POST-TRUTH CULTURE ENGULFS PHL

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

Those lies and deception, fake news, hoax sites and trolls, and bellyaching, rants, curses and expletives are things we have to live with and endure. They constitute the new normal.

The explanation is simple. What has been described as post-truth culture has reached our shores and engulfed the Philippines These negative issues have become a way of life.

The post-truth culture refers to the spate of sociocultural phenomena, which are largely based on emotions and falsification of truths, making those half-truths and untruths as the new normal

Scholars said the emergence of this new culture is largely a function of the 24-hour news cycle, distortion of journalistic tenets, of which truth, balance and neutrality are sacrificed, and the ubiquitous presence of social media dwelt largely by empowered but largely uninformed or even illiterate netizens.

In post-truth cultural setting, facts are sacrificed in the name of personal biases and presumptions.  Ordinary citizens hardly know the difference between facts and opinions.

Between a verified or verifiable fact and an unconfirmed presumption, preconception, or opinion, the latter takes precedence.

Public debates are characterized by emotions and not arguments based on solid facts. Major political players hardly present solid facts that have become part of history, but lies containing facts distorted to the highest contemptible level.

What is taking place is a paradox of extreme annoyance.

The emergence of the Internet, or the information superhighway that has triggered the ongoing Information Revolution and social media has given the entire world an oversupply of facts.

Yet, what it has is a crisis of facts, as people of the world could hardly discern and embrace the truths among those facts.

Hence, those rants, expletives, and curses are but expressions of the citizens’ feelings of powerlessness, helplessness, and inferiority amid the dizzying pace of information dissemination.

This post-truth culture is expected to be a temporary issue, a transitory madness.

It would not linger, as the better informed among the citizenry take the center stage to counter its disastrous and debilitating effects. The counter-reactions could be devastating too.

In social media, the trend is for informed citizens to separate the chaff from the grain. It is a growing reality for these citizens to delete posts based on half-truths, lies, and deceptions, and block those trolls.

Fakes news and hoax sites are being exposed left and right. They are no longer taken seriously.

It’s just a matter of time when the ship corrects its course. It will certainly.

MY RECOLLECTIONS OF RONNIE NATHANIELZ

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

Although I saw him on television during the Marcos dictatorial rule, I only came to personally know Ronnie Nathanielz after the 1986 EDSA Revolution. That was when he joined in early 1987 the short-lived Observer newspaper, which later became The Independent. I was a political reporter of that daily.

I was typing my news story (we didn’t have computers during those days, but had the pleasure, or displeasure, of using second-hand typewriters), when Ronnie entered the Observer's editorial office in Quezon City and handed to Yen Makabenta, our editor-in-chief, copies of his sports articles. Yen, a Manila Bulletin columnist now, graciously introduced us to the guy.

Ronnie struck me as a cool dude. He was profuse with his smile and did not carry any air. He called every guy "pare" and spoke in a mixture of English and broken Tagalog. He was polite and courteous to guys, who were below the journalistic totem pole. These guys included my humble self, who was required to report daily to the office.

I saw Ronnie almost daily in the office. I could see him bantering with other editors, including Reggie Amigo, our sports editor, and Ronnie’s immediate superior. He engaged them in serious discussions mainly about sports.

But what struck me later was that I never saw Ronnie’s byline in any of his published news stories, feature articles, or commentaries. Weeks later, Yen Makabenta told us that it was mutually agreed that Ronnie’s byline would not appear. It was a no-brainer to discern the reason behind the no-byline mutual accord. Ronnie was pariah during those days; he was down and out.

I felt repulsive at the no-byline agreement. Journalists are men and women of convictions. We stake our reputation, or everything in us, in every copy we submit to the editorial desk. 

Reporters get their highs in chasing stories and see their bylines the following day; desk editors, their fulfillment in turning rough copies into classic gems. Ronnie would have wanted to see his bylines; it was something not given him during those days.

It was difficult times for Ronnie. Because he was closely identified with the Marcoses (Ronnie never denied it; he was even proud of it!), he lost his job at the government TV network. He had to support his growing family. He had encountered the hostility of the outside world and the unofficial ostracism of the journalistic community.

