Duterte uses aide Go to confuse enemies

 “Conflict is drama, and how people deal with conflict shows you the kind of people they are.”

—Stephen Moyer

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

IT is now becoming obvious that President Rodrigo Duterte has been using his aide, Senator Bong Go, to confuse his political rivals and, perhaps, the Filipino people.

Mr. Duterte has been floating the idea since early this year that his most trusted sidekick, whose background remains to be a mystery to many Filipinos as of today, will run for president in the May 2022 election.

The President even hinted recently he was willing to run for vice president if his aide will run for president.

And Go appears to be enjoying and cooperating in the biggest pre-election zarzuela meant ostensibly to retain Mr. Duterte into power beyond 2022. 

Ditto with the President’s acolytes in the PDP-Laban—although he has been replaced as chairman by Senator Koko Pimentel, son of the legendary and party founder, the late and real maverick former Senator Nene Pimentel.

To compound the drama, Go was reported to have “rejected” PDP-Laban’s supposed endorsement for him to run for president.

To further put a flummox on the people’s thinking, they made it appear there’s a simmering animosity between father and daughter, Davao City mayor Sara-Carpio, who is actually the family’s best choice to succeed her father for presidency.

It will not be surprising though if the President will pick somebody who has no solid and credible background in political leadership to succeed him. 

After all, it was rumored that Emperor Caligula appointed his horse consul or senator.

 

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But even the most illiterate person in the neighborhood knows Mr. Duterte really intends to endorse his own daughter, founder and will be the official candidate for president of the Mindanao-based Hugpong Ng Pagbabago Party.

And they are using Go to divert the attention of all and sundry.

There is even more than meets the eye in Mr. Duterte’s recent “confirmation” that he would run for vice president even as it bolstered suspicions they were, in fact, endorsing former senator Bongbong Marcos as standard bearer.

To confuse an enemy is a major stratagem in any warfare so they do not know which way to turn and will not expect what you do next.

When the rivals are confused they hesitate, wondering what will happen and what they should do.

Hesitation can be fatal in political battle when it hands the enemy the initiative, giving them first strike or the choice of the next move.

Hesitation by rivals has a devastating amongst conscripts who assume that if rivals are not sure what is going on then their doom is assured.

Confusion is invoked when rivals of the Dutertes expect a particular thing to happen and then something else happens instead. 

This includes nothing happening when, for example, an attack or changing of squad was expected.

Confusion may also be invoked by acting unpredictably. 

The enemy will always be trying to second-guess, typically by studying your past moves. 

If you deliberately break past patterns then their predictions will be wrong and their counter-moves counter-productive.

 

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WE have Filipino US Open champions in chess and billiards but not yet in tennis.

But I have good reason to continue patronizing the 2021 US Open despite the pandemic: the venue is 15 minutes away by walk from where I live, and there will be a partial glimpse of what may follow this golden era will be on display at the U.S. Open, which gets underway without Roger Federer, 40, or Rafael Nadal, 35, who both announced they won’t compete again in 2021 as they address lingering injuries.

The first day at the US Open has a special aura of newness and even revival for players and fans alike like American baseball’s opening day, as reported by Richard Finn.

It is when hope springs eternal for all. On this day, everything and anything is possible. 

The past means nothing and only the present counts. 

Previous wins and losses, resumes rife with titles, none of that matters. All 128 men's and 128 women's singles competitors start the tournament at the exact same place, all with one goal and dream—to win seven matches and be crowned US Open champion.

Opening Day at the Open is likewise a bonanza for fans. It’s like lifting up the lid of a treasure chest, not knowing what delightful treasures are inside.

Walk around USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and your eyes won't know which way to look. It’s like your head is on a swivel and your mind is on overload trying to keep up with the action, as world-class players are competing on every court. 

Established stars and those trying to make a name for themselves all share the Opening Day stage.

And despite the throng of fans and the scope of the grounds, there is an intimacy between the fans and players that is truly unique. 

Everyone gets wrapped up in the thrill of getting the season’s final Slam underway. On the outside courts, fans can see the sweat on the faces of the players, hear their exhortations, and marvel at their speed, strength and skills.

Most certainly, every day at the US Open is special, but Opening Day takes “special” to another level. 

It is a celebration; a riveting block party that rolls out the welcome mat for players and fans alike. It is the first chapter of an unforgettable drama.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two dailies in Iloilo)

 

 

Like father, like daughter

“It is double pleasure to deceive the deceiver.”

—Niccolo Machiavelli

 

By Alex P. Vidal

 

SARA Zimmerman Duterte-Carpio, 42, said she will not run for president in 2022.

