Punchline
The archbishop’s fake news
By Ermin Garcia Jr.
I do try to give the good Archbishop Soc Villegas the benefit of the doubt that his constant direct and indirect criticisms of President Duterte and his government are not politically motivated but sharing moral guidance from God.
But hard as I try to believe him, his selective justification for his narrative of the evils of the Duterte administration tell me and many others that his statements are aimed at lending to efforts of the political opposition.
Two weeks ago, he chose to use the Ten Commandments to justify his renewed attack on the government. I could not help but dispute some of his biblical claims.
Then last week, Archbishop Soc enunciated what ails our country during a forum on March 27 at the PHINMA – University of Pangilinan in Dagupan City with one caveat – “One good vote can change kahirapan, korapsyon, kabastusan, kasinungalingan and kamatayan or 5Ks,” so he says.
With the exception of one, the four he listed are nothing new: kahirapan, korapsyon, kasinungalingan and kamatayan. These are the ills that have plagued our country for decades but which he never called attention to until now. In fact, all four issues were the same issues that catapulted Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte to power. But leave it to Mr. Archbishop to repackage his presentation like these were invented by Mr. Duterte.
I only found it ironic that he does it even as the government is clearly introducing reforms to combat these, pursuing programs creating more jobs and protecting abused OFWs, exhibiting political will to curb corruption, and adopting a hard stance against illegal drugs and criminality to improve peace and order.
Perhaps the only new addition is kabastusan, obviously referring to President Duterte’s oft repeated signature cussing in public whether he’s addressing the clergy, drug lords, ninja cops or corrupt government officials. I believe the criticisms are par for the course after all, we’ve never had a president in the past who was a mayor all his life who lived by colorful language in governing his city’s affairs.
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FAKE NEWS AND LIE. It is his examples of kasinungalingan and kamatayan issues that struck me.
He described kasinungalingan as “spread of fake news.” To be more specific, he said “ A candidate who spreads fake news is not pro-God,” he said.
Then, Kamatayan he said is “about the 30,000 people who have been allegedly killed in the government’s anti-drug war. “To underscore the core issue, doesn’t mean we are pro-drugs. We hate drugs but death is not the solution,” he said.
“Can we bring back the 30,000 lives of our fellowmen who were lost?,” he asked.
Wow! Isn’t Mr. Archbishop aware that it is he who continues to spread fake news, that 30,000 were killed in the war on drugs?
The “30,000” deaths claim has already long been discredited in 2017. Those who invoked it never attributed the claim to any credible source. Mr. Archbishop never did, because he can’t. The fact is, not even the Commission on Human Rights and Human Rights Watch admitted they didn’t have the data and facts to back that claim. To the two agencies credit, they have stopped invoking the “30,000 victims” in their criticisms of the war on drugs.
Note: PDEA and PNP records as of 2018, show only a little over 6,000 drug suspects were killed as a result of buy-bust operations and raids of drug dens, all of which are under investigation.
But why the archbishop continues to lie about this only validates his motive as political. The “30,000” deaths he maliciously quotes could just very well be the sum total of murder and homicide cases reported during the Aquino administration over a period including the 44 SAF men killed in Mamasapano.
Does he honestly think that as bishop his numbers and sources can’t be questioned or discredited, because his is the voice of God? Oh boy… that would be a sin against the Second Commandment: “Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.”
I challenge his data if only to set the records straight. Show the country your records, Mr. Archbishop! Gee, I wonder if he thinks I violated a commandment for challenging him.
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VOTE-BUYING SPREE. The official campaign period for local elections is on. (The unofficial campaign started in mid- 2018).
Given merely less than 45 days to campaign, the period does not allow for real discernment of candidates’ platform, if any. The period is really all about collecting pledges of commitments earned before March 29 with promised cash to boot.
Any discussion of political affairs would dwell mostly on black propaganda and fake news. The only candidate who’d waste voters’ time with his/her platform would be the candidate who doesn’t have the means to buy votes, distribute goodies, pay for hospitalization of voters, etc.
Vote-buying, therefore, as a violation of Omnibus Election Code is a big joke. As far as the candidates and vote-sellers are concerned, it is a law to reckon with until someone files a case otherwise, it’s what campaign is all about in Pinoyland.
In fact, when Comelec commissioner Luie Tito Guia made an appeal to voters to report vote-buying activities, he didn’t bother to explain what happens when someone files a case. Why? Because it is tedious and Comelec would not have the material time to adjudicate campaign violations except noted overspending by the candidates as reported by the candidates themselves.
Let me guess how the process will go: The complainant must file a notarized affidavit, citing evidence of vote-buying (picture, money passed, etc.) appear as witness in scheduled hearings at complainant’s expense. The complaint will be disputed by the alleged candidate or supporter of the candidate. How do you suppose the complaint will end?
I’m afraid Mr. Guia was actually just doing a lip service to that law because Comelec would actually dread receiving such a complaint especially if the respondent is an incumbent congressman.
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BIG JOKES ON COMELEC. The other big joke in the Comelec law is the designation of “common poster areas”!
The common poster areas in towns/barangays are almost always deserted by candidates because these are located in empty lots that are isolated.
The believe they have found a loophole in the law. They ask supporters to install their tarps on their gates, doors and walls of their houses, or strewn behind tricycles and sides of buses and jeepneys regardless of size.
And since candidates who violate the common poster area provision are not really made accountable, the candidates leave it to Comelec to spend and remove their illegally posted posters left hanging on electric posts, tall trees, etc. Note: the law does not make violators to pay for the dismantling of their illegally posted and installed illegal-sized campaign materials.
Aaah… that’s the other big joke – the specified sizes of posters and streamers. The violations are all there plainly to see.
It’s time the local election officials petition Congress to amend the election code and to either improve or delete the provision in the law that makes them look inutile and helpless.
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