{"id":2170,"date":"2021-09-13T20:28:36","date_gmt":"2021-09-13T12:28:36","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/csspsinag.wordpress.com\/?p=2170"},"modified":"2021-09-13T20:28:36","modified_gmt":"2021-09-13T12:28:36","slug":"amid-worsening-pandemic-2022-becomes-dutertes-scapegoat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/09\/13\/amid-worsening-pandemic-2022-becomes-dutertes-scapegoat\/","title":{"rendered":"Amid worsening pandemic, 2022 becomes Duterte\u2019s scapegoat"},"content":{"rendered":"\n

The once effective use of press releases and nightly addresses has now devolved into President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s main platform for spewing ad hominems<\/em> and childish insults at his political rivals, critics, and even\u00a0 the general public. They are no longer filled with hope, but with pointless gaslighting, mudslinging, and death threats to anyone who dare express even the slightest disapproval of the regime\u2019s failed pandemic response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n

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The once effective use of press releases and nightly addresses has now devolved into President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s main platform for spewing ad hominems<\/em> and childish insults at his political rivals, critics, and even  the general public. They are no longer filled with hope, but with pointless gaslighting, mudslinging, and death threats to anyone who dare express even the slightest disapproval of the regime\u2019s failed pandemic response.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Instead of relying on facts and figures about the state of public health, we are now more likely to hear pronouncements from the president such as \u201cAng advice ko sa iyo, magpapayat ka muna para medyo.. nalilipong ako pag tinitingnan kita p–ang\u2014 \u2018Wag mo putulin yan ah totoo \u2018yan,\u201d<\/em> [My advice for you, is to lose weight first, because…you are dizzying to look at…Don\u2019t cut that out of the speech, because it is true.], or even \u201cMy daughter is not running. I have told Inday not to run because I pity (her) knowing she will have to go through what I am going through…This is not for women. You know, the emotional set-up of a woman and a man is totally different\u201d. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n

We are now more likely to hear what is basically a cheesy soap opera than coherent and useful updates on the pandemic, despite the country having been under lockdown for more than 500 days. The Duterte administration\u2019s focus is ultimately on political alliances, elections, and keeping the president out of prison once he steps down, distracting the public from the issues that affect the masses. These tactics poison the public consciousness and seek to cover up the horrific mismanagement of the pandemic.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

There are many instances of such diversions being used to derail discussions about the pandemic response, all involving parties and politicians that are opposed, or even allied with the regime. One of them is Vice President Leni Robredo, whose office Duterte has repeatedly attacked and tagged as \u201csubversive\u201d simply for having opinions that differ from the regime or offering some much-needed help.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The president responded to Robredo\u2019s criticisms of the government\u2019s vaccine choices earlier this year: \u201cJust maybe shut up\u201d<\/em>, then a couple of days later, he followed up with \u201c…mamatay ka na…\u201d <\/em>[You should just die.]<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Even during calamities, the president did not refrain from his nastiness and misogyny. \u201cDo not compete with me,\u201d<\/em> he directed at Vice President Robredo in response to her questioning his whereabouts during the chaos that was the botched government response to Typhoon Ulysses. All the while, Robredo\u2019s office was carrying out relief operations and donations in the affected areas across the Eastern Philippines. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Office of the Vice President (OVP) is in a unique situation in comparison to other political figures that are actively slammed by the regime, as it is disadvantaged by the constitutionally approved \u201clack of responsibility\u201d in comparison to the Office of the President. Much flack is given to the OVP for doing both \u201cnothing\u201d, yet at the same time, doing \u201ctoo much\u201d. There is seemingly no winning for this office, as it is often blamed for doing too little, as well as doing too much to the point it is told that it is \u201cstepping out of line\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

