A Business Graduate's Reviewing History Blog

It's easy to post an outrage on Facebook, whether it's on the Butthurt Philippines' Facebook page or Gerry Cacanindin's relatively open Facebook profile (except that only his friends can comment). I try to ignore the guy's page. I was wondering if Gerry has learned his lesson (that the Philippines badly needs a system upgrade) or if he still wants to believe that "It's just a matter if Leni Robredo or Vico Sotto." The latest Facebook post gives me something to think about: People often ask why some countries seem almost immune to corruption. As if their leaders are just magically more honest. But that’s not really it. The truth is actually simpler. These countries didn’t wait for good people. They built systems where doing something dirty is hard, risky, and usually not worth it. In the least corrupt countries, corruption isn’t just illegal but inconvenient. Paper trails are everywhere. Payments are digital. Contracts are public. Anyone can look up wh...

  I was looking at the Mahal Ko Ang Pilipinas  (I Love the Philippines)  Facebook page, which made me laugh. This is what they wrote on their post saying that the Aquino Family isn't a political dynasty: THE AQUINO FAMILY IS NOT A POLITICAL DYNASTY 🇵🇭🎗 Pro-Duterte blogger Tio Moreno says that Bam Aquino is part of a political dynasty because the Aquino family is a political dynasty. But to me, this is not true. Why is it not true that the Aquino family is a political dynasty? 🤔 1. When Ninoy Aquino entered politics, none of his children joined him in his endeavors, and even his wife Cory did not join him in politics. 2. When Ninoy was assassinated in 1983, none of his children succeeded him in politics, not even his wife. But when the opposition and his supporters were looking to be the opposition's candidate for the presidency in the snap election called by Ferdie Marcos for 1986, his housewife Cory Cojuangco-Aquino was approached, encouraged or convinced by people t...

Gemini AI Art Some time ago, I wrote an essay that Filipinos can expect to lose more money betting that people will vote wisely . It's time for the truth,  and the  inconvenient truth hurts now, doesn't it? I had Gemini AI create this new AI art of President Ferdinand "Bongbong" R. Marcos Jr. and Atty. Maria Leonor "Leni" S. Gerona-Robredo, at the casino, just to make a point. Sure, Bongbong shook hands with Leni in Sorsogon as a step for political reconcilation . However, such events should be considered more like random variables, such as getting your ball to land on a certain color and a specific number in a game of roulette.  Let's define what a gamble means. The Cambridge Dictionary defines gamble as: to do something that involves risks that might result in loss of money or failure, hoping to get money or achieve success: The gamble of whether your candidate wins or not, because popularity is fickle It's effortless to say, "It's not rea...

Angat Buhay September 21 can always fill the mind with some thoughts. For Filipinos, it's the commemoration of when the late strongman, Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr., declared martial law , seemingly out of a whim . Martial law is still legal in the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines , provided that it has been studied accordingly by the legislature, whether or not it can be approved. For example, former president Rodrigo R. Duterte declared martial law in Mindanao when the Mautes attacked. Now, the rally against corruption in itself isn't inherently wrong . People need to do some peaceful protests , and it doesn't seem that the people were engaging in degrading behavior . Sometimes, we need to have a peaceful protest to be able to make a difference, as was what the late Martin Luther King Jr. did, to secure black rights , and how female rights activists fought to secure equal rights for men and women, such as Susan B. Anthony . Now, we need to think about how one must loo...

Asia Society I didn't want to write this post. However, I feel some urgency, especially with some people who have low reading comprehension, and made Ad Homimen attacks against Senator Robinhood Padilla . Should it be a surprise to a nation where reading comprehension is in danger? Now, I'd like to write another topic. It's crazy how some Kakampinks may think they're above personality-based politics. However, take a look at the picture above this paragraph. It's no different from the Marcos fanatics, Duterte fanatics, etc. That's why there's the term Noytard, Dutertard, Marcostard, etc. The -tard is from retard , which means someone who was an intellectual disability . However, I think -tard is too good since a retarded person may actually be behaving more decently than people with a graduate school or doctorate degree, from highly prestigious universities . It makes me think of Gerry Cacandindin's posts on Facebook. Thankfully, his Facebook profile is o...

ABS CBN News Happy 100th birthday, Mahathir Mohamad! It's something that not so many people live up to 100, or more. The late Fidel V. Ramos passed away on July 31, 2022, at the age of 94. Ramos's advanced age may be the reason why the Omicron variant (which isn't supposedly fatal) ended his life. I'm posting this image of Ramos and Mahathir for one reason--Ramos wanted charter change back in the 1990s. However, plenty of anti-charter change commercials came in, the late Raul Roco said we only need a change in people, and we have Hilario G. Davide Jr. (who's in his late 80s but still active), and the idea that having a president who will rule for more than six years, is supposedly scary. Please, have they even thought that the late Pol Pot ruled Cambodia for just four years, but carried millions of deaths , that would make the late Ferdinand E. Marcos Sr.'s 20-year reign  look tame (read here )? I've read posts on Facebook saying the Philippines just needs l...

I've observed several anti-constitutional reform pages on Facebook. Whether it'd be Change Scamming, Silent No More PH, Mahal Ko Ang Pilipinas, La Verite (and Pinocchio ironically represents this page), Rule of Law Sentinel, We Are Millenials, etc.--the argument tends to quote the framers (or the Catholic Bishops' Conference in the Philippines) more than anything. Most of them tend to echo the same idea, echo the same sources, etc. In fact, one foolish old man I met said he wouldn't believe anything about the constitution if it's not from Filipino constitutionalists.  In short, I'm dealing with a group of broken records. Why do I say that they're broken records? It's always repeating the same ideas over and over again. It may not be the same words over and over again. However, one can look at the idiomatic meaning of broken record, as a person  who keeps repeating the same ideas or statements, over and over again , without offering anything new. In fact,...

Pass the anti-dynasty bill but vote for Vico Sotto? People tend to focus  too much on political dynasties. The problem is fat dynasties, not the political dynasties . People saying, "No to political dynasty." while saying, "Yes to Vico Sotto!" need to swallow this fact--Vico is also part of a political dynasty!  As I look into the Sotto Family Tree, Vico is a great-grandson of Cebu mayor Vicente Sotto . If that's not a political dynasty,  then what is a political dynasty? It's like supporting Paolo Benigno "Bam" A. Aquino and he's actually a great-grandson of Servilliano Aquino, a grandson of Benigno Aquino Sr., and a nephew of Benigno "Ninoy" Aquino Jr.!  If we look at Vico's family tree, we realize that his great-grandfather is a mayor, his uncles Val and Tito are senators, and his cousins Wahoo, Nina, and Gian are all in office. Why are political dynasty opponents praising Vico? What would they say if I told them, "Hey, do...

There's no questions asked that fat political dynastes are problematic . Some people say, "No need to change/amend the constitution, just pass the anti-dynasty law." Well, it's really stupid when you've got netizens who are still fixated over political dynasties (for the sake of it) than what gave birth to the fat dynasties (which are indeed, problematic). However, a lot of Filipinos are obsessed with the idea, "It's not the system, it's the people!" Come on, basic psychology tells us that the system tells us what to do. An outdated operating system will be a huge disadvantage, sooner or later.  The first problem has to do with passing the anti-dynasty bill, but the one wrote the idea is still from a political dynasty It's crazy to say, "No to political dynasties." while supporting Jose Manuel "Chel" Diokno and Paolo Benigno A. Aquino-- both members of political dynasties! Don't tell me that Bam couldn't be part of...