindanao, all (except for a few) bowing down to the one who made it to the top, even outside Mindanao.
When Duterte was criticized for running the country as if the presidency was a mayoral position, it was received well in Mindanao. For many Mindanawons, what the country needed was a mayor, not a president who thought about too many complexities and too many interactions. Why? A mayor for many Mindanawons was also warlord, family man, godfather—as he should be. (Interestingly, Manny Pacquiao’s monicker now is “ang ninong ng bayan”.)
Expertise in economics, sociology, anthropology, literature, etc. etc. aren’t really required in being a warlord. Alfred McCoy in his book, The Anarchy of Families, however, would say that dynasties need lawyers to survive and to flourish. And Digong, we all know, was one.
3. The Mindanawon identity was, for a long time, very malleable, and it took a Rodrigo Duterte to word it out and live it out for so many. The strange thing here is how many Mindanawon church people—people who should be primarily concerned with morality—seem to be folding/have folded under the pressure. Roman Catholic virtues all seem to be so negotiable in the project of locating oneself in the Duterte landscape. (Has Ateneo de Davao denounced any part of the Duterte presidency which its members and past presidents so willingly endorsed in 2015?)
What I’m looking at, here, are INSTITUTIONS, many of them historically weak. What I’m saying is that, if you hope to approach the DDS vs. Manileño argument with individualistic lenses, they’ll only frustrate you. Institutions and structures are things that many Mindanawons have been deprived of, or things which our oppressors have long made use of for the project of keeping the population under their control and in poverty.
Duterte and his men were successful in manipulating many Mindanawons’ already faint notions of identity, of human rights, of government and governance, of history, and even of morals. Duterte and his men have ravaged our sense of justice so much that the DDS would much rather languish in their being violent and dumb than try to read and understand broader contexts.
That’s it. I’ve been writing about Mindanawon perspectives for a long time, took a break for awhile (I needed it), but I felt that I needed to put this one out. Mistakes are mine, and I wouldn’t dare to say that this is all there is to it, or that this is scholarly. I am writing this in the hopes of locating a common ground for understanding or dialogue, since there is an observable segment that’s caught in the middle of all of this—non-DDS Mindanawons, and we’re quite a lot, who are sandwiched in between the poles the Dutertes have so successfully erected.
Ireneo, in trying to write about liberal vs. conservative in the Philippines and why use Sub-Saharan now, i came upon this from Thomas Sowell whos a black conservative and economist (also a Marine). liberals essentially are dependent on these institutions, whereas conservatives are more about mind/matter and God/man dichotomy in essence eg. therein lies the solution first. but i think i’ll still focus on Catherine Liu’s perspective on this though. ps— I’m gonna use one of your fathers articles for this next blog (hopefully Joe will approve, i got a better feel for Malcolm X now, and why he said what he said re White liberal ).
thanks, the above was a good read. here’s Sowell:
One more read from the FB page Becoming Filipino:
https://www.facebook.com/story.php?story_fbid=1191036872384370&id=100044342050182&post_id=100044342050182_1191036872384370&rdid=wIB0TyntV2XyUEjQ#
MINDANAO
Back in 2014, I was driving my scooter along the road in Luzon. I pulled over, because I saw a Filipina selling Bibingka. I looked at her, and in my best Tagalog at the time said:
“Pabili po isa bibingka… palihug”.
Yes, I accidentally said “palihug” (please). Because at the time I was used to practicing Bisaya. Cagayan de Oro, Mindanao, it was my home.
The Filipina looked at me and said:
“Wow, marunong Tagalog!”
I responded:
“Konti po. nakatira Mindanao… Bisaya nako.”
Her response:
“Abu Sayaff!”
Deep down inside, excuse my language, but I was like… “Yawa!”
(I didn’t say it, but that expression is how I felt.. in a shocked intense negative way)
I mean, grabe, how could someone instantly go to talking about something so extreme and negative when I mentioned Mindanao. It is the 19th largest island in the world, home to more than 26 million people, 27 Provinces (at the time), 6 Regions… You can’t loop Mindanao into one thing, especially something so extreme and negative.
