Executive assistants; military junta

“It is easier to forgive an enemy than to forgive a friend.”

―William Blake

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

THE Filipinos will surely reject any attempt to install a military junta in the Philippines if agitators succeed in yanking out “weak” President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

Even if they will be allegedly led by a civilian leader (this is a trap that no sane person should believe), military juntas have been considered to be dangerous in the past and even in present times.

Military juntas systematically dismantle democratic institutions, lead to widespread human rights abuses, spark or intensify armed conflict and civil war, cause significant economic devastation, and result in major humanitarian crises.

Many Filipinos are afraid or adamant to call for Mr. Marcos Jr.’s resignation because the alternative is more dangerous: Vice President Sara Duterte-Carpio.

 

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They expressed the same fears when then President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo was on the verge of being kicked out of Malacanang because of the “Hello Garci” tragedy.

If Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo was gone, there’s no other alternative but to install the second highest elected official in the land.

People feared then Vice President Noli de Castro, who was perceived to be grossly incompetent (it’s good the lunkhead did not insist to replace Mrs. Macapagal-Arroyo).

Thus, they rejected any thought of replacing the diminutive lady president even if she was becoming a liability to the country.

If a military junta will take over after Mr. Marcos Jr. has resigned, it’s better to embrace Duterte-Carpio.

Even if she is perceived to be a wacko, at least she’s civilian.

 

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WE aren’t saying here that all executive secretaries or executive assistants of governors, mayors, or all local government chief executives in the Philippines can’t be trusted because of what happened to President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr.

But careful scrutiny and eagle-eye review and examination of what they are doing—or signing (or the paperworks they forward to the offices of the mayors and governors for signature) won’t hurt if only to avoid a repeat of Mr. Marcos Jr.’s predicament (we aren’t saying also with absolute certainty that the president was indeed betrayed by dismissed executive secretary Lucas Bersamin).

Sometimes we fall not because we lose a big battle against our tough adversaries. We fall because we dine, laugh, and sleep with our enemies.

Executive assistants or secretaries are considered as the “alter egos” of presidents, governors, or mayors. They are the chief executives’ “left hands.”

Some of the most delicate and sometimes confidential matters are normally entrusted to the executive assistants or executive secretaries; that’s why they must be “the most trusted” in the circle other than the chief executive’s wife.  

 

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Mr. Marcos Jr. was not the first leader in history to be “betrayed” by an acolyte.

To name only a few, who can forget Julius Caesar, the Roman dictator assassinated in 44 BC by a group of senators, including his friend and protege Marcus Junius Brutus?

What made the betrayal particularly personal and shocking was that Caesar had previously pardoned Brutus after he fought against him in a civil war and promoted him to a position of trust.

Who can forget Jesus Christ, betrayed according to the New Testament, by one of his 12 apostles, Judas Iscariot, who pointed him to the Roman authorities for 30 pieces of silver?

Who can George Washington, betrayed by General Benedict Arnold, a respected officer who eventually became the United States' most infamous traitor, during the American Revolutionary War?

Arnold plotted to surrender the American fort at West Point to the British, motivated by a series of slights and professional disputes with the Continental Congress.

Arnold’s name became synonymous with treason in the U.S. even if the plot was discovered.

 

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Based on what happened to Mr. Marcos Jr., many think it’s too risky and dangerous to trust our subalterns too much. Some signs that we blindly trust our aides are as follows:

1. When we really believe people say what they really believe or will do.

2. When we share our heart talk very easily.

3. Those who act close, we do things for them going out of the way even when it hurts us or causes issues for us.

4. When we believe people around understand us and our circumstances and will never ditch us.

5. When we believe people don’t act out of self interest especially and even when they do, we trust them they won’t harm us or leave us.

Most of us who have blindly trusted people have found that many

1. Take advantage of our trust and create misunderstandings with others.

2. Many act in self-interest and do things that are a betrayal.

3. Exploit the person, emotionally drain them and many times leave them forever.

4. Leave the person once they no longer add value or someone else does better!

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

Boomerang

“Beware of smile, for it is a double-edged sword; it cuts the helmet of tension from other head and backfires the peace to yours.”

―Vikrmn, You By You

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

EVEN before the country’s political cretins, the conspirators and mercenaries could complete their final script to oust President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. these past days their sinister plot did not only nosedive but also boomeranged.

Instead of painting Mr. Marcos Jr. as the baddest guy on planet earth with outlandish accusations he pocketed billions of pesos from Zaldy Co’s criminal enterprise, the president became instant recipient of sympathies and pity even from supporters of his political enemies.

Instead of alienating him from the hoi polloi, the jealous and bitter enemies of Mr. Marcos Jr. succeeded only in making him as the Philippines’ Lorenzo de' Medici, ruler of Florence in late 15th century Renaissance.

Like Mr. Marcos Jr., Lorenzo de' Medici the Magnificent also faced a major conspiracy known as the Pazzi Conspiracy in 1478.

The plot, which involved a rival family and even the Pope, aimed to assassinate Lorenzo and his brother Giuliano during Mass in the Florence Duomo.