“I am not being coy nor am I doing a last minute. If the whole country doesn’t want to believe that, then I can’t do anything about it. Not everyone wants to be president. I am one of them,” Sara reportedly told Reuters recently.

“I thank all of them for their trust and confidence in what I can do but my refusal to run for president is not the end of the world.”

Her father, President Rodrigo R. Duterte, earlier declared he did not want her daughter to run for president saying “women are not fit for president,” a statement that drew a flak from Miss Philippine Universe 2020 Rabiya Mateo, 23.

“My daughter is not running (for president). I have told Inday not to run because I pity her that she will have to go through what I experienced,” Duterte, 75, said at a public event in January this year.

“This is not for women. You know, the emotional set-up of a woman and a man is totally different. You will become a fool here. So... that is the sad story.”

Tell it to the marines, President Digong.

Like father, like daughter. 

 

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They “will not run” months before the campaign period, but “they are running” months before the election day. And win.

A tactic or political strategy that worked wonders for Mr. Duterte in the 2016 presidential election.

“The whole secret lies in confusing the enemy, so that he cannot fathom our real intent,” Sun Tzu wrote in the The Art of War.

When a person is confused they hesitate, wondering what will happen and what they should do.

In war and in election, hesitation can be fatal when it hands the enemy the initiative, giving them first strike or the choice of the next move.

“Hesitation by officers has a devastating amongst conscripts who assume that if officers are not sure what is going on then their doom is assured.” (Changing Minds)

When Mrs. Duterte-Carpio, now the mayor of Davao City, “changes my mind because of insistent public demand (for me to run for president)” in the eleventh hour, her political party, Hugpong ng Pagbabago, has already wormed its way into the different cities, municipalities, and provinces nationwide and secured the commitments of major political leaders and local organizations.

It’s when her rivals are confused and caught flat-footed that Inday Sara will end up capturing Malacanang in a blitzkrieg. 

Father Digong will have the last laugh.

We are not born yesterday, that’s why we know, we are aware, and we understand.

 

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MY friend in Brooklyn, a brave and articulate Caucasian woman, asked me yesterday (February 25) if I experienced harassment while riding in a subway train these past weeks.

“I learned from the news that there’s an upsurge of hate crime perpetrated against Asians like you,” she muttered.

“So far, I haven’t experienced one,” I answered her. “But I will always be on guard.”

Her concern came as New York City increased police patrols and investigations to fight a rise in hate crimes targeting Asian people amid the coronavirus pandemic.

She informed that police would step up investigations and patrols of subway stations, quoting New York City Mayor Bill del Blasio.

There were 28 coronavirus-related hate crimes committed against Asian people in New York City in 2020, compared with three such hate crimes in 2019, according to New York Police Department figures.

There have been two hate crimes against Asian residents in New York City so far this year, according to the NYPD, up from zero of such crimes during the same period last year.

The most recent incident occurred on Feb. 15, according to police officials, when an unknown assailant allegedly used hate speech against an Asian man in Manhattan’s Harlem neighborhood before punching him and stealing his phone.

There’s no substitute for being alert all the time.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

 

Why Sara won’t play a loaded dice in Iloilo

“I am a teacher. It's how I define myself. A good teacher isn't someone who gives the answers out to their kids but is understanding of needs and challenges and gives tools to help other people succeed. That's the way I see myself, so whatever it is that I will do eventually after politics, it'll have to do a lot with teaching.”
--Justin Trudeau

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- ALTHOUGH she has publicly raised the hand of Iloilo City mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III, presidential daughter Sara Duterte apparently is also “rooting” for Espinosa’s rival, Iloilo City lone district Rep. Geronimo “Jerry” Trenas, in the May local elections.
As a rumored presidential timber in 2022, the mayor of Davao City can’t afford to play a loaded dice in Iloilo City politics.
“Wooing” certain political characters or “showing moral support” to their candidacy is a political gambit that has been played up even by some of the famous politicians in antiquity.
Antagonizing one party and embracing another is tantamount to a political suicide for any candidate running for a national office in the future.
Thus Mayor Duterte only probably wanted to please not only both Espinosa and Trenas, but also their political supporters and sponsors, when she recently lent them her aroma.
Her gestures should not be interpreted with finality every time she is seen hobnobbing with local candidates anywhere in the Philippines.
Whoever wins between Espinosa and Trenas will definitely be an asset in her presidential campaign three years from now.
Hugpong ng Pagbabago, Mayor Duterte’s infant but fast-expanding political party, will surely invite or recruit more local chief executives -- governors and mayors -- after the May elections.
The party will go for the winners, not the losers.
Victory, after all, has many fathers; defeat is an orphan.