In addition to Robredo, another politician known to be in opposition to the current administration has been Isko Moreno Domagoso, the mayor of the City of Manila. Many of the attacks made against him have been aimed at his style of administration, as well as his past as an actor, all occurring at the same time as the state of the City of Manila\u2019s pandemic response was one of the best in the National Capital Region (NCR).<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duterte\u2019s calling out the management of Manila\u2019s vaccination drive was meant to show that Moreno is not doing a \u201cgood\u201d job as Mayor of the capital city.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201c…May isa akong siyudad diyan na hindi ko bibigyan ng power to distribute \u2018yung ayuda simply because in so many instances, they cannot organize a… Wala, talagang every time,” <\/em>[…there is a city that I will no longer give the authority to distribute government aid simply because in so many instances, they cannot organize a\u2026 Nothing, It doesn\u2019t work everytime.] Duterte said in a press release regarding the distribution of cash aid in Metro Manila Though he did not specifically name Manila as the city he was talking about, Duterte had been speaking ill of Moreno as of late<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These attacks, as well as the attacks on the morality of Isko Moreno\u2019s past roles as an actor, occurred amid a vaccine shortage that has led to many long lines and much disappointment. In addition, these pointless attacks occurred as disdain grew among the country\u2019s health workers due to the government\u2019s failure to give their salaries and other benefits on time<\/p>\n\n\n\n

The Duterte regime is no stranger to the use of diversionary tactics to attack its critics. Public disagreements have occurred due to the President\u2019s public addresses and press releases, through third parties such as the Presidential Spokesperson, or even other government agencies. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

One such instance of this occurred during the continuing public disagreement between President Rodrigo Duterte, and known former ally, Senator Manny Pacquiao, wherein the latter accused the administration of deep-seated corruption that only benefits those in power, while putting the common folk in a position to be exploited by the state. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cMag-aral ka nang husto\u201d <\/em>[You should study well.] Duterte said, directed at Pacquiao, in response to the Senator\u2019s claim that the administration abandoned the arbitral win over the sovereignty of the West Philippine Sea and the Kalayaan Islands in Palawan. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

\u201cGo to Congress and start talking…If you will fail to do that, I will campaign against you…I will just tell the people, \u2018Do not vote for Pacquiao because he is a liar.\u2019<\/em>\u201d Duterte said in response to the Senator claiming that should he be elected as president in 2022, he will declare a war on corruption. Duterte seemingly takes this statement as an attack on the administration as a refutation of the Senator\u2019s claims of corruption.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

These continuous attacks against Pacquiao were made at a time when a number of Filipinos could not ensure that their hospitalizations would be covered due to the limited amount of money that PhilHealth would be able to cover, as the issue of the missing 15B pesos was still not fully resolved. <\/p>\n\n\n\n

While it is not likely that the president planned to call out Pacquiao to divert attention away from the blunder of PhilHealth, as well as the mismanagement of pandemic funds by the Department of Health, it is a matter of fact that the situation made headlines around the country and surely took the spotlight off of the missing funds. People naturally paid more attention to the Duterte vs. Pacquiao issue, as it was what was the most covered, and most talked about by other political figures at the time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Duterte\u2019s personal convictions and prejudices for his critics prevent pressing issues that affect the Filipino people from being talked about, leaving us in the dark about the reality of our situation, and showering us with false hope and empty promises of a safe, post-pandemic Philippines. As Duterte trains his sights on 2022, Filipinos are still suffering from the pandemic and its concomitant crises.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

We may as well declare the office of the President \u201cvacant\u201d.<\/p>\n\n\n\n

