NASAAN SI DIGONG?

HABANG nasa kasagsagan ng panalalasa kahapon ang bagyong “Rolly,” iisa ang tanong ng sambayanan: Nasaan si Duterte?” Iisa ang sagot ng mga netizen sa pilyong tanong: “Natutulog pa.” Nasanay ang sambayanan na wala si Rodrigo Duterte sa panahon ng krisis. Hindi siya nakikita; hindi siya naririnig.

May pilyong post sa social media si Rodolfo H. Divinagracia, isang netizen: “Ano ang solusyon sa covid? Sagot: Antayin ang vaccine. Ano ang solusyon sa bagyo? Sagot: Antayin mag-landfall ang bagyo.” Sabi ni Dionisio Rodero Bogta: “Problema [pitong oras] na nag-landfall, si Tatay Digong tulog pa rin sa Davao.”

Hindi mapigil ni netizen Alab Cruz na magsalita: “PNoy sa Daang Matuwid nasa Yolanda na naghahanda… Personal na nag- Public Warning a week ahead. Mas mabilis at magigiting ang NDRRMC, Cabinet, AFP, DSWD. Nasaan na ang mga hambog na Peoples Surge syndicate ng mga dynastic Trapos na gumawa ng fake news sa Yolanda?

“Ayan, mga tulog pa. Walang pagpapahalaga sa buhay at paghihirap ng tao. Pagkakakitaan pa ang disaster sa mga dolomitic projects at overpriced purchases.” Trending tuloy sa social media ang “nasaan ang pangulo.”

Hindi lider pang-krisis si Duterte. Nawawala sa eksena. Walang marinig sa kanya sa panahon ng krisis. Kung ihahambing sa ibang lider tulad ng mag-ina na Cory at Noynoy Aquino, wala si Duterte kahit sa dulo ng kuko. Umiiwas sa krisis si Duterte. Iresponsableng tao.

Ngunit nandiyan si Bong Go na nagsisilbing tagapagsalita ni Duterte sa panahon ng krisis. Ayon kay Bong Go, nasa Mindanao si Duterte at naka-monitor sa bagyo. Hindi ipinaliwanag ng alalay kung ano ang ibig sabihin ng “monitor.” Babalik sa Maynila si Duterte kung papayagan ng panahon, aniya. Hanggang doon lamang.

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MAY pahayag si ACT-CIS Party List Kin. Eric Go Yap, chair ng committee on appropriations ng Kamara de Representante, tungkol sa presidential directive na pag-ibayuhin ang kampanya kontra katiwalian: “Malinaw ang panawagan ng Pangulo na imbestigahan ang mga katiwalian sa pamahalaan and I support this effort 100 percent.

“Uunahin natin ang mga ahensyang may kinalaman sa pangongolekta ng buwis gaya ng Bureau of Customs. Matagal na panahon na sinasabing talamak ang corruption sa BOC pero binago ni Commissioner Guerrero ang imahe ng Bureau dahil sa mga repormang inumpisahan niya.

“Tutulungan natin si Commissioner Guerrero para hanapin ang anay sa ahensya, i-pinpoint ang mga tiwaling opisyal at linisin ang BOC. Hindi kayo untouchable, if you are doing corrupt practices, now is the best time to stop. Your time will come at sa parating na Bicameral Conference para sa 2021 National Budget, kung kailangang bawasan o tanggalan ng budget ang ahensya, gagawin natin dahil hindi sila nararapat makatanggap ng pondo mula sa kaban ng bayan.

“Tutulungan natin si Secretary Guevarra at magsusumite tayo ng mga reports sa DOJ upang makatulong sa panawagan ng Pangulo. Magbabantay tayo hanggang sa masampahan sila ng kaso sa Ombudsman at may mapanagot sa mga katiwalian sa Bureau of Customs.”

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MAY lathalain si Ibarra Mateo, isang mamamahayag, tungkol sa kanyang karanasan kay Cory Aquino tungkol sa lindol noong 1990. Pakibasa:

HISTORICAL TRIVIA DURING A TIME OF GRAVE CRISIS: On July 16, 1990, then President Corazon C. Aquino dressed up to deliver an address to a business conference (if I remember right). I was covering then the presidential beat.

Upon arrival at the Malacañang Presidential Palace, the great Luzon earthquake of 1990 struck the expanse of the provinces of Aurora and Nueva Ecija. Suddenly, there was a change of plan. Cory had to fly to Nueva Ecija, instead of giving the keynote address.

There was no time to change into the usual “jacket and trousers calamity get-up.” Columnists, who wrote from the comforts of their secured homes, attacked Cory’s dress and pumps. THIS IS ONE OF THE MANY REASONS WHY I HARDLY READ COLUMNS / PIECES BY SO-CALLED OPINION JOURNALISTS OR INFLUENCERS WHO WAS NEVER A SHOE-LEATHER JOURNALIST. They will never understand the grit of sources and journalists on the scene and on the ground. NEVER.

Most of the time, this species regurgitate first-hand information gathered by journalists and pepper them with their pontification masquerading as ANALysis.

Also, Cory’s intel provided her with information on the “dangerous but hot affairs” of reporters. She would rib budding couples or gently reprimand “violators” of the limits of the affairs of the hearts. Or if she cooked liver pate, she sent supots of pan de sal and bottles of her tasty liver pate to the press office.

One time, a FOCAP member was scheduled to interview her one-on-one. She found out the wife of this reporter just gave birth a few minutes before their meeting. After congratulating him, she dialed the number of the hospital where the wife of the journalist was confined. She then requested the journalist to talk to his wife.

Sadly, the handlers of PNoy forgot the lessons of this Cory episode on the Luzon earthquake of 1990. He went to a business event, instead of prioritizing an engagement with the families of the Mamasapano incident victims. This costly mistake hounded the Mar Roxas campaign.

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MGA PILING SALITA: “Ang hilig humingi nang emergency powers. Pero zero naman sa emergency response.” – Ibarra Mateo, mamamahayag

“Palace assures public that the president is readying a stockpile of coarse and obscene words for cursing the typhoon. And the victims.” – Alan Robles, mamamahayag

“The difference between resilience and competence is that one looks into the past and says “oh, shit” while the other looks into the future and says ‘Let’s do this!’ The jerks that killed ABS-CBN could not look forward. VP Robredo is skilled at looking forward.” – Joe America, netizen

“It’s bad enough that the President does not speak to provide assurances and direction. It doubles down on the insult when he sends the China CCP weasel out to speak for him.” – Joe America