FROM Part 2–
Tanong ko: Naniniwala ka ba, beyond any reasonable doubt, na hindi nagnakaw ang mga Marcos sa 20 years nila sa position of power?
Sagot ng mga bobo: Parepareho lang naman ‘yang lahat ng politico. Magnanakaw silang lahat.
Sagot ng iba pang bobo: Bakit, si Estrada ba, hindi magnanakaw? Si Arroyo ba, hindi magnanakaw? Si Duterte ba, hindi magnanakaw?
And they continue to name all the thieves and plunderers of our country.
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Hindi po kesyo magnanakaw sina Estrada, Arroyo, at Duterte, at ang iba pang politico katulad ni Marcos, that makes stealing right, or normal.
Normalize stealing, normalize plunder, ganoon?
Be the country of thieving leaders para maging OK na rin ang pagnanakaw in the lower level of government?
Para OK na rin ang pagnanakaw sa barangay level?
Para OK na rin ang pagnanakaw mo sa pitaka ng tatay o nanay mo?
Para OK na rin ang magsinungaling sa jowa mo na graduate ka (kung hindi man ng Oxford o Princeton) ng UP o Pamantasan ng Uring-uring; kahit pa, realtalk, gawang Recto lang ang diploma mo?
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Who your candidate is, who you choose in the election, is a key to your personality.
Oportunista ka ba?
You choose a candidate dahil may makukuha ka? May mahihita? May mahuhuthut?
Campaign manager ka? Pinangakuan ng kung anu-ano kapag nanalo ang candidato mo?
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Pokpok ka ba?
Are you selling your vote? Your personhood? Your value as a voter and as a citizen?
Ano ang pinagkaiba ng pagbebenta ng boto mo at ng katawan mo?
Will you feel clean after you sell your vote?
O feeling maruming babae at maruming lalaki ka na rin?
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When you vote, do you pray that our country will have a good and honest leader?
Or do you just want your candidate to win, at all cost, kahit pa hindi s’ya ang tapat at nararapat?
Is the election just like a basketball game to you?
Kung laro lang pala ang politika para sa iyo, why do you expect a lot from the government?
Kung laro lang pala ang halalan para sa iyo, bakit ka magagalit at magrireklamo kung pinaglalaruan ka ng mga politico?
Bakit ka umaaray kapag inuring ka ng mga candidatong nangako ng kung anu-ano?
Baby, you are f*cked!
*
Kung bumoboto ka, iniisip mo ba ang bayan muna, bago ang personal mong kagustohan?
Do you choose your country over your personal opinion, and your entitlement to that opinion?
Because if you really think about our country, your choices will be the same, or closer, to my choices.
But if you are selfish, you wouldn’t really care about the Philippines.
And gusto mo lang, manalo ang manok mo.
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You wouldn’t even bother to know the other candidates.
That’s how you are being selfish.
That’s how I am being patriotic.
That’s why mas angat ako, at ang opinion ko, kesa sa iyo.
Because I do not think only about myself, I think about our country.
*
This piece sings about my glory.
My irrefutability. My infallibility (but that sounds like I’m the Pope, and I’m not).
Still, hindi ito pagmamaliit sa iyo, unless bobo ka talaga with no room for growth.
The intention of this piece is to give you a high blood pressure.
To increase blood circulation in your brain (kung meron), and heart (kung meron).
With more oxygen in your brain kasi, baka makita ninyo ang katotohanan.
Ang tunay na lagay ng mga bagay-bagay.
Meron pa tayong Marso at Abril para magbago ka ng isip at makapamili ka nang maayos para sa iyong sarili, at para sa nanay at mga lola mo.
At para sa susunod na anim na taon, at sa susunod pang mga salinlahi ng mga Pilipinong umaasa sa iyo.
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I’m sorry I had to stand tall to write this piece.
Iniisip ko kasi, sa dami ng nagsasalita ngayon, kung hindi ako astig, kung hindi ako maangas at malakas ang dating, matatabunan lang ako ng mga walang kwenta at mukhang perang mga influencers sa social media.
Unlike those influencers, I do not need funding.
I do not need advertisers.
I do not need any candidate’s money.
I do not need freebies from companies.
I’m writing this not to get money, or attention for myself.
Ngayon pa talaga?
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OK, real talk, maybe I’m also doing this to promote myself as someone who is honest, sincere, makatao, makabayan, maka-Dios.
Maybe, I am selling #ThePSN. And the Peter Solis Nery brand.
But I’m selling myself precisely because I am honest, sincere, makatao, makabayan, maka-Dios.
I cannot allow the stupids, the paid campaigners, the “intelligent’ but opportunistic puppets to lord over the Internet and the airwaves during this critical campaign period of the most crucial Philippine elections.
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Malasakit sa bayan ang nagtutulak sa akin para magsalita.
Hindi pansariling interest at kagustohan.
Because, frankly, I’m still touring the world, and it’s much better than the depressing Philippine socio-political and economic situation.
There is a world for me to enjoy.
But it would be selfish of me to be smart, and be quiet in times when my country needs enlightenment, wisdom, and sharp eagle-eye perspective that considers the big picture.
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Nasa Pilipinas lang kayo, kahirapan at paghihirap n’yo lang ang nakikita ninyo.
Naglalakbay ako sa buong mundo.
I see the world, and how the Philippines fits in on it.
Ang gusto ko lang naman as a Filipino ay ang moments to be proud as a citizen of the Philippines.
Gusto kong maipagmalaki na hindi bobo at tanga ang mga Pilipino.
That we are not a stupid people who would elect to the presidency the son of a dictator who plundered the country, and put the Philippines under.
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OK lang na tawagin kong isa-isa ang mga bobo at tanga (meron talaga), pero kung tatawagin at igi-generalize ng buong mundo na bobo at tanga ang mga Pilipino dahil magnanakaw at sinungaling ang idol nila, that’s not OK by me.
That’s why I have to say this piece now.
Habang may Marso at Abril pa tayo para magkaisa sa Pink Revolution of 2022./PN
