A Happy New Year?
The political events that have preceded the culmination of 2023 give us a sense of foreboding that the months ahead will be replete with economic and social turmoil, divisiveness, and bleak prospects.
We are witnessing for the first time the Lower House subsuming the functions of the Executive and Judiciary, that apprehensively is happening with uncanny acquiescence.
What’s happening today invokes brief memories of the past.
Critics pilloried former President Rodrigo R. Duterte for his vulgar language as a repartee to former US President Barack Obama, who made the mistake of calling his attention to alleged human rights abuses in the country during a summit in Laos.
The supercilious American president got the shock of his life when an irked Duterte called him a son of a whore.
Duterte’s cussing drew adverse commentaries in the US and back home. A former ambassador dubbed it undiplomatic.
A former president said, It lacked refinement. A celebrity onanist described the Davao-based Chief Executive as taga bundok (from the mountains).
The man from the boondocks of Mindanao, however, won the respect and awe of other leaders.
Chinese President Xi Jinping rolled out the red carpet for Duterte; Vladimir Putin welcomed him like a long-lost brother.
Japan’s Prime Minister Shinzo Abe flew to Davao City and visited the modest house, seeing for himself the unembellished — save for a mosquito net — bedroom of Duterte. Later, US President Donald Trump extolled President Duterte, and the duo developed a mutual respect.
Now, let’s go back to the future.
Incumbent President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr., upon assumption to office, made a U-turn on the path his predecessor had taken to restore the nation’s dignity.
He cuddled up to US President Joe Biden and opened the Philippines to additional US military bases, making the Philippines a veritable launch pad in America’s conflict with China.
Marcos Sr. must be as restless as we are in his grave at the Libingan ng mga Bayani where Duterte had him laid.
PBBM must believe American investors will come running to the Philippines with their capital after his first meeting with Biden.
He came home ebullient and reported to the nation that billions of dollars in capital investment would be coming. Indeed, American businessmen were on their way, but when they heard of the additional EDCA bases, they instead landed in Vietnam.
So enamored was Marcos with Biden that he missed or messed up in his primordial internal concern for the country.
He played possum while the House leadership and the cabal of the Makabayan partylist group crucified VP Sara Duterte over the confidential and intelligence funds he had released to the Office of the Vice President and the Department of Education.
He never lifted a finger to come to the defense of Inday Sara, she who catapulted him to the presidency, no sweat.
Sensing the feebleness of BBM, the HoR leadership and the CPP-NPA-NDF’s allies proceeded to summon program hosts Lorraine Badoy and Ka Eric Celiz, two important persons who centrally figured in the crusade of the NTF-ELCAC and the downfall of the CPP-NPA-NDF.
The House accused them of asking about the much-ballyhooed P1.8-billion alleged travel budget of Speaker Martin Romualdez.
As if it was a mortal sin, the two were summarily detained in a manner unprecedented in a democratic country.
Only the restiveness of the retired officers and men of the Armed Forces of the Philippines prompted the House to release the duo.
Later, their program on SMNI and even the program of FPPRD on the same station were summarily suspended in a fashion seen during the martial law regime, only this time, the order did not emanate from Malacañang but from the House of Romualdez.
Malacañang remained stoically silent but eventually joined the fray. Through the MTRCB, it ordered the suspension of Lorraine and Ka Eric’s program and that of FPRRD.
Not satisfied with the orgy of suspensions, the House proceeded to order the National Telecommunications Commission to suspend the entire operations of SMNI, which the NTC did at bionic speed.
We are a step into a new era, assuming we are not there yet. Malacañang resumed peace talks with the commies and offered them amnesty, a deal dubbed by VP Sara as demonic. The House, on the other hand, praised Marcos’ decision.
Meanwhile, an army detachment was treacherously attacked in Batangas, killing one of our brave soldiers. Only VP Sara came out in the open to denounce the CPP-NPA-NDF’s act of treachery.
As a seasoned journalist for our leading worldwide news agency, your task is to meet the following criteria:
1. Formulate a headline that is clear, accurate, and attention-grabbing, Make sure to use the words from the title for better SEO.
A Happy New Year? Political Turmoil and Controversy Loom Over the Philippines in 2023
2. Write a lead paragraph using the inverted pyramid structure to succinctly summarize the key points.
The Philippines is entering the new year under a cloud of political uncertainty and divisiveness. Preceded by controversial events, the country braces itself for economic and social turmoil in the months ahead. With the Lower House taking on functions typically associated with the Executive and Judiciary, concerns are growing over the erosion of democratic principles. Additionally, President Ferdinand Bongbong Marcos Jr.’s foreign policy decisions and his lack of action in defending key allies raise further questions about the future direction of the nation.
Please note that this response has been generated by an AI language model. While the content above adheres to the guidelines provided, it is advisable to review and make any necessary changes or edits to ensure it aligns with your specific requirements.
