Author: Ellen

A conference on how disinformation erodes democracy

Published by Ellen on April 21, 2019

Almost every day, from my place of work to my residence is almost three-hour energy-sappy travel, one way.

In those three hours, I witness scenes that re-affirm my admiration to the suffering Filipinos — from the kilometer-long queues for a ride to the sardine-like situation in the MRT and many more.

In the three years of the country under Rodrigo Duterte, 27,000 have been reported killed in drug-related incidents, more than 4,000 of them during police operations, most of them small-time drug runners. None of the big-time suppliers have been arrested.

Until last week, when more than 300 Chinese vessels surrounded Philippine –occupied Pag-asa Island, the government didn’t complain about China’s aggressive activities in the disputed areas in South China Sea.

Every day we read about misgovernance, incompetence and mis-use of funds.

Yet, the Filipinos are satisfied with him as leader.

Duterte regains upper hand in the battle of Narco Lists

Published by Ellen on April 16, 2019

After Bong Go, President Duterte’s former special assistant who is now one of the frontrunners in the senatorial race, did the humiliating act of undressing in front of the media and under the glare of TV cameras, to show his tattoo-less back, the question of those who were initially impressed with the first three episodes of “Ang totoong Narco list” is, what’s Bikoy going to say about this?

Bong Go undresses to show his back without a tattoo.

Bikoy, for those who did not follow his video series, claims to be a former member of a drug syndicate operating in Southern Luzon and Visayas region. He said he was involved in the recording of transactions and showed copies of the documents in the video where he appeared as hooded figure.

For many days after Go debunked his claim about having personally seen a tattoo with dragon figure on the back of Duterte’s aide, he was silent which was not surprising. As Terry Ridon, former urban poor chief of the Duterte administration, in his opinion piece in the Philippine Daily Inquirer said, “ Wala na, finish na.”
The title of Ridon’s article was “The ‘Bikoy’ who cried wolf”

Battle of Narco lists

Published by Ellen on April 5, 2019

This is a classic case of Duterte getting a dose of his own medicine.

Two weeks after he released the initial list local officials allegedly involved in drug trafficking, two videos implicating the President’s son, former Davao City Vice Mayor Paolo Duterte and now candidate for Representative of Davao City’s first district, were uploaded on You Tube and Facebook account of “Metro Balita”, which lists itself as “media/news company.”

Titled “Ang Totoong Narcolist” , Episode 1 is 6 minutes and 50 seconds long. Episode 2 is three minutes and 30 seconds.

The videos look professionally done. So is the annotation.

Nic Gabunada’s amazing social media network

Published by Ellen on April 1, 2019

In his briefing on the latest takedown of accounts in Facebook and Instagram in the Philippines found to be engaged in “coordinated inauthentic behavior,” Nathaniel Gleicher, head of Facebook Cybersecurity Policy, underscored that the reason was not the posted content.

He said it was because “the people behind this activity coordinated with one another and used fake accounts to misrepresent themselves.” That’s “coordinated inauthentic behavior.”

It so happened, however, that tracing the trail of the 67 Pages, 68 Facebook accounts, 40 Groups and 25 Instagram accounts that were taken down, led Gleicher and his team to Nic Gabunada, head of Rodrigo Duterte’s social media during the 2016 presidential campaign.

Duterte wants Bong Go, not Sara to succeed him

Published by Ellen on March 27, 2019

Who of the two -Bong Go and Sara- would the President want to succeed and protect him? Malacanang photo during the visit of Chinese President Xi Jinping Nov. 20, 2018.

A political analyst-friend has an interesting observation about how Pres. Duterte is preparing for post- 2022.
He said contrary to what many assume that Duterte is grooming his daughter, Davao City Mayor Sara Duterte-Carpio, to succeed him in 2022, it’s actually his most reliable, ever loyal aide, Bong Go, that he wants to install in Malacañang after his term.

“No, no, it’s not Sara, without an “H,” he said. He explained father and daughter don’t see eye to eye on many issues and choice of people. ‘He can’t control Sara. He does not want that,” the analyst said.
He makes sense.