Giuliano was killed, but Lorenzo managed to escape with a shoulder wound. The failure of the assassination led to a public outcry that rallied support for the Medici, and the conspirators were captured and executed, solidifying Lorenzo's hold on power.

 

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The grand failure by enemies of the Marcos Jr. administration committed perhaps the biggest blunders by using the disgraced Co so sully the president’s integrity and by allowing a dimwit, the president’s splenetic sister, Imee, to assassinate her brother’s name before a crowd composed of Iglesia Ni Kristo rallysts.

Now, after the smoke has cleared, Mr. Marcos Jr. remains alive and kicking, so to speak. They failed to topple him, and the momentum appears to have reversed in favor of the administration.

Boomerang is a curved flat piece of wood that can be thrown so that it will return to the thrower, traditionally used by Australian Aboriginal people as a hunting weapon.

If used in a conversation, it means the all-out blows uncorked by the president’s enemies from pillar to post backfired and hit them like a thunderbolt.

What happened to Mr. Marcos Jr. also reminded us of Augustus and Gaius Marius.

Augustus, first Roman Emperor, secured his position after years of civil war and potential challenges to his authority, establishing the Pax Romana (Roman Peace).

Gaius Marius was a Roman general and statesman who faced the severe crisis of the Social War (91–88 BC), a major civil war that threatened to overthrow the Roman government. He was a key figure in the Roman Republic's efforts to survive this massive internal conflict.

 

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APPLE has warned this writer that “scammers are getting smarter” exhorting me to “learn how to protect yourself from fraud and make the most of Apple Card's security features.”

If the following “red flags” occur, Apple advised card holders to end the conversation immediately especially if we recognize the following:

— Unsolicited contact about your account. Be cautious of unsolicited calls or text conversations and look out for unusual, poorly worded, or unexpected emails.

— Urgent warnings. Scammers create a false sense of emergency asking you to act immediately or face consequences.

— Gift card requests. An Apple Card Specialist will never ask you to buy gift cards.

— Social media requests. Be careful who you are interacting or sharing personal information with on social media.

— One-time passcode requests. An Apple Card Specialist will never initiate contact to ask for a one-time passcode.

Apple warned on third-party app downloads. “An Apple Card Specialist will never ask you to download third-party apps to your device,” it said.

 

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We can protect yourself in three steps:

—Turning on transaction notifications. When we turn on transaction notifications, we get an alert every time our card is used, so we can catch suspicious activity.

—Going to Apple Card in Wallet, tap the More button More button, then tap Notifications and turn on Transactions.

— Enabling Advanced Fraud Protection. Our three-digit security code changes automatically for even more secure purchases.

Apple further advised us: “Go to Apple Card in Wallet, tap the card number button More button then scroll down to Advanced Fraud Protection and turn it on. Use Advanced Fraud Protection with Apple Card.

“Report suspicious messages. If you receive a text message about your Apple Card that feels suspicious, don't respond or tap on any links.

“To report spam or other suspicious messages that you receive through Messages, tap Report Spam under the message.”

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

Arrest Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero, et al, not mayors who went abroad

“Whoever fights monsters should see to it that in the process he does not become a monster. And if you gaze long enough into an abyss, the abyss will gaze back into you.”

―Friedrich Nietzsche

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

I SUPPORT the majority of the Filipinos against rascals and political lunatics who wanted but failed to topple the Marcos Jr. administration, but I disagree with the Department of Interior and Local Government (DILG) to prioritize the arrest of some local officials who left the Philippines while it was reeling from successive super typhoons.

The arrest, of course, will commence once a warrant for their arrest has been issued after the cases were filed before the Office of the Ombudsman.

We aren’t against it per se; but we join the millions of Filipinos not only in the Philippines but also in other parts of the globe stirred up by the demand for the Marcos Jr. administration to prioritize the arrest of flood control project criminals.

They include DPWH officials and contractors, as well as prominent politicians—members of the House of Representatives and the Senate—who stole billions of taxpayers’ money through “ghost” projects and kickbacks.

Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero, Manuel Bonoan, the Bersamin uncle and nephew, Joel Villanueva, Nancy Binay, Bong Revilla, Jinggoy Estrada, Martin Romualdez, Elizaldy Co, and more than three dozen others who have hogged the headlines these past months for infamy and skullduggery in relation to flood control project anomalies.

 

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Only a handful of observers will jump with glee if those fleeing local officials—mayors, governors, vice mayors, vice governors, board members, councilors—will be arrested and jailed soon.

What the majority of the Filipinos want to see and hear is the immediate arrest of Grace Poe, Chiz Escudero, the Bersamin uncle and nephew, et al.

This will satisfy the impatient and irate taxpayers; this will help redeem the image of the president tainted by the outlandish allegations of Zaldy Co.

File the cases now and let these corrupt lawmakers and their subalterns in the anomaly spend time in jail while their cases are being tried in the Sandiganbayan for plunder and violation of the anti-graft and corrupt practices act.

The problem is the Marcos Jr. administration is too slow to dispense the kind of justice the Filipinos have been hankering for since the president exposed the flood control project anomaly tumult in September during his State of the Nation Address (Sona).