But Ronnie had a big heart to endure those things, including the indignity of the no-byline policy. He patiently endured the collective brickbat, bigotry, and bashing of people who differed and disagreed with him. He had to live with their hostility and ostracism.

From our discussions, I came to know that the Observer’s management had to give Ronnie a job because he was among the very few in the Marcos dictatorial rule, who did not enrich themselves. Unlike other apologists, who badgered Marcos for favors and milked him, Ronnie kept distance from Marcos when it came to those issues. He lived modestly; his colleagues in the sportswriting business would attest to that.

Perhaps, Ronnie did not have that business acumen. Perhaps, he never liked living big and mighty with the favors he could amass from Marcos. Perhaps, he was too proud. Or perhaps, he was not smart enough to do it. The point is he did not curry favors from the dictator..

Ronnie was happy with his Filipino citizenship, which Marcos gave him on a silver through a presidential decree. It was enough. To his credit, Ronnie felt loyal for that single act of generosity. He never hid it; he was even proud of it. Anybody could disagree with Ronnie, but he was bullheaded when it came to this issue and his politics.

Ronnie did not brood over the sudden reversal of fortunes after EDSA. He could have left the Philippines and settled elsewhere. He could return to Sri Lanka, his place of birth, or go to the United States or Canada. But he chose to stay here. He once said he loved his adopted country and he intended to stay here for good.

But he knew what to do after EDSA. Hence, Ronnie revived and rebuilt his journalistic career by concentrating in sports. No more politics for Ronnie after EDSA. He did some reinvention and reengineering. Soon, the forgiving Filipino people had accepted him.

I once saw Ronnie in the late 1980s when I went to Ultra to watch a PBA game. He smiled and greeted me. We shook hands. 

After the game, I did not say goodbye as customary among colleagues. Instead, I saw him exchanging harsh words with basketball coach Norman Black, with whom he had an altercation, Well, that was the Ronnie we knew.

We had reconnected through Facebook and told him that I did remember him. He told me he did remember me too. We had some bitter exchanges of views. At one point, I thought out loud through my FB post that he was indeed an unrepentant Marcos loyalist. 

Ronnie never bothered to answer my post. He knew he had to receive as much as he gave. Despite our differences, I could say in all candor and humility that I have silent admiration for Ronnie. I admire his infinite capacity to endure and his capacity to reinvent himself. 

I like his perseverance and dedication to sports. I admire his sense of loyalty to people, who were kind to him.

I like the way he had stuck to the Marcoses, although I personally dislike the Marcoses because of the pillaging ways and refusal to offer a public apology. While most of the Marcos allies were jumping like rats out of a sinking ship when EDSA came, Ronnie had displayed an unwavering loyalty. Between those rats and Ronnie, I would choose the latter.

Ronnie was firm in his convictions no matter how we disliked him. But he was never mean to his critics. The fact was he had no mean bone in his body. He was a guy anyone would like to be on his side.

Rest in peace, Ronnie.    

BPO FIRMS TO LEAVE PHL BECAUSE OF OFFICIAL POLICY ON HUMAN RIGHTS

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

Last night, I had dinner with two great friends and we could not help but discuss the burning issues of national and global significance. As I always say whenever I am with great friends, the three of us had attempted to solve the problems of the world in three hours.

Of course, we discussed the U.S elections; we agreed that Hillary Clinton would win to become the first woman president in U.S political history. We agreed that Donald Trump’s last minute attempt to capture the White House has gone for naught as the FBI chief has cleared Hillary of any criminal complicity on the issue of her emails.

But the biggest issue that we discussed pertained to what we foresee the country’s economic situation, particularly in the coming months. Amid those rants, curses, and expletives coming out from the mouth of the unpredictable big mouth from the South, we had come to agree that the economic future did not appear rosy.

One of my two friends does business, while the other friend is an educator, who does consulting works on the side. They are accomplished professionals. We have been friends for the past 25 years.

