Inside Philippine politics & beyond

Pssst, Duterte supporters, US and EU consular officials can read your FB, Twitter posts dissing their countries

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And how can Foreign Secretary Yasay preach “breaking away” from the US when his 3 children are all enjoying life there?

Exclusive by Raïssa Robles

just-for-the-record-thumbIf you think that what you post on social media networks don’t have consequences, think again.

I know for a fact that consular officials of other countries do read Facebook and Twitter to find out in certain instances whether those who want to visit their countries could pose a security threat or an immigration problem.

The political bent of a visa applicant usually does not matter.

That is, until now, when President Rodrigo Duterte started cursing officials of the US and the European Union.
If you think you are safe because the US has not reacted in any way, think again.

Because of the imminent presidential elections there, US officials are basically on a holding pattern. They would rather leave it to the next administration to deal with Duterte and his supporters leaving in the US or wanting to go there for a vacation or to do TNT.

♦  ♦  ♦

Foreign Secretary Perfecto Yasay has long been my news source, particularly during the presidency of the Joseph Estrada, when the president yelled on national TV that Yasay should be struck by lightning for saying things about him concerning stock manipulation.

Now Yasay is once again at the center of a political firestorm, this time as foreign secretary defending Duterte’s cursing against US officials.

UPDATE: 

Someone on Facebook was asking me whether Yasay has a green card or is a dual citizen. I don’t know. Does anybody know? 

Yasay, in his acquired American twang, has smoothly explained this way the words of Duterte, his former roommate at the Young Men’s Christian Association in Manila:

“It implies breaking away from the debilitating mindset of dependency and subservience that have perpetuated our ‘little brown brother’ image to America, which has stunted our growth and advancement” and did not mean destroying alliances and making enemies.

“It simply means letting go of the disguised chains that continue to hold us captive to foreign interests in order to enable our people and duly elected leaders to address our urgent problems and needs in the light of our priorities, experiences and values without undue outside interference.”

One thing about Yasay, he can talk like forever. But he is a very good talker.

Yasay talks about “breaking away” from the US. Ironically, his ringing rhetoric is undermined by the fact that Yasay’s three children – Oliver, Raveena and Stephanie – are all living in the United States, enjoying the good life there.

Not only that, Yasay’s late mother is also buried there.

I sense from what he says and my previous interviews with him that Yasay is mightily trying right now to massage the President’s harsh words into less strident tones and meanings. But such efforts can only go so far when you have a president who simply blurts out what he thinks, then takes it back, then blurts out some more.

Comments

  1. I agree with you. Most people randomly criticise the US because of their loyalty to Mr Duterte.

    Facebook, twitter, instagram, yahoo, gmail, microsoft, apple, hp, dell, amazon, pay pal, airline booking systems, airport check -in systems, cloud storage, SAP accounting system, oracle, SAS, etc are all American innovation and owned businesses. In addition, if you send money to the PHilippines from overseas that money is cleared via an international clearing house which is located in the United States.

    Each time we sign-up, we leave a digital trace. We might delete our participation from a site or a provider, but a digital trace has already been made. Data stored in cloud, eg gmail+, is stored outside the jurisdiction of the Philippines – stored in the US. They can link data from different sources. That’s the beauty of linking administrative data. Census data is likewise linked.

    Thus, I believe the US knows more than we know ourselves – our preferences, friends, transactions etc.

    Big data. Data curation. They have the skill to collect, process, analyse and used that data for decision-making.

    • . . . and Mr. Yasay suggested that J. Carpio ‘makes a talk’ with the President? Abogado ba si Mr. Yasay?

      Why not Mr. Yasay ‘makes a talk’ with his Boss? Ano ang magiging sagot ni Mr. Yasay? ‘He doesn’t listen to me also!’

      Kay Sec. of Defense Lorenzana ayaw rin makinig ‘o mag konsulta.

      ha ha ha

  3. When you watch this YOUTUBE,

    if its