We have the names of the DPWH officials and their hand-picked contractors; we have the names of those venal and predatory senators and congresspeople, yet all the people have heard so far was procrastination, condemnation, press conference, denunciation, but no solid or concrete action.

 

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DILG Secretary Jonvic Remulla can always whip those dromomaniac local chief executives who abandoned their constituents during the recent onslaught of storms, but he should set aside and let the Ombudsman dominate the discussions pertaining to the books being thrown against the flood control projects demons.

The DILG ordered November 8 all elected and appointed local officials to suspend their travels abroad from Nov. 9 to Nov. 15 to ensure their presence on the ground during the onslaught of Supertyphoon “Uwan” (international name: Fung-wong).

Around 24 officials will be charged, some from Cebu who flew to Europe just as Typhoon “Tino” (international name: Kalmaegi) devastated the province on Nov. 4, according DILG chief Remulla.

Remuhey face charges of abandonment of duty, gross neglect and insubordination.

Among the officials who were reported to have defied the travel ban and facing charges of abandonment of duty, gross neglect and insubordination were Isabela Gov. Rodolfo Albano III and eight Cebu local officials. They were Pilar Mayor Manuel Santiago, Poro Mayor Edgar Rama, Tudela Mayor Greman Solante, Cebu provincial council member Andrei Duterte, Liloan Mayor Aljew Jordan Frasco, San Francisco Mayor Alfredo Aquillano, Catmon Mayor Avis Ginoo-Monleon and Compostela Mayor Felijur Quiño.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)

 

 

 

It’s time to reverse the tide

“Only the mob and the elite can be attracted by the momentum of totalitarianism itself. The masses have to be won by propaganda.”

—Hannah Arendt

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

FOUR days earlier, the nation was on the brink of political catastrophe when destabilizers and troublemakers attempted but failed to penetrate the relatively peaceful rally staged by the Iglesia Ni Cristo (INC) at the Rizal Park in Manila.

After the INC shortened the scheduled three-day protest rally against corruption in government, decent Filipinos, who oppose any attempt by any group to disrupt or overthrow the government, heaved a sigh of relief.

In cutting short the protest rally, INC did not want to be blamed for “hosting” uncouth politicians with hidden agenda and who spew venomous diatribe like the embittered presidential sister, among other demagogues and disgraced political rabble-rousers.

The momentum partially gained by malcontents and saboteurs before or during the pivotal situation on November 16 began to melt like iceberg in the Glacier Bay.

Authorities were now able to more or less identify the destabilizers, the power grabbers and their financiers who wanted to topple President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. by whatever means and install a pseudo leader.

It’s time for authorities to weather the storm and reverse the tide. We expect warrants of arrest to be issued against rebellious agitators and other agent provocateurs.

 

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CityMD, an urgent care provider, has cautioned us to be careful with

cough that won’t go away in this cold season in the East Coast; it informs us of the causes and solutions.

Dealing with a cough that just won’t quit can be frustrating. Whether it’s keeping us up at night or disrupting our day, a lingering cough can take a toll. But what’s behind it? And more importantly, how can we get some relief?

Let’s break down the common causes, when to be concerned and the best ways to treat a stubborn cough.

What causes a persistent cough? Common reasons explained. A cough that sticks around for weeks or longer often has a clear cause.

Here are some of the most common reasons, according to CityMD:

— Post-nasal drip. Mucus dripping from the back of your nose into your throat can irritate it and make you cough. This often happens with allergies or a cold.

— Asthma. For some, a persistent cough might be the only sign of asthma. Cold air or exercise can make it worse.

— Acid reflux. Stomach acid that moves up into your throat can cause irritation and a chronic cough.

— Infections. Respiratory infections like bronchitis or whooping cough can cause a cough that lingers after other symptoms go away.

— Smoking or irritants. Smoking, vaping or exposure to dust, fumes or pollution can lead to a lasting cough.

Understanding the root cause is key to finding the right treatment.

 

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When a lingering cough might signal something serious. While most coughs are harmless, some can be a sign of a more serious condition. Seek medical attention if your cough:

— Lasts longer than eight weeks

—Comes with a fever, weight loss or night sweats

—Produces blood or rust-colored mucus

—Is accompanied by wheezing, chest pain or trouble breathing

Conditions like pneumonia, COPD, lung cancer, or heart problems can cause a chronic cough. If you’re unsure, it’s better to get checked out.

How to find relief from a cough that won’t go away.

Finding relief starts with addressing the cause. Here are some effective remedies:

1.    Stay hydrated

Drink plenty of water to thin mucus and soothe your throat.

2.   Use a humidifier

Adding moisture to the air can reduce throat irritation.

3.   Avoid irritants

Steer clear of smoking, strong perfumes and dusty areas.

4.   Try over-the-counter medications

Cough drops, lozenges or expectorants can help ease symptoms.

5.   Elevate your head while sleeping

Propping your head up can reduce post-nasal drip and acid reflux.

6.   Seek professional care

If the cough persists or worsens, we need to visit a doctor. They can check for underlying issues and recommend treatments like inhalers, antibiotics or other medications.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)