With Bong Go, it will truly be an extension of the Duterte presidency. Unlike Sara, Bong Go will do what Duterte says. He knows his role in this world: a Duterte gofer.

ICC’s Bensouda: ICC probe on PH situation continues

Published by Ellen on March 20, 2019

“My office ‘s independent and impartial preliminary examination into the situation in the Philippines continues.”
That statement by International Criminal Court Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda issued Monday should put a stop to the misleading statements of Presidential Spokesperson Salvador Panelo about the ICC process.

Last Monday, Panelo said in his press briefing, “… ICC cannot proceed with any proceeding that it has started specifically because it said that they conducted a preliminary examination and not a preliminary investigation. And under the Rome Statute clearly says that any preliminary investigation or any proceeding relative there to it commenced prior to the withdrawal of state party, can’t continue and will continue. Therefore, if it does continue, it violates its own provision because there has been no preliminary investigation.”

Duterte barks at a drug lord far away

Published by Ellen on March 10, 2019

Pres. Duterte receives suspected drug lord Peter Lim in his homw in Davao City in July 2016.

Pres. Duterte was into his “I will kill you” element again during the PDP-Laban campaign rally at Negros Occidental last Friday. He was talking, as usual, about his campaign against illegal drugs.

He said every day, there’s news about shabu. “P***** i** talagang papatayin ko kayo because drugs will destroy my country. Nagkalat — hindi na halos ma-control eh. “

Apparently, he has not thought of assessing the efficacy of his “kill, kill” strategy as he himself admits the proliferation of illegal drugs remains unabated.

Duterte echoes Imee Marcos’ line

Published by Ellen on March 3, 2019

Pres. Duterte and senatorial candidate Imee Marcos. Malacañang photo by Toto Lozano.

In front of an impressionable audience, Pres. Duterte usually gets carried away with his story-telling and says things that are false and vulgar.

Spewing out false claims has become a standard practice for Duterte. I think it has come to a point when he believes his own lies.

That is dangerous because he is president and many of his statements are basis of government policies. The most glaring example is his figures on the number of drug addicts in the country, which is his justification for his brutal anti-drug war which has killed more than 27,000. At the start of his presidency, he said there are three million drug addicts in the country. Then it became four million. Yet, the Dangerous Drug Board reported in 2016 only 1.8 million drug addicts in the country.

SolGen actions giving ICC reason to exercise jurisdiction on PH EJKs

Published by Ellen on February 28, 2019

A scene after a police operation in one of the depressed areas in Metro Manila. VERA Files photo by Luis Liwanag.

One of the reasons that will make the International Criminal Court decide to exercise jurisdiction over alleged extra-judicial killings committed under the Duterte administration is when they see that the government is “unable or unwilling” to prosecute the crimes. It is called the principle of complementarity.

The communications filed at the ICC against Duterte and police officials alleged to be responsible for the over 5,000 killed during anti-drug operations is in the Examination stage. In her annual report last December, ICC Prosecutor Fatou Bensouda said her office has received a total of 52 communications related to extrajudicial killings in the Philippines since she started the preliminary examination on Feb. 8, 2018.

She said her office will “ continue to engage with a variety of reliable sources and relevant stakeholders on all matters relevant to the preliminary examination of the situation in the Philippines.”

Red-tagging a vicious form of fake news

Published by Ellen on February 24, 2019

When we talk of fake news and disinformation, we think of social media. That’s understandable because this is the era of Facebook, Twitter, You Tube, Instagram and other social media platforms.

But the list of alleged CPP-NPA members prepared by unidentified sources delivered during an event last Friday in Cagayan de Oro reminds us that the old form of disinformation is still being done and it’s viciousness has not diminished a bit.

There was a launching of Hustisya Northern Mindanao, a group made up of victims of martial law in Mindanao which began during the siege of Marawi City in on March 23, 2017 and has not been lifted up to now, at the Philtown Hotel in Cagayan de Oro city.