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Those who don’t believe that Mayor Duterte will not run for the Philippines’ highest office should start to wake up.
Mayor Duterte did not organize the Hugpong ng Pagbabago, which made many PDP-Laban stalwarts insecure and nervous, for nothing.
Her body language, as well as the body language of President Rodrigo R. Duterte, speaks louder these past months; her regular activities and nationwide trips were loaded with interpretations that tilt on a strong possibility she will be running for president.
She probably believes she and her father can do in the Philippines what they did in Davao City: becoming the first father and daughter to reign as city mayor; this time, they might shoot to become the second father and daughter in Philippine history to occupy Malacanang’s highest seat after Presidents Diosdado Macapagal and Gloria Arroyo, who is now the House speaker.
Although President Duterte has not admitted it-- and will most likely not admit it, no father will stand in the way if he thinks there is a big chance her daughter will succeed him as president.

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Many drug lords with links in the Filipino-Chinese community who were active in the previous elections in the Philippines either as financiers or candidates themselves are expected to either shy away or maintain a low profile role in the coming elections
They can’t afford to make a noise or display their fangs even if they claim to have solid ties with some powerful officials in government, police, and the military.
They are aware of President Duterte’s standing order for the Philippine National Police (PNP) and the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) to “make life difficult” for these drug lords once they are spotted or arrested.
The threats of violence or even death hangs over their heads like a Sword of Damocles; and if they make one fatal false move, they will be decimated; and their cases will be buried in the statistics of those “killed for resisting police arrest.”
Haven’t we noticed that most of them have surreptitiously “disappeared” and nowhere to be found or heard these past years since President Duterte assumed power?
If they weren’t yet buried six feet below the ground or allowed to escape to China, they are just probably “on standby” for the bigger battle in 2022: the presidential derby.
Only fools can’t read between the lines.
(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor of two local dailies in Iloilo)

Quo vadis, Iloilo politicians?

“Everything is changing. People are taking their comedians seriously and the politicians as a joke.”
--Will Rogers

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- If self-confessed womanizer Pantaleon “Bebot” Alvarez is ousted as House speaker before the 2019 congressional elections, many Ilonggo politicians who have entrusted to him their political future will be in real big trouble.
There are strong whispers spreading around that majority of the Philippine congressmen/women want either Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Jay Velasco, 40, or Pampanga Rep. Gloria Macapagal Arroyo, 71, to replace the loud-mouthed Alvarez, one of the big bosses of the ruling PDP-Laban.
Things aren’t anymore normal in the House leadership ever since Alvarez engaged Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte in an ugly word war early this year, the grapevine says.
Many Ilonggo politicians who kowtow to Alvarez thought the 60-year-old Davao del Norte representative was untouchable and unshakable being one of the closest allies of President Rodrigo R. Duterte.
For some of them, Alvarez is the modern Marcus Aurelius, a stoic and leading icon of Pax Romana.

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Like vermin, some of these Ilonggo politicians turned their backs from their former benefactors and political parties and embraced Alvarez like a king of Persia.
They formed a beeline and praised Alvarez to high heavens, looked up to him like a demigod and sought his blessings for anointment of their local bets for the May 14, 2019 elections.
They had no idea that Alvarez was also facing a king-sized insurrection right in his own turf.
Unknown to most of them, the playboy House boss was already a ticking bomb and could explode anytime; his invincibility will soon come to a screeching halt if he can’t dodge the deadly wallops of the Cassiuses and Brutuses in the Philippine House of Representatives.
If Alvarez capitulates, quo vadis, Iloilo politicians?

-o0o-

While having my usual mid-afternoon smoothie (a thick, cold beverage made from pureed raw fruit and sometimes vegetables blended with ice cream or frozen yogurt) session inside a Colombian resto on corner 82nd Street and Roosevelt Avenue in Queens Sunday, a group of revelers wearing yellow shirts and caps exploded in the intersection.
Suddenly flag-waving fans riding in cars honking loudly joined the festivity that started past three o’clock in the afternoon and ended at around past seven o’clock in the evening.
They were Colombians living in New York City celebrating Colombia’s triple hammer blow that dumped out Poland in the 2018 FIFA World Cup Russia.
Colombia’s sensational win kept its hopes alive of barging in the Last 16.
Some of those in the crowd proudly chanting and cheering were a mixture of old, young, men and women soccer fans pouring out their joy and happiness like they won the Olympic Games.
Others brought along their dogs strapped with the Colombian national flag.
New York City cops passing the intersection just watched as they continued to patrol the predominantly Latino community.
I wished we Filipinos could also celebrate like them.

Will Sara Duterte back Joe III vs Jerry?

