It has gone to the point that the so-called news coming from mainstream media has gone from stupid to stupider.
Take note that the line “stupid and stupider” is a cheap knock-off from that film Dumb and Dumber as what we’re gonna talk about deserves no less than a cheap knockoff.
Moi can understand but not condone ABS-CBN Television and the Philippine Daily Inquirer as both media outlets’ existence is largely dependent on the fall of President Duterte. The franchise of ABS-CBN is set to expire and may not be renewed under the Duterte presidency while the Philippine Daily Inquirer has very serious tax evasion problems.
But what about the rest? Is it now fashionable or profitable to go “Duterte bashing”?
It has also come to the point that the usual sources of “news” and sound bites of these mainstream media outlets are nothing but a pack of lies or speculations that ended up right smack in their faces.
So which is stupid, the “news source” or the “news outlet”? Probably both hence “stupid and stupider.”
By stupid here we do not mean the classic definition of someone who is slow of mind, lacking intelligence or reason; although it may apply to some but not in general.
Rather this is what we mean by “stupid”: “Knowing the truth, seeing the truth, but still believing the lies”…
If you were floored or offended by the opening lines I guess this makes more sense now. We are not particularly pointing out some people’s shortcomings or labeling anyone “intellectually challenged” but again it may apply. This, however, is not a “cunning way to condescend”.
And here we go, let’s start with the most popular and probably favorite “news and sound bite source” of mainstream media, Sen. Antonio Trillanes IV.
While it is true that Trillanes was a graduate of the Philippine Military Academy or PMA and commissioned as a Lieutenant in the Philippine Navy, he was never a soldier (as they portrayed him); he was a sailor who never saw action and has never served in the frontlines.
He began and ended his career in the Armed Forces as a Supply and Procurement Officer in the Philippine Navy which is probably the farthest assignment anyone can get from the field of conflict.
According to his peers in the PMA he always managed to avoid field assignments by going “schooling”.
So much for that “brave warrior image.” He was a “desk man” (in a newspaper this position probably sees more action than Trillanes has).
His only claim to fame was being part in taking over two five-star hotels in Makati and gorging himself with his buddies on the expensive steaks and wine and pilfering the silverware then surrendering at the first sign of a real gunfight.
Oh wait, Senator Trillanes has another claim to fame; a picture of him that went viral looking hopelessly defeatedand dragged out of the Manila Peninsula Hotel by a policeman holding him by his trousers that appeared to be wet in the crouch.
How his statements and pronouncements ever make the 6 o’clock news much less the headlines beats the hell out of me.
A simple research and verification of facts would show that 99.9 percent of what’s coming out of the mouth of Senator Trillanes are unfounded speculations.
Check these out:
At the height or the eve of the Presidential Elections, he came out with a purported list or bank statement from the Bank of the Philippine Islands or BPI of then candidate Rodrigo Duterte’s millions of cash deposited in that bank.
When challenged to prove his allegations, he and the lawyer of then candidate Rodrigo Duterte – it was Salvador Panelo if I’m not mistaken – went to that particular branch of BPI and bank officials simply denied that “bank statement’ of Trillanes saying that it did not come from BPI.
And Trillanes made a hasty walkout, making himself scarce from the media probably embarrassed to show his red face.
What is worth mentioning here is that before this “confrontation” at BPI, mainstream media was screaming with Trillanes’ so-called expose of Duterte’s “hidden wealth” but when it turned out to be a dud at best, just a whimper?
I wonder why?
And then we have, “Duterte will close Boracay for six months to allow and expedite the construction of a casino on the island.”
This again made screaming headlines on the 6 o’clock news and on almost all the mainstream newspapers.
Well, Boracay formally opened on Oct. 26 and we yet have to see a casino. It seems the only casino on the island is Casino Rubbing Alcohol, di lang pampamilya, pang sports.” Certainly not the gambling kind that Trillanes imagined.
And mainstream media just choose to ignore this slap on Trillanes’ face.
During that episode when Trillanes stayed in the Senate under Senate President Tito Sotto’s knickers afraid that he will be arrested when President Duterte declared his amnesty null and void, he said Duterte only passed the Bar because his late father influenced the Bar examiners.
Of course, again this was picked up by mainstream media making the front page.
A simple research of facts shows that according to Supreme Court records, Rodrigo Duterte became a lawyer in 1973 while his father died in 1968.
Any self-respecting editor would check facts first before any story gets to be printed or comes out in the 6 o’clock news but it does not seem to be case when it concerns or even remotely related to President Rodrigo Duterte.
I wonder why, could it be possibly “hate or profit”?/PN
