I haven’t been attending the village board meetings due to numerous reasons. 2016 and 2017 I was beset with personal problems related to my son’s having been victimized by a scam.  I was always feeling fatigued at night, I was always feeling sad and anxious. This year I was either traveling or busy with many things.
I wanted to be replaced in the board but the secretariat told me to stay on till the end of this year. Nakakahiya rin kasi lagi akong absent.

We have a Viber group created by the secretariat. My understanding was that it would serve as a platform for meeting announcements and for easier dissemination of information concerning our village and to circulate more pressing matters. But it became like a Facebook. I opted out when someone forwarded a post professing love and solid admiration for the Chinese ruler.
If I remember it accurately, it had a lot of undertones as to why we should welcome China into our loving embrace. That was obviously to neutralize a growing distrust and dissent against China’s invasion of our lands.

Two weeks ago, the secretariat put me back on the Viber group. So far I haven’t seen one single post that’s related to the concerns of our village and no suggestion as to how we can beautify or improve our surroundings. All I’ve seen were FB style posts. Yesterday someone posted a long hate letter addressed to “Dear Anti-Duterte”. There are only eight of us board members. I felt offended and insulted. As a member of the board, that political propaganda was totally inappropriate for posting on the board’s Viber group. Okay lang yan pang Facebook where thousands can read it where Dear Anti-Duterte can be a shot-gun approach, kung sino man sa inyo ayaw kay Duterte.  Yung mga nakakakilabot na word dilawan referring to the previous administration,  every time I hear or read that term, I feel nauseated.  Okay lang yang mga kababawan pang FB. But to post that on a private chat group with only 8 board members? I was aghast. I wanted to ignore it but I just couldn’t. I waited for a few hours before I reacted “What is this about?” I am telling you that was the best “calm-me-down-please” response. I was actually fuming mad. Ayaw ko lang awayin yung babae na nagpost. She’s a nice person and sad to say she didn’t realize that posting political propaganda and attacks are total political rudeness in my opinion.

I respect if she’s a pro-Duterte and I also respect people who are anti-Duterte. But don’t use the Viber group for political propaganda.  Create your own Viber group to express your hate or love for Duterte.

And for the record, I want to state that I am neither pro-Duterte nor anti-Duterte.

I am

PRO DEMOCRACY

PRO INDEPENDENCE

PRO POLITICAL STABILITY

ANTI MARTIAL LAW

PRO PEACE AND UNITY

PRO COMPETENCE IN GOVERNMENT

ANTI FEDERALISM

ANTI CHOOCHO TRAIN 1, 2, 3 …….

PRO FOREIGN INVESTMENTS AND MAINTAINING MUTUAL RESPECT WITH THE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY.

PRO RICE AND ANTI SHABU

and I am very much

PRO ECONOMIC PROGRESS

among others.

Sa aking mga kapwa Pilipino,

Magpakita naman kayo ng tutoong malasakit at respeto sa ating bayan at kapwa tao.

I suggest to all,  instead of posting negativity, whether you are pro-Duterte or not,  why don’t you just think of ways to help bring back the prices of goods, services and other commodities to the same level when Duterte first assumed office?  Why don’t you flood the market with your dollar deposits so that the rate drops to the same level when Duterte first assumed office?  Why don’t you just go around looking for the shabu laboratories that have sprouted all around us?  Why don’t you help stop the source of illegal drugs?  Why don’t you guard our shores and islands to prevent China from gobbling us all up?  Why don’t you help stop drug smuggling into the country?  Why don’t you campaign for justice and peace? Why don’t you clean the esteros, rivers and lakes to minimize flooding?  Why don’t you plant more trees in your backyards.  Why don’t you stop using plastics?  Why don’t you stop wasting water and electricity?  Why don’t you stop being greedy?  Why don’t you stop being a bad person and choose to be good?  Why don’t you?