Rey Umali is dead at 63. A netizen exclaims, "Good riddance!"

During his last term in Congress, Rey Umali was the Chairman of the House Committee on Injustice. He served as Dutae's pitbull in the political persecution of Chief Justice Maria Lourdes Sereno and Senator Leila de Lima. Below are two (2) past articles of Mareng Winnie in the Philippine Daily Inquirer that remind us of the devastating damage Rey Umali has wrought upon our democratic institutions--in his efforts to convince Dutae of his undying allegiance.

Yet, in spite of doing the bidding of Dutae with respect to Chief Justice Sereno and Senator De Lima, former president GMA appeared to prevail over Dutae when she assumed the Speakership of the House and virtually wiped-out Rey Umali's pork barrel allocation in the 2nd District of Oriental Mindoro.

For those of you with short memories, Rey Umali (when he was on the right side of history) was also instrumental in the impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona and Ombudsman Merceditas Gutierrez, who were lackeys of former president GMA. Naturally, GMA exacted her revenge on Rey Umali when she assumed the Speakership of the House. Apparently, Rey Umali's brazen political turncoatism, like a groveling lapdog, was too much for even Dutae, who simply used him (RU) for his (Dutae's) political gain and then threw him under the bus when GMA entered the picture.

And to all those Mindoreños who were hoodwinked into voting for the Umalis (Alfonso Umali Jr., brother of Rey Umali, is now the Congressman of the 2nd District of Oriental Mindoro), you should know that Rey Umali was receiving kickbacks from the private diesel power plants in Oriental Mindoro in exchange for delaying the electrical interconnection between Batangas and Calapan (still NOT done to this day), which would substantially improve the electricity supply in the entire Island of Mindoro but would put these private diesel power plants out of business (and eliminate the corresponding kickback of Rey Umali). I wonder if Mrs. Umali is still receiving these kickbacks, now that her husband is dead.

All in all, I would concur with the netizen. Good riddance, indeed, and may you sear in intense pain for all eternity in hell.

In the midst of Dutae's clusterfuck on the COVID vaccination program, his lackeys in Congress have the temerity to resurrect Charter Change

 House to resume charter change hearings ABS-CNS News, January 6, 2021

Typical of the double-speak and deception of Dutae, the press release is to tackle only restrictive economic provisions.

“The directive of the Speaker is to tackle proposed amendments to restrictive economic provisions,” Garbin said, referring to Speaker Lord Allan Velasco, who, on July 18, 2019, filed Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 proposing amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution.

However, the article also states that the initiative seeks to amend Articles II, XIV and XVI, which are provisions in the Constitution that prevent foreign ownership of land and businesses in the country.

Article II of the Constitution has no bearing on foreign ownership of land and businesses in the country. However, Section 26 of Article II states the following:

"The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be defined by law."

Note that since the passage of the 1987 Philippine Constitution, both the Lower House and the Senate have deliberately neglected and, more recently, actively opposed the passage of any law that would define and give teeth to this anti-political dynasty provision in the Constitution. This is best exemplified by one of the foremost ass-licker of Dutae, Cayetano, who actually argued that term limits created political dynasties. Talk about an utterly shameless and uber thick-skinned politician.

Hence, Cayetano's position and therefore the position of Dutae et al, who would want nothing more than to perpetuate their cozy plundering political dynasties, is that the removal of term limits would eliminate political dynasties. How about that as a textbook example of the "big lie"!

And speaking of the "big lie," the said Resolution of Both Houses No. 2 (allegedly proposing amendments to certain economic provisions of the 1987 Constitution) filed by another two of the foremost errand boys of Dutae, Bato dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino, states:

"NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, as it is hereby resolved, by the Senate and the House of Representatives, to constitute the 18th Congress as a Constituent Assembly pursuant to Section 1, paragraph 1 of Article XVII of the 1987 Constitution, for the purpose of adopting amendments, limited to the provisions on democratic representation and the economic provision of the Constitution."

In short, Dutae et al really intend to amend Section 26 of Article II in the manner they deem will "eliminate" political dynasties, which is to remove term limits. Clear as light of day.

Ladies and gentlemen, watch out for another grand deception by Dutae, as he and his cronies in the legislature surreptitiously insert their self-serving "anti-political dynasty" provisions in the Constitution, which will actually legalize, reinforce, institutionalize and perpetuate political dynasties in the Philippines--a complete and absolute abomination of the 1987 Philippine Constitution.