My friend broke the ice to discuss the outcome of his meeting yesterday, where he met a top ranking official of the BPO sector. The BPO top official confirmed to him reports that many BPO firms, particularly the American-owned, were concerned and anxious about the president’s antics, which they felt could only aggravate what they have already perceived as the dwindling business confidence in the Philippines.

My friend said that from his talks with the BPO executive, he had come to learn that American-owned BPO firms were already planning to pack up and withdraw their businesses here. They were looking into the possibility of relocating to Vietnam, or even Cambodia.

Those foreign BPO firms that have earlier plans to relocate and expand their business here have deferred their plans, as they have adopted a wait-and-see attitude to see the actual intentions of the current president. There was no immediate word whether they would continue to do business here, although my friend said the BPO executive had told him that their relocation and expansion plans were set in motion under the previous administration.

My friend said that the BPO official had told him that several infrastructures have already being laid down for future expansion of the BPO sector here, as the latter mentioned those buildings to house the expanded BPO sector. They include those buildings under construction in the MoA area.

“If they leave, those buildings and other infrastructures would become white elephants and we would be the loser,” my friend said quoting the BPO official.

My other friend jokingly said that those currently employed BPO workers could become the next wave of overseas contract workers, as they chase those BPO firms in their new relocation sites. It was a reply that drew laughter from us, but my businessman friend could not help but turn serious as he said that it was not a far-fetched possibility.

“Those Cambodians and Vietnamese do not speak English well. Where would they get the warm bodies to man those BPO booths? The Philippines is still a good source of manpower,” my friend said.

My businessman friend dropped the bombshell that the concern of those BPO firms could not be addressed and contained easily because of official state policies, which have become the basis of doing overseas business. “The international community has changed,” he said. “And it has changed drastically.”

The BPO official, whom he had met in the afternoon, told him that it has been an official policy on the U.S. and even Economic Union countries to do business with countries, which subscribe to the democratic principles and traditions, particularly the rule of law, and the international accords on child labor, the environment, and human rights.

“They would not want to deal with countries that violate any of those parameters. The Philippines, perceived a human rights violator, could become a pariah from their standpoint. Its inability to follow the rule of law could exacerbate the situation,” he said.

My businessman friend said that judging from his conversation with the BPO executive, American BPO firms based here would be hard pressed to leave the country if the current administration would not mend its ways.

“It’s a matter of official policy,” he said. “The situation has become untenable though.”

WHAT HAS HAPPENED TO DIGONG’S SUPPORTERS?

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

It’s not true that the over 16 million voters, who have catapulted the current president to the presidency, have remained solid after four months in power. 

On the contrary, it could be perceived that the political support he enjoys from this block of voters is being eroded by his misdoings – those rants and curses, whimsical tendencies, careless remarks, undecipherable foreign policy statements, unpredictable temperament, and his global image of an unrepentant thug.

After four months, his political constituency is being divided and their political support being eroded, leading to an untenable situation where he could no longer depend on them when the political dynamics start to unfold and enter into a heightened phase. He is perceived as the "pambansang kahihiyan," or the "national embarrassment."

The 16 million voters could now be divided into the following categories:

The Fanatics – These people perceive him as the president, who does no wrong. Everything he does and says is correct. A questionable move or statement could be part of a grand strategy or conspiracy, which is equally nebulous as their thought processes. They are strong believers of conspiracy theories against their idol.

They are the idolaters, who persist in their belief he would bring the country to progress, but they could not explain how and why. They are relentless in their defense of him. They are the apologists, or the defenders of the faith. 

People, who don’t share their beliefs, call them “dutertards,” and like automatons, which hardly have a mind of their own, they would gladly carry that unpalatable tag without a thorough understanding of its connotation and implications. They would brand the other side as "yellow."

The “Doubting Thomases” – These are the people who have started to doubt the president. They know and feel that he is taking the country to nowhere, but they could not decide if they would take a more decisive attitude towards him. 