“Politics is the art of looking for trouble, finding it everywhere, diagnosing it incorrectly and applying the wrong remedies.” --Groucho Marx

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- If we stretch our imaginations, the only way for Iloilo City Mayor Jose “Joe III” Espinosa III to face Rep. Jerry Treñas for mayor in the 2019 elections is for Hugpong ng Pagbabago (HNP) founder, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to endorse his candidacy and for House Speaker Pantaleon Alvarez’s PDP-Laban to officially back acolyte Treñas.
HNP is currently slowly inching its way to forge a tie-up with various satellite political parties first in Mindanao, and now in the Visayas, in a hope to grow and expand in time for the next congressional elections.
PDP-Laban, of course, is not happy about the new kid in town and is, in fact, getting increasingly pissed off and insecure especially that it is being spearheaded by the most powerful and influential daughter in the Philippines today, who is rumored to be the next candidate for president.

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HNP and PDP-Laban are still currently “distinct and separate” from one another in as far as legitimacy and recognition by the Comelec are concerned, although they both can sleep in the same presidential bedroom together albeit in two separate beds.
Still on infant stage, HNP is obscured by its regional-level status, while PDP-Laban is a behemoth party with strongholds and incumbent elected officials all over the archipelago.
It’s a common knowledge that Inday Sara and Alvarez are not on speaking terms after the latter had branded Inday Sara’s group as “the new opposition.”
Joe III and Treñas are both PDP-Laban stalwarts and have also allegedly quarreled (of course we didn’t believe this).
The most likely scenario in the event the Joe III-Treñas alleged spat was authentic and they are hellbent to dispute the top city hall post in 2019, is for HNP and PDP-Laban to pick between the two “magbilas” (their wives are sisters).
Inday Sara might go for the “underdog” and fellow incumbent local chief executive, while Alvarez might choose a colleague in congress he thinks will be a “sure winner” for mayor.
This is, of course, a wishful thinking and, as we mentioned earlier, can only be possible if we stretch our curious imaginations.

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We still strongly believe that Mayor Joe III and Rep. Treñas will swap positions and are only trying to confuse their rivals who still continue to read between the lines and mutely observe the Joe III-Treñas “civil war” from afar.
By keeping the cards closer to their sleeves, Joe III and Treñas increase the chance for their opponents to face a grim prospect of kicking off their campaign offensive against a windmill like Sancho Panza in Don Quixote.
In fact, Joe III confirmed to city hall reporters recently that he would be running for an elective post in 2019.
The fact that he did not reveal which position he intends to aspire for in 2019 is a clear indication that he (or they) really plans to further draw a jigsaw puzzle in the minds of his (or their) political rivals.

Too many cooks will spoil the broth

"Uncertainty is a very good thing: it's the beginning of an investigation, and the investigation should never end."
--Tim Crouch

By Alex P. Vidal

NEW YORK CITY -- We suggest that for purposes of coherence and consolidation, only one investigation body should be tasked to investigate the "anomalous" P3.4-million chicken dispersal program of the Iloilo City government in the Philippines.
It has been established that some of the 17,500 chickens of the P10-million Integrated Community Food Production Project (ICFP) were below 300 grams as prescribed in the term of reference (TOR).
Not all of the 575 recipients have received the chickens, it was learned.
The probe body can grab the bull by its horns and zero in on this angle.
Everything else will be unraveled like a crossword puzzle. In a no non-sense investigation, no stone will be left unturned.
No need for more agencies to catch the prey.
But the National Anti-Poverty Commission (NAPC), initiator of the project, wants to join the investigation, according to reports.

MAYOR

Acting Mayor Jose Espinosa III had earlier tasked the Iloilo City Internal Audit Services Office (IASO) headed by lawyer Joan Montano to commence the probe on the hullabaloo, while the City Council's committee of the whole headed by Councilor Ely Estante will also soon start its own probe.
NAPC's entry may not be necessary because Espinosa's order was considered as muto proprio since the City Agriculturist Office is under his office.
Estante's committee will investigate the "scam" in aid of legislation, which is separate from the one being initiated by the executive branch.
A third party isn't anymore needed. One is enough. Two is too much. Three is a crowd.
Too many cooks will only spoil the broth.

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Two of the "strongest" possible bets being floated by the Duterte administration for the next president of the Philippines are Sen. Emmanuel Pacquiao and Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio.
Pacquiao must be thinking that President Rodrigo Roa Duterte was serious when he mentioned in his speech during the former world boxing champion's birthday party in December 2016 in Gen. Santos City that "Pacquiao will be the next president."
But recently, Malacanang grapevine says that the fiesty lady mayor is being considered to be her father's successor.
Will it be a Carpio-Pacquiao tandem?
It will depend on the PDP-Laban--and the President himself.