Featured image courtesy of Getty Images. <\/em><\/p>\n\n\n

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The once effective use of press releases and nightly addresses has now devolved into President Rodrigo Duterte\u2019s main platform for spewing ad hominems and childish insults at his political rivals, critics, and even\u00a0 the general public. They are no longer filled with hope, but with pointless gaslighting, mudslinging, and death threats to anyone who dare […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":9,"featured_media":2173,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[13],"tags":[],"ppma_author":[122],"class_list":["post-2170","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-opinion"],"aioseo_notices":[],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-7-1-1.png","jetpack-related-posts":[{"id":1320,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/05\/29\/dutertes-failed-governance-precipitated-a-mental-health-crisis\/","url_meta":{"origin":2170,"position":0},"title":"Duterte\u2019s failed governance precipitated a \u2018mental health crisis\u2019","author":"emdeborja","date":"29 May 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"Duterte\u2019s bravado is not strong enough to conceal his failures as president. He promised change, but what he delivered instead was failed and lethargic leadership. As Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) Awareness Month comes to a close, there are still no concrete solutions for the country\u2019s \u201cmental health situation.\u201d As suicide\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/awfb-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/awfb-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/awfb-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/awfb-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/awfb-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1143,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/05\/12\/fight-and-make-duterte-pay-for-national-treachery-cpp\/","url_meta":{"origin":2170,"position":1},"title":"‘Fight and make Duterte pay for national treachery’ \u2014 CPP","author":"emdeborja","date":"12 May 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"The revolutionary movement led by the CPP insisted that \u201cDuterte\u2019s obsequiousness to China is unacceptable to the Filipino people.\" As President Duterte retreated from his challenge to debate with retired Supreme Court Associate Justice Antonio Carpio on the West Philippine Sea (WPS) issue, the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "National News"","block_context":{"text":"National News","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/news\/national-news\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/de-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":4222,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2022\/03\/30\/makabayan-si-duterte-ang-number-1-human-rights-violator\/","url_meta":{"origin":2170,"position":2},"title":"Makabayan: Si Duterte ang Number 1 Human Rights Violator","author":"Staff","date":"30 March 2022","format":false,"excerpt":"Makabayan Bloc gravely condemned President Duterte's pronouncements on the partylists' alleged connection with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People's Army-National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) this afternoon, March 30.\u00a0Makabayan stressed Duterte's latest tactic as a desperate measure to hamper the strengthening opposition. 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Many activities that would violate social distancing protocols have ground to a halt as the Duterte administration declares lockdown after lockdown. As travel and mobility are severely restricted, the UAAP is no exception. The\u2026","rel":"","context":"Similar post","block_context":{"text":"Similar post","link":""},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-10-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-10-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-10-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-10-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-10-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/09\/sinag-web-banner-10-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]},{"id":1221,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/05\/15\/dutertes-anti-communist-witch-hunt-is-an-affront-to-academic-freedom\/","url_meta":{"origin":2170,"position":4},"title":"Duterte’s anti-communist ‘witch hunt’ is an affront to academic freedom","author":"emdeborja","date":"15 May 2021","format":"image","excerpt":"We are not terrorists, as the state claims. It is Duterte. He should be the one to be hunted and brought to the mercy of our anti-fascism. It was the hands of President Duterte that signed both Executive Order No. 70\u2014 institutionalizing the National Task Force to End Local Communist\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/jk-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/jk-1.jpg?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/jk-1.jpg?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/05\/jk-1.jpg?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x"},"classes":[]},{"id":2649,"url":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/2021\/10\/02\/on-dutertismo-and-future-prospects-for-philippine-politics\/","url_meta":{"origin":2170,"position":5},"title":"On “Dutertismo” and future prospects for Philippine politics","author":"Staff","date":"2 October 2021","format":false,"excerpt":"As Duterte expresses his intent to \u201cretire in politics\u201d this 2022, we can no longer afford to be fooled by someone who lacks sympathy for his country, someone who sinks our country further, and someone who is a replica of the monster that took away our rights when martial law\u2026","rel":"","context":"In "Opinion"","block_context":{"text":"Opinion","link":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/category\/opinion\/"},"img":{"alt_text":"","src":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-16-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1","width":350,"height":200,"srcset":"https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-16-1.png?resize=350%2C200&ssl=1 1x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-16-1.png?resize=525%2C300&ssl=1 1.5x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-16-1.png?resize=700%2C400&ssl=1 2x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-16-1.png?resize=1050%2C600&ssl=1 3x, https:\/\/i0.wp.com\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/10\/sinag-web-banner-16-1.png?resize=1400%2C800&ssl=1 4x"},"classes":[]}],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"authors":[{"term_id":122,"user_id":9,"is_guest":0,"slug":"csspsinag","display_name":"Staff","avatar_url":"https:\/\/secure.gravatar.com\/avatar\/194807626fee183640d3de57e788ba7c8c0d40bd86bfc1237bed56bcd3832c1b?s=96&d=mm&r=g","0":null,"1":"","2":"","3":"","4":"","5":"","6":"","7":"","8":""}],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/9"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2170"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2170\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2170"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2170"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2170"},{"taxonomy":"author","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/sinag.press\/news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/ppma_author?post=2170"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}