The ABS-CBN-Inquirer-Ayala candidate, otherwise known as the “Yellow dummy,” is now the subject of a communications plan that seeks to cover up the fact that he’s really a political non-entity.
To date, this plan is being taken to a few basic directions. One, distract the public’s attention from the only presidential candidate who has the experience, a clear national agenda, and one who’s clearly gaining ground at the homestretch. Two, pit “the Palace” against this non-entity as if he were Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo’s chief nemesis, through items such as last Friday’s Inquirer headline, “Palace to Noynoy: Be a Man.” Three, maintain the focus on Villar at all cost as a secondary candidate so as to obviate the presence and momentum of President Joseph Estrada. Erap will, of course, be covered only when negative developments come up, such as that contrived Ping Lacson bomb of a tell-all. But they would have to keep doing all these till election day, lest their dummy’s empty shell be exposed.
Then, the Inquirer’s Sunday headline, which attempts to distance the Aquino family from its Hacienda Luisita shares, is a step to remove one of the major PR banes off the Yellows’ cacique candidate’s back. In fact, according to a veteran financial sleuth I spoke to, Danding Cojuangco has already acquired Cory Aquino’s Luisita shares lock, stock and barrel.
Nevertheless, as the call for justice looms for all Hacienda Luisita massacre victims, this will forever haunt the non-entity, who at Club Filipino even had the gall to juxtapose “justice” with “just-tiis” in his speech. But beyond this, what true opposition forces should highlight is Cory’s swift and easy turnover of Meralco to one of the Yellow dummy’s biggest oligarchic backers, which has led to the most expensive power rates in Asia today. And that is the real travesty!
Going back to their plan, it seems, too, that aside from the other oligarchs, the Cojuangcos themselves are consolidating for their blue-blooded candidate. I am told that Channel 5 has just fallen into line.
Meanwhile, I’m expecting false surveys to come out soon, showing a runaway figure for the dummy in hopes of creating a bandwagon. But, this time, a band might be there from the Yellow media’s end with no wagon in sight.
The current combined tri-media “shock and awe” of the invading Yellow forces is taking its toll on the more rational discussion of issues and alternatives for 2010. That’s why genuine thinkers must put up with the unrelenting struggle in this war for truth and genuine democracy. For us, there’s simply no retreat, no surrender.
We received enthusiastic responses to last Friday’s column on the true Aquino legacy--from a grandfather who volunteered to head the pro-Japanese Kalibapi (Kapisanan ng Lingkod ng Bagong Pilipinas), to the betrayal of Sabah, to the twin massacres that marked the Cory era, and the “massacre” of electricity consumers.
Many others are fighting back. I had two of them on my GNN program which will be shown Tuesday evening--former Gov. Homobono Adaza of Misamis Oriental and Bulletin columnist Eric Espina, both serious students of history. Bono has written a book on Philippine leaders and finds Cory as the most incompetent; while Eric brought E. Glick’s book, “Sainthood Postponed,” which was a book that Cory had de-shelved from the bookstores to be kept out of the public eye.
One really cannot see valuable historical truth while allowing even token genuflection at the yellow ribbon because even a hint of respect for it reinforces a myriad of lies in the service of oligarchic and corporatocratic exploitation. Inversely, one cannot even perfunctorily accede to the demonization of Marcos just to avoid the hassle of being tagged pro-Marcos without reinforcing all the rabid lies of the Yellow crowd and the oligarchs behind them.
Marcos was both good and bad--a culprit and a victim--like most Filipino leaders who had to navigate the treacherous politics of a land under the shadow of an evil global empire. But in the end, Marcos was a nationalist--cutting short the US bases’ lease and demanding rent; while Cory in 1991 marched in the rain to the Senate to appeal for their extension.
ABS-CBN and the Inquirer still try to raise the old formula of the Marcos bogey with their candidate’s promise to recover the “Marcos wealth.” Well, they tried but failed. They didn’t follow it up because the non-issue no longer struck a chord with the people. What keeps striking, though, is the “Kamag-anak Inc.” tune. That’s why they are keeping Peping Cojuangco out of the way.
Most left-wing or “progressive” activist movements in the
Today, only Estrada stands out with a clear message--pro-poor, nationalist and patriotic (particularly on the MILF issue).
Likewise, there are plenty of disinformation going around, as when Manny Portes said his non-entity of a candidate was endorsed by Bongbong and Imee Marcos. Fellow columnist Jonathan de la Cruz also called to ask if what’s being circulated in some blogs is true--that I’ve gone over to the dummy’s side; to which I said, “When hell freezes over.”
This early, it seems, we can already witness how they’ll do anything to nab power the way Gloria Arroyo does.
(Tune in to 1098AM, Monday, Wednesday, and Friday, 6 p.m. to 7 p.m; Global News Network, Destiny Cable Channel 7’s Talk News TV, Tuesday, 8:15 p.m. to 9 p.m. on “The Battle of the Legacies: Marcos, Aquino, Estrada” with former Gov. Homobono Adaza and columnist Eric Espina; also visit http://hermantiulaurel.blogspot.com)