For them, he is no longer the knight in shining armor; his Teflon of invincibility has lost its luster. But they are still lost. They have yet to cross the Rubicon, as they cling to the foolish belief that he should be given a chance to prove his worth or redeem himself.

The “Denying Peters” – These are the people who voted him to power, but they would deny they have voted him and, ergo, support him. They know and understand that they have made a big mistake in their choice of president, but they are not prepared to admit what they feel was a mistake in the last presidential elections. 

They would claim they voted somebody else to reflect efforts to save face. Like the biblical Peter, these people would have their realization later, but at the moment, they have remained on a crossroad. 

Somewhere, sometime, and somehow, they would admit their mistake, but we have to wait for this thing to happen. Patience and perseverance is required in dealing with them.

The “Brave Hearts” - These are his voters yet they would immediately admit their mistake without fanfare. They are people gifted with a rare kind of discernment and richness of heart. They would call a spade a spade. 

They are not afraid to face the consequences of their choice, but are humble to articulate their mistake. These are people, who are willing to repent and rectify their error. 

They could be counted when the political dynamics turn for the some defining and decisive phase.

The Indifferent or Uncaring - These voters hardly care; in fact, they are the uncaring ones. They could probably include the fence sitters, who would only participate on the last minute. 

They are probably the overwhelming majority. They would not make their sentiment manifest publicly. At the moment, they just do not want to participate.

THE TRAGEDY OF A CRAZY PRESIDENT

By Philip M. Lustre Jr.

On February 6, 1997, or nearly twenty years ago, the unthinkable happened in Ecuador, a relatively small South American republic of 14 million people.

The Ecuadorean Congress, in an unprecedented move in Latin American politics, declared Abdala Bucaram Ortiz, its president, as “mentally unfit,” replaced him with a congressional leader, and forced him to seek political asylum in Panama.

The congressional initiative was swift and decisive as Bucaram, a scion of Lebanese immigrants, was president for only seven months. Besides, he was popularly elected, as he won 21 of Ecuador’s 22 provinces.

Although the economic problems that cropped out when he became president on August 10, 1996 were factors that forced congressional leaders to take the juggernaut, it was largely his series of comedic actuation that had led to his dismissal.

Bucaram was perceived a mad man; he branded himself as “el loco” (crazy guy). 

When the Ecuadorean economy plummeted as a result of policy changes he earlier initiated, Bucaram took efforts to divert the Ecuadoreans’ attention away from those issues and did what he thought was best – be himself.

He did not just cultivate his public image of an iconoclast, who challenged authorities and traditions, but overplayed it to become the comic, who sought to entertain the Ecuadoreans, who, at that time, felt the economic pressures and were becoming dismayed by his lack of leadership.

Amid the scandals and corruption charges, Bucaram released CD copies of his music entitled “A Crazy Man Who Loves” (“El Loco Que Ama” in Spanish). He shaved off his trademark moustache on live TV and later adopted the clipped moustache of Nazi Germany dictator Adolf Hitler.

Bucaram invited for lunch the Ecuadorian American Lorena Bobbitt, who gained international notoriety for castrating her husband. He attended the World Banana Queen contest in Quito, grabbed the microphone, and crooned to the winner, as he was surrounded by scantily clad contestants.

These were not all. Bucaram insulted a former president by comparing him to a “burro,” or donkey. When asked to issue a public apology, Bucaram obliged but he did it not to the political leader, but to the donkeys.

When he became president, Bucaram named his business associates in top government positions, appointed certain family members to his Cabinet, and put his 18-year-old son in charge of the Ecuadorian customs office.

He offered $1 million for globally known Diego Maradona to play one soccer game with him and also gave CD copies of  his song “A Madman in Love” to other heads of government to an Ibero-American conference in Chile.

The air of negativity and hatred that characterized Bucaram’s presidency culminated when the Ecuadorean Congress dismissed him on ground of “mental incapacity,” triggering a political precedent that has become a new model for the rest of the world.

Despite his tragic political fate, Bucaram managed to give the quote of all time: “They call me ‘Crazy Abdalá’, but madmen speak from the heart and see with their soul.”