I was shocked, dissapointed, slightly angry…
It was this moment, early on in my #BecomingFilipino life journey, I realized something:
Filipinos, not just foreigners… they don’t know. They don’t fully know their own country.
At the time, I wanted to get upset at the Filipina… how could she just negatively stereotype and talk about Mindanao. But then I asked her:
“Auntie, have you visited Mindanao?”
Her response:
“No”
People who haven’t been, lived, and deeply immersed across the southern area of the Philippines. Chances are… they don’t really understand it. We have to respect that… which is why I just politely chatted with the bibingka seller way back in 2014. I believe when we meet people, whether Filipinos or foreigners, we should do all we can to educate and inspire more learning in those individuals lives… in a positive way.
Anyways, just sharing a story and some reflections… literally from Mindanao tonight. You can see my exact location on the screenshot. I hope that people who find themselves with opportunities to share about this part of the Philippines… especially with big international media outlets…
Show respect too.
Ireneo, are you still in touch with ibn Parfahn’s granddaughter on facebook? i think you said she was in Canada back in 2015. that was when we both started talking about Parfahn.
what a shame! and he called himself filipino and let it just pass at that, double shame! could not give as much as he received, a cheek turning bishop was he! porbida, if you feel maligned or disrespected, you have the choice to give volley for volley and put things right, or miss maybe the only chance to correct the wrong done. never a better time than the present, but if he did not have the presence of mind to parley with the lowest of the low and the uneducated, or think free speech is not worth his saliva, good on him! next time he finds himself in the same situation, he should hit back. or got done by a bibingka, again!
In my time in Northern Mindanao, the divide between Muslim and non-Muslim Mindanaoans was clearly expressed with warnings about which villages were Muslim. NPA were more trusted I think, by non-Muslims, much as MILF, BIFF, and other acronyms had the trust of Muslims. Every island is a country I suppose, nicely packaged and self-contained. So it is normal that a babingka vendor in Luzon would get it wrong.
manila is always blamed for mindanaw’s problem, failings, miscalculations and mismanagement, big on scapegoating mindanawans are. for decades mindanawans have their own elected local govt, lgus and free to create their own local ordinances, etc. and thus governed.
as well land tittles are problematic because landowners rarely trust the system from manila and most lands are unregistered hence no land tax is paid. the problem got highlighted in marawi after the seige when no one knows who owns which land. and people keep their money at home too instead of in the bank that soldiers even found 90millions hidden in a house in marawi. I think, the money was confiscated until it can be proven it was not proceeds of crime, like may drugs, before it can be returned to its owner.
sakur tan in the deep south has his own dynasty and many others, kins and relatives, families and acquaintances. terror groups also took advantage of mindanaw’s porous borders, kidnapping tourists for ransom and made quite a lucrative living right under the noses of lgus.
So intense inferiority (the most ignored orphan) generates fierce bonding among very different clans, and clanish separation from the north. Seems like not-so-rich dynasties on steroids. The outraged togetherness is fueled by real impotence, dominated by ruthless daddy. Striving for an AI-type summary here.