MAGNANAKAW INC. under the auspices of Dutae

Needless to say, if you don't want your children and your children's children to be enslaved by these entitled and corrupt political dynasties (to name a few), you will need to fight for a GENUINE ANTI-POLITICAL DYNASTY LAW, which does not even require a charter change and is, in fact, over 30 years past due.

Write your Congressman and all the Senators and ask them to prioritize the passage of a GENUINE ANTI-POLITICAL DYNASTY LAW even before any talks on charter change.

On the peaceful transfer of power and the newest member of the third-world community

In the early morning hours of March 4, 1801, John Adams, the second president of the United States, quietly left Washington, D.C. under cover of darkness. He would not attend the inauguration ceremony held later that day for his former friend—now political rival—Thomas Jefferson, who would soon replace Adams in the still-unfinished presidential mansion.

On the heels of his humiliating defeat in the previous year’s election, Adams was setting an important precedent. His departure from office marked the first peaceful transfer of power between political opponents in the United States, now viewed as a hallmark of the nation’s democracy. Since then, the loser of every presidential election in U.S. history has willingly and peacefully surrendered power to the winner, despite whatever personal animosity or political divisions might exist . . . 

(https://www.history.com/news/peaceful-transfer-power-adams-jefferson)

. . . that is, until Trump.

Having experienced the dictatorial regime of Marcos and reliving an equally nightmarish regime of Dutae in the Philippines today, I am no stranger to the political machinations of fascist dictators, their "big-lie" approach to achieve wholesale public deception, their incessant use of intimidation, coercion and violence to get their way at any cost, their brazen and systemic destruction of democratic institutions and the whole shebang of corruption and ineptitude of political cronies (political dynasties in the case of the Philippines) and the entire government bureaucracy. These are the traits of a typical third-world nation . . . and, to a large extent, the Trump Administration.

One of the key features of the Philippine political landscape is that the powers that be never lose an election, regardless of the cheating, vote-buying, intimidation and violence involved. And, if by some miracle (which has actually happened on rare occasions in the Philippines), the one in power is finally overthrown (usually at the great expense and to the detriment of the people), that crook and their cronies never seem to be held accountable for any of their crimes in office--much less punished for the same.

No doubt, Trump has singlehandedly ushered the greatest bastion of democracy into the unenviable realm of third-world nations. The question is, will Trump and his Trumptards be punished for their crimes? In the absence of any swift and severe punishment on Trump and his supporters (in Congress and at large), the USA would most assuredly be plunging into the cesspool of the third-world.

Back in the day when Marcos and his closest cronies fled the Philippines like a bunch of pussies, the country lost a supreme opportunity to sear the most important lesson of all into the minds of even the most ignorant Filipinos--crimes must be punished and, in particular, plunderers must be executed. At that time, plunder was a capital offense subject to the death penalty. Hence, it would have been perfectly legal to summarily execute the entire family of Marcos and his cronies--preferably in the tradition of the French guillotine, although decapitation by bolo would have been a uniquely Filipino-style of public execution.

The closest we have gotten to any kind of justice was the conviction of ERAP but that really didn't drive home the point because GMA and the legislature (who are mostly plunderers themselves) abolished capital punishment  and GMA herself pardoned ERAP for his crime of plunder, who would otherwise have been kept in prison for the rest of his life. As a result, ERAP (a convicted plunderer) went on his merry way to resume his spectacular political career and became the Mayor of the City of Manila for two-terms!

PNoy managed to get us pretty close to some semblance of justice when the likes of GMA, Enrile, Jinggoy Estrada and Bong Revilla were all nearly convicted of plunder but that all went poof when Dutae entered the picture. The rest, as they say, is history--a history that, sadly, has no reckoning whatsoever on crimes of plunder and, in less than 30 years, has brought the Philippines back to another Marcosian era of Dutae that appears to even be gaining momentum.

As much as I hate to make excuses, most Dutaetards in the Philippines are relatively poor and uneducated in a country where a decent education is not easy to obtain, which cannot be said of their counterparts (the Trumptards) in the USA. Ok, perhaps most of the Trumptards are uneducated but this is really inexcusable because quality education is so accessible in the United States.

I do NOT relish this downward spiral of the USA and wish the Biden Administration all the best in undoing all the damage brought about by Trump. Unlike the Philippine experience with Marcos and all the other plundering politicians in the country that have cemented their political dynasties, I sincerely hope the Biden Administration reckons swiftly and severely with the crimes of Trump and his cronies/supporters; otherwise, the USA will most certainly come full circle with another derivation of the Trump presidency in the future--only worse.

Relishing the Demise of Juan Ponce Enrile

For starters, I quote verbatim a portion of the article entitled "The Three Kings of the United Nationalist Alliance" dated February 20, 2013 by Virtual Vigilante published by GetRealPost:

Juan “Johnny” Ponce Enrile

Once upon a time, Enrile was just another down and out offspring out of wedlock, growing-up in the boondoks. He had a prominent father, a mother from humble origins, more than his fair share of suffering and humiliation, and all the hang-ups associated with this scenario in that particular era of Philippine society. Through education, Enrile discovered that he was simply . . . brilliant, and he exploited it (still does) to his fullest advantage. Early in life, Enrile realized that talent and perseverance would not suffice. He sued his father and won the right to use his surname. He studied at Harvard and practiced law in his father’s law firm. He could now go head-to-head with any brat from any prominent family in Manila. Yet, just when he thought he could break into the “crème de la crème” of Philippine society, Enrile hit another brick wall. The old establishment never accepted him in their inner circle . . . and they would pay dearly for it.

Marcos’ vision of a “New Society” or “Bagong Lipunan” struck a chord with Enrile. He aligned himself with Marcos because this was his fast-track to power and fortune, and his revenge on the old clique. As the Defense Minister of Marcos, Enrile was one of the prime architects of Martial Law, which cemented the dictatorship and the grand pillage of Marcos and his cronies (Enrile included). When Enrile observed the precarious state of the Marcos dictatorship, he deftly maneuvered his defection to the opposition as a brave act of patriotism. In fact, he betrayed his long-standing benefactor when the same was clearly on his way out. Then, he parlayed his act of treachery to re-launch his political career under the new administration and, just as importantly, to protect and nurture the substantial ill-gotten wealth he had accumulated in the previous regime. Ever forgetful and always forgiving, Filipinos generously granted Enrile a clean slate, which he has cleverly exploited to the hilt up to his current august position as the Senate President.

Enrile has always been close to the pinnacles of power because politics has been and remains the biggest racket in town. Through the years, he has successfully projected himself as serving the public interest but, in fact, he has served primarily his own self-interest. Today, Enrile has the gall to foist his son, Jackie (former juvenile delinquent, rapist and killer), to the people as a Senator no less. Contemporary revisionist history regurgitated by unethical (i.e., bribed) media to spread the “big lie” in the manner of Hitler and Marcos regarding the “mythology” around Jackie--that his past transgressions were merely a smear campaign by General Ver. How preposterous! Yet, Enrile is quick to go on the offensive (what’s the point of having all this power after all?), to bully and to beat down any kind of dissent (however truthful), and have the temerity to characterize himself as the victim--see “Enrile files P31-M damage suit vs ad veteran” at  Enrile files P31-M damage suit vs ad veteran. For sure, Jackie landing a seat in the Senate would be Enrile’s greatest con job, allowing the old man to close his eyes, knowing the next generation of Enriles will continue to reap the benefits of political power and ill-gotten wealth.

Lest you forget, Johnny, you have enjoyed a phenomenally successful political career due to the generosity (and/or stupidity) of Filipinos. Either way, don’t push your luck with Jackie. (Enrile thinks, “If Marcos can do it, then I sure as hell can do it too!”)

The above article was written just after Johnny's 89th birthday, when he had the opportunity to pass the baton, so to speak, to his son, Jackie, a certified delinquent who was never held accountable for his past iniquities and who now appears to hide behind the veneer of a born-again Christian.

I thought then that the Philippines would soon be rid of this monumental TRAPO relatively soon. But as the old Filipino adage says, "Ang masamang damo ay matagal mamatay." (Translation: Bad grass dies hard.)

Fast forward to 2018, like others, I wondered about Johnny's secret behind his longevity. A netizen wrote:

“Ano kayang diet niya? (I wonder what his diet is.) A cup of soup made from the blood of virgins. A side of the souls of unborn children. Two servings of the flesh of the innocent,” she wrote. “And his exercise probably consists of seven shots of stem cell treatment.”

I would only add that these "shots of stem cell treatment" (which are beyond the reach of even people with some means) are financed by Johnny's lifetime plunder of our natural resources and national coffers.

In February 2021, Johnny will be turning 97. Methinks he's the next in line in my top ten list (as of June 2020) of plunderers and scumbags currently at the pre-departure area destined for hell:

1.     Juan Ponce Enrile, 96 turning 97

2.     Imelda Marcos, 91

3.     Estelito Mendoza, 90

4.     Danding Cojuangco, 85 and already checked into hell

5.     Bobby Ongpin, 83

6.     ERAP, 83

7.     Binay, 78

8.     Dutae, 75

9.     First Gentleman, 74

10.   GMA, 73

It's hard to say though, because knowing Johnny, he must have negotiated a damn good deal when he sold his soul to the devil.

Yet another clusterfuck of Dutae that keeps on going to the detriment of the Filipino

 As if a partial disclosure of an illegal act would extricate him from guilt, Dutae revealed the day after Christmas (2020) that vaccines (not yet approved or permitted by the Philippine FDA) were already given to some people in government.

“Sabihin ko, marami na magpa-injection dito sa Sinopharm (I’ll say it, many here have been injected with Sinopharm)…. I have to be frank, I have to tell the truth,” Duterte claimed, leaving his men to make sense of the searing issue.

On December 28, after Dutae's attempt to cover his ass on the issue, Philippine Army chief Lieutenant General Cirilito Sobejana did his own CYA (Cover Your Ass) routine and said the vaccination of soldiers followed the chain of command. 

“Of course, our President is our commander-in-chief of the AFP (Armed Forces of the Philippines). I should say it's from the chain of command of the Armed Forces,” he told DWIZ when asked if the decision came from Malacañang or the AFP. 

Thereafter, typical of Dutae and his lying blundering cohorts, the web of lies and asinine excuses ensue.

It turns out the illegal actions taken by the Presidential Security Group (PSG) are entirely for the benefit of Dutae. So, of course, the illegal vaccination of PSG personnel using the Sinopharm vaccine (the safety and efficacy of which is still in question and has not yet been approved by the Philippine FDA) was instigated, ordered and enabled by Dutae for his own self-preservation. Yet, he washes his hands on the matter. How much lower can a human being get? I suppose Trump comes in second to Dutae in the sub-human category.

Here are some of the convoluted statements of Dutae's underlings on the matter:

• In a virtual press briefing, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque threw it back to the military, saying the decision “must have been made” by them since vaccines would not reach soldiers without the go-signal of commanders. First line of defense, initiate the blame game. Pass the buck.

• Overnight, statements would continue to change and take shape. Asked to comment on the Army’s remarks, Roque said he was not aware of what the Armed Forces claimed. “They must be privy to that information, I am not,” he said, adding he did not interfere with what could involve “national security.” Second line of defense, it's a "national security" issue. It's top secret so no one can be held accountable.

• On the side of health officials, FDA Director General Enrique Domingo told media he was not aware of who made the decision to have soldiers vaccinated and that Health Secretary Francisco Duque III seemed to be in the dark too. “I spoke to Secretary (Duque), nagulat din po siya (he was also surprised),” Domingo said. Third line of defense, it wasn't me so I can't be held accountable. Classic CYA.

• The FDA chief was careful to answer questions that “speculated” on who was responsible, instead seeking to wait on more information from a probe the agency had launched. He doubted Duterte sanctioned the unregulated immunization, saying, “Hindi naman po siguro galing sa pangulo iyon ano” (That probably didn’t come from the President.) Fourth line of defense, speculate and shield Dutae.

• At least the FDA chief had the finesse to speculate that the order "probably didn't come from the President." DILG Secretary Año had no qualms lying categorically when he said that the President never ordered the PSG personnel or military men to be injected. Fifth line of defense, lie and shield Dutae.

• “Alam mo kasi that is what you call privacy, kumbaga confidential ‘yun eh. (That is what you call privacy; it is tantamount to being confidential). You cannot divulge because I might be violating his privacy, but I know some from the Cabinet and from the Presidential Security Group,” Año said in a radio interview. Sixth line of defense, it's private and confidential, so the violators cannot be divulged (never mind that it's illegal). More excuses (minimize the issue) and, worse, stonewall.

• Año explained that the vaccines could already be used especially by health workers and other frontliners because of the emergency use authorization (EUA). He noted that the vaccine can be used for the health workers and frontliners even if it has not been formally approved by the FDA. This is in direct conflict with the statement of FDA chief Domingo, "It is illegal to import an unregistered drug, to distribute it, and for a doctor or a medical practitioner or any health personnel to administer unlicensed drugs in the country.” Seventh line of defense, lie some more and confuse the public.

• The statement again changed when Durante said in an interview on ANC on Saturday, December 30, that the PSG did its own research on what vaccine to use for its unit. They did not ask permission from Duterte who was supposedly told only after the fact, he said. Eight line of defense, assume the blame and shield Dutae. This time they are finally starting to get their deception in order.

• Durante said he was taking "full responsibility" over the PSG's use of an unapproved vaccine, that it was done "independently," and no one convinced them do it. "We vaccinated ourselves. It's so easy," he said. Ninth line of defense, pin it on the small fry. How much do you want to bet that Durante will be fired from his current position and then promoted to an even higher and more lucrative government post?

• Tenth line of defense, justify it (never mind that it's illegal).

• Eleventh line of defense, it's none of your business. Fuck accountability and fuck you all! I'm getting my promotion soon.

"Oh what a tangled web they weave when at first they start to deceive." Walter Scott

Indeed, some animals are more equal than others!

The above zarzuela is a convenient distraction to the public while DOH Secretary Duque (and therefore Dutae) drops the ball on providing an effective and timely COVID vaccine for Filipinos, and, worse, imposes an unproven, potentially unsafe (even deadly) and more costly alternative.

That, ladies and gentlemen, is Dutae and his rotten administration.

Postscript

Final line of defense, Dutae defends the PSG and all other government institutions cower like a bunch of pussies. Dutae rejects the calls for a Senate investigation. He instructs the PSG to disobey summons. The Armed Forces of the Philippines, which has jurisdiction over the PSG, stops its own probe into the criminal liability of the soldiers involved. Even the Philippine FDA Director General, Eric Domingo, sucked-up to Dutae, by agreeing to issue compassionate special permits (CSPs) to small groups, like the PSG, even without an emergency use authorization.

In the meantime, not a single COVID vaccine has been approved by the Philippine FDA outside an emergency use authorization, even as other countries are well beyond the approval of vaccines and are already vaccinating their populations--starting with frontliners, then the elderly and so on.

Local government units and private companies are struggling to gain access to properly tested COVID vaccines (i.e., not the ones from China) but are finding out that these reputable COVID vaccine manufacturers (at least at this time) are only willing to supply through the national government, which, in our case, has and continues to manifest an astounding level of incompetence, ineptitude and corruption throughout the entire COVID pandemic saga in the Philippines. It's has come down to a situation of "every man for himself" with Dutae just taking care of himself and to hell with the rest of the country.

Why does the Philippine FDA even exist? Heck, why does the national government even exist, when it has proven itself to be an utterly useless layer of government that is merely delaying and completely bungling a so-called national COVID vaccination program. Consider the following statement from the country's vaccine czar, Carlito Galvez Jr.:

"Once a COVID-19 vaccine is approved by Philippine authorities, the government aims to vaccinate around 60 million to 70 million of its citizens in 3 to 5 years."

We're about 110 million today and will be about 120 million in 5 years. So, that is less than 60% of the population vaccinated in 5 years--which does NOT even make the cut for herd-immunity (which experts have initially placed at 60 to 70% but are shifting upwards to as much as 85%). At the most fundamental level, even the target and schedule of the so-called national COVID vaccine program (where LGU's and private companies are scrambling like every man for himself) reek of gross incompetence (which actually pervades in all aspects at all levels of Philippine government and has taken a steeper dive into the abysmal hell hole of a failed state with Dutae playing with himself at the helm).

Disgusting does not even begin the describe the situation. One envoy of a vaccine manufacturing country (not China) disclosed the following to a private citizen, who is a credible and recognized leader at the forefront of our frontline workers in the healthcare sector:

"Your country (i.e., national government) officials just keep flirting with us. No Commitment. If they (national government officials) don't commit, then your country will lose your allocation."

Another envoy of another vaccine manufacturing country (not China) said that a major negotiation fell through because certain government officials in charge were waiting for kickback.

Surely, there is a special place in the innermost circle of Dante's inferno for these government officials.

No wonder the COVID vaccination program of the Philippines is virtually non-existent to this day. Look closely at the illustration below. As of December 11, 2020, the Philippines has only 3 million COVID vaccines committed by Oxford (AstraZeneca)--in contrast to 338 million COVID vaccines already committed to Indonesia. In short, the performance of Dutae et al is way beyond pathetic and tantamount to another round of mass murders. Par for the course for Dutae, of course. Look at the bright side, the Philippines now has a population control program by default.

Never you mind, because according to False Asia, Sara Duterte has a damn good chance of cheating her way to the presidency in 2022. Mabuhay si Dutae! Mabuhay si Sara!