Philippines: National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) – Update #3 – NAMFREL Reports on Statistics from the Bandwidth Test and Election Returns Photos Submission Through the NAMFREL App (09.05.2022)

Philippines: LENTE – LENTE observes persistent election offenses and irregularities (09.05.2022)

Philippines: National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) – NAMFREL Statement on Restrictions to the Public on Observing Closing of Voting and Taking Pictures of the Posted Election Returns (09.05.2022)

Philippines: National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) – Update #2 – Pockets of violence and intimidation mar an otherwise generally peaceful election day (09.05.2022)

Philippines: LENTE – LENTE observes long queues, technical and non-technical issues, and unlawful electioneering as the 2022 National and Local Elections open (09.05.2022)

Philippines: National Citizens’ Movement for Free Elections (NAMFREL) – NAMFREL releases preliminary observations on the 2022 National and Local Elections (09.05.2022)

Philippines: Moro National Liberation Front (MNLF) & Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF) – Joint Statement of Support to the Candidacies of VP Leni Robredo as President and Mayor Sara Z. Duterte-Carpio as Vice President (07.05.2022)

Opinion: Was this Attorney Vic Rodriguez campaign or BBM’s?

For as long as I can remember, the Spokesperson of the Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Junior Campaign, Attorney Vic Rodriguez has been the vocal one and his the voice of the BBM Presidential Campaign. That is another sign of weakness from the Presidential Candidate.

Rodriguez is the voice, the man of reason and the man of all seasons. He has been everywhere. While the Presidential Candidate has made puff pieces, videos for social media and commercials, but also participate on stages at campaign rallies. However, one-to-one interviews, public debates or COMELEC debates he has dipped out of.

That’s why he has been less vibrant and not in people’s faces. Maybe it is for a reason why Rodriguez is more out there. He has a way with words and knows the meaning of them. While the team is manufacturing what the candidate is saying. Because, they don’t trust his charisma or character in the public.

Maybe the team was afraid that the real “Bong Bong” would be revealed. It is easier to make him look loveable and brilliant for a few moments on stage. Than making him dodge hard questions or hear some possible insults at a debate. Neither would the world be able see him in long interview by an “unfriendly” or by “hostile” media-house. He has dodged it all and seemed like he was worried about the possible questions coming his way. It is really frightening that a man like that has been a front-runner and his been running away from every stress test possible.

Instead, we have seen Rodriguez answering all the media houses, publishing statements and seeing him creating headlines painting BBM in a good light. Nevertheless, if we didn’t know better… it would make more sense of Rodriguez to stand as a man and be the candidate. He has answered and been questioned. Which haven’t happened to Marcos Junior at all.

That is the entitlement and arrogance of “Bong Bong” is very evident. While he thinks this is a wise move, as his dipping through the traffic jam of campaigning and debating. Marcos Junior have gotten away and not taking an interview for the job. His trying to become the Head of State and the biggest representative of the Filipino Nation.

It is really striking that BBM is either afraid or has some personal issues with the press. Since his been so reluctant to show up. That’s why we know Vic, we have seen the attorney and read his quotes. He has spoken his peace and stood in front of the press conferences. Nevertheless, Marcos Junior have not been seen. He just vanished and only popped up for a brief moment at the rallies and went away. Maybe he was part of convoys to the campaign arenas too, but not that he was there for long either.

That’s why it’s weird so close to the end. That we know the Spokesperson better than the Candidate. The man who we are supposed to know and trust. His hidden behind the spokesperson and not been selling himself. Only sold on well-prepared and parts of promotional material, but not elsewhere. Neither has opened himself and played outside his comfort-zone. That’s why we don’t know how we will act under stress or when his under fatigue. No, we know none of that… but we know what Rodriguez will say and how he will defend “Bong Bong” Marcos.

So, my question is … was this Att. Vic Rodriguez campaign or BBM’s?

We know the answer, but we can wonder. If you study headlines and whatnot. You will find Rodriguez all over it. That should have been a worry, but it has been a strategy and I can just wonder if this will backfire. Peace.

Philippines: Commission on Elections (COMELEC) – Task Force Kontra Bigay (06.05.2022)

Halalan2022: A memo on the top 4 Presidential Candidates 10 days to the polls…

A teddy bear, a son of a dictator, a soft-core actor and a boxer. What do these all have in common? Well, they are now a part of the final stages to the polls in the Philippines. The stage is now getting set and COMELEC is preparing things. The final preparations are in order and the last part of the campaigns are happening too.

Now, the ones who haven’t made up their mind …. they got and should. The teams are already there. The Front-Runners have been clear for month. Two candidates have run high and mighty. This being Ferdinand “Bong Bong” Marcos Junior and Leni Robredo. They are stark contrasts and very different.

Former Senator BBM or Bong Bong isn’t very transparent or accountable. No, he is very selective and defensive. Not the sort of fella that you can interview or question. By any means… he prefers prefixed questionaries and puff pieces. The sort of man who is arrogant and entitled to return to the Presidential Palace like his father did in the past. The son of the dictator who has never supported or been part of EDSA. You can wonder if he will do that in office or dismiss it. As he remembers that as the time the Republic fought his father’s tyrannical reign and the agony of the marshal law. Alas, the son might be different, but he shows utter arrogance that would linger in office.

While Vice-President Leni Robredo is open, participating and answering. You might not agree with her or every political stance she has. However, everything isn’t scripted prepared or even published as fluff. No, she is pushed, dragged and belittle all over. Not just for the colour scheme of her campaign, but for whatever she does. She has even been asked to sacrifice her candidacy for others. Therefore, Robredo has stood tall.

Francisco “Isko” Moreno Domagoso, the mayor of Manila has created a storm and been in the wind. His campaign has never taken off and neither has his Duterte-Light approach to the campaign either. Isko is just one of those guys. He is the man who asked Robredo to sacrifice her role and called her a “bully” for standing tall. That just shows how he is a brat.

Emmanuel “Manny” Dapidran Pacquiao the senator and well known boxer. A man who has gone up the ranks and become an established politician. Nevertheless, his own party dismissed him and the PDP-Laban threw him out, as he stood for Presidency. While they instead have endorsed “Bong Bong” much later. That just shows how weak the PDP-Laban was into this election. While Manny is far from totally seasoned or had a powerful team behind him. He has fought and sells himself a people’s champ. However, he will not switch to southpaw and win this one. No, this is going down for the count and he is not close to the 3^rd position even. Though his doing it by showing his true cadence and character, which is more than “Isko” and “Bong Bong” ever did.

I don’t know how this will go, but my prediction of the whole machinery behind Bong Bong Marcos was justified. That Robredo would be second or a front-runner was expected too. It wasn’t without a reason she was able to become the VP in the first place. So, now the question is… how will these two fare. That is something I don’t know and cannot tell.

What I do know… is that these will be ones to follow. The margins of error is slim. BBM haven’t really tested the waters and he will not do it now. He will continue his onslaught of prepared and prepaid content. While we can wonder what the others will do. Nevertheless, what ever Manny and Isko is doing will become more and more meaningless. It might help their next run or campaigns. But right now? Well… it won’t amount to anything. Not because they are no good, but because their reach aren’t close to BBM or Leni.

They have to fight a cute teddy and a dynasty. These two cannot match that. Neither can anyone of the not mentioned here. Since they are so far from the four mentioned. That I don’t even care to say their names. Even if one is a long standing Senator and other took a noble stance after the Withdrawal Party. Still, the facts remain…

It is a two horse race and we can just wonder who finish first at the finish-line. Peace.