Your observations highlight deep-rooted governance and socio-economic issues in Mindanao that cannot simply be attributed to “Manila” alone. While national policies and historical neglect have played a role, local leadership, weak institutions, and informal economies also contribute significantly to the region’s challenges.Key Issues in Mindanao’s Governance and Economy:1. Local Governance and Political DynastiesDespite Mindanao having its own elected local governments, governance remains heavily influenced by political dynasties. Families like the Tans in Sulu and others in different provinces control local politics, limiting real democratic competition and development efforts.The presence of warlordism and private armies weakens governance and allows corruption, lawlessness, and inefficiency to persist.2. Land Ownership IssuesMany Mindanaoans distrust the land titling system, leading to widespread informal ownership. This was evident after the Marawi Siege, where the lack of proper land records complicated rebuilding efforts.The reluctance to register land and pay land taxes weakens the local revenue base, making it harder for LGUs to fund development projects.3. Informal Economy and Cash HoardingThe preference for keeping money at home instead of in banks reflects both distrust in financial institutions and fears of instability.The discovery of large sums of money hidden in Marawi homes after the siege underscores how informal economies thrive outside the formal banking system, making financial regulation difficult.4. Security Issues and Porous BordersKidnappings for ransom, piracy, and smuggling have been persistent problems due to weak enforcement and geography. Terrorist groups exploit these conditions, creating long-standing security threats.Local government units often turn a blind eye, either out of fear or because of hidden alliances with armed groups.Accountability: Who is to Blame?While it is easy to blame “Manila,” Mindanao’s problems are just as much the result of local governance failures, political patronage, and weak institutional structures.National government policies must be reformed, but local leaders and communities must also take responsibility for strengthening governance, formalizing land ownership, and integrating with the national economy.Possible Solutions:Land Reform and Digital Land Titling: Establishing a transparent, accessible land registry to formalize ownership.Financial Inclusion Programs: Encouraging banking participation to reduce reliance on informal cash holdings.Stronger Local Governance Reforms: Breaking dynastic control and promoting accountable leadership.Border and Security Cooperation: Strengthening regional security ties, particularly with Indonesia and Malaysia, to combat cross-border criminal activities.Would you like to explore specific case studies or policy recommendations on these topics?
It is usually easier to have a culprit than to take responsibility for oneself.
There are many examples, not just sub-Saharan but worldwide..
That applies to individuals too. Blame others except yourself.
The favorite philosopher of LCPL_X (and Otto from a Fish Named Wanda) Nietzsche wrote that knowing oneself is a ride into hell.
It certainly isn’t easy to accept what one has done wrong. There is also a saying by Nietzsche about Pride winning over Truth, but enough of him, he is in a category of genius near madness with the likes of Dostoevsky.
Thanks for that the other favorite of LCX is Soinoza
Spinoza
Youre both wrong!!! it’s actually Marx. lol.
(where’s Joey when you need him, he wouldve said Marx is Russian propaganda, LCPL_X! curate your info better! lol)
I see both Nietzsche and Spinoza as the same. actually. but here’s a good recent video on Nietzsche:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oIzuTabyLS8 (Philosophy Tube and Alice Capelle channels i’ve been watching a lot of lately)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=L6_6duR0n9s
Ireneo: “Well, in Duterte’s time, many thought China would rule the world eventually. Nowadays, many believe Europe is doomed to be divided between Trump and Putin, but I still give it 51-49 or so.
Aside from the German sayings about not rejoicing too early, including not to wish anyone advanced happy birthday, there is also a grandfather saying that one shouldn’t count the dead until the war is over which is kind of the return of history to its I guess usual state.”
###
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Philosophy_in_the_Tragic_Age_of_the_Greeks
“the dwarfing and leveling of the European man” was a common theme in Nietzsche’s writings. he forecasted that it was going to be USA vs. Russia and it was gonna be with them that the ultimate war was gonna be waged. at the level of Bhagavad Gita, and that this war was gonna answer the question of what is man(kind) ‘s purpose. ultimately. and tbh honest, Ireneo, I’ve seen videos of Russians playing with lions and wrestling with bears, and supposedly Rasputins for them are a dime a dozen cuz Russian Orthodox Church which is pre pre Vatican II is all about leaning into the mysteries, whereas the closest America has ever produced to a weird powerful mystic is Joel Osteen.
Osteen vs. Rasputin, that’s not even an even match. So I’m thinking Russians might win the last war, because they fear and love the mysteries of life, whereas we Americans are more ambivalent. But i hope I’m wrong.
And just in case we don’t win, Filipinos should look into learning Russian. lots of eskrimadors go to Russia these days, its a perfect match, Russian love ’em and anting-antings to Russian orthodoxy like Osteen the Catholic church is no match. Filipinos belong to the Russian orthodox church, they just don’t know it yet.
ICC have lost upon appeal thanks to the chosen accredited defense lawyer of Digong.
This is very on topic
Is there such a thing as diversity when white men rule.
This was discussed here time and again.
It was documented above that most guilty and aquitted are from Africa. Doeas that cover the diversity we are looking for? No.