“The Dutertes are truly trying to make us, I mean the nation, a big laughing stock in this part of the world”
IN MY earlier column about the resignation of Vice President Sara Duterte from the Marcos Cabinet as secretary of education, the days ahead will be interesting in politics.
With the Duterte father and two sons running for office, it will be a political ramble.
The Dutertes — former President Rodrigo Duterte running for the Senate, and with a son, Baste, now mayor of Davao City, running for the presidency and Paolo, now a representative of the same city, also running together with the father for the Senate, all gloves will be off as far as anti-Dutertes are concerned.
Santa Banana, I must say it’s better said in the vernacular, “ Masyadong bilib sila sa sarili!” (They really believe in themselves).
In politics, the news that Baste is being groomed for 2028 for the presidency is something like a teaser.
It’s all part of a script since everybody knows that it is Sara Duterte being groomed to run for president.
Mark my words, Sara and supporters will initiate a clamor for Sara to run in 2028, and Baste will give way. My gulay, the Dutertes must think the electorate are all stupid.
The question now is whether all the Dutertes will make it to the Senate.
Santa Banana, never in the history of Philippine politics are there as many members of a family running for the Senate.
Yes, there are the brother and sister Alan Peter Cayetano and Pia, mother and son Cynthia and Mark Villar in the Senate, but not an entire family!
How about their cats and dogs, are they also running?
I said the 2025 poll would be a ramble.
Santa Banana, the Dutertes are making fun of the Senate race. Do they really believe all of them can make it?
For one thing, the opposition are now maneuvering to stop the Dutertes from making the 2025 polls a mockery and a historical comedy.
There’s for instance a move to have a united ticket, hopefully, with the alliance of the Marcos administration to stop the Dutertes, realizing the Dutertes are making the polls a mockery.
The Dutertes are truly trying to make us, I mean the nation, a big laughing stock in this part of the world.
Ban the POGOs
The outcry for the banning of Philippine Offshore Gaming Operators (POGOs) can no longer be ignored by President Marcos Jr., not only because of social costs to the country, but because of the threat to national security, after criminal syndicates from China entered the country and had connections with local criminal syndicates, engaging in kidnap for ransom, torture , human trafficking and other criminal activities.
I can believe what the Department of National Defense and the National Security Council had said that POGos have become a threat to national security.
Santa Banana, following all our troubles with China at the West Philippine Sea and our own Exclusive Economic Zone over disputed waters, POGOs are actually a hole in the head.
Now the Catholic Bishops Conference of the Philippines has joined the clamor to ban POGOs.
The big question is: Is the reported P20 billion the government is collecting from POGO worth all the social costs that the country is facing because of the POGOs?
Santa Banana, it is even said that at so many police raids, even uniforms of members of the People’s Liberation Army of Communist China were found.
This means some of the POGO workers who entered the country from mainland China are “sleeper cells” from China.
In other words, POGOs have become a means of China invading the country without our knowledge.
Is there no better argument for President Marcos Jr. in exercising his political will finally to ban POGOs once and for all?
China itself bans illegal gambling, and we are tolerating illegal gambling where its social and economic costs far outweigh what the government is getting from them.
My gulay, even the Chinese Embassy in Manila has sought banning the POGOs because the POGOs are promoting ill-feelings between China and the Philippines.
Would you believe, Santa Banana, there are at least 300 POGOs operating illegally.
And with the 2025 polls coming up, it would not even be surprising that illegal POGOs will interfere with the results of the election, my gulay, considering that the local government people will need POGO money.
Go for it Bongbong, ban the POGOs. It’s the call of the hour! What are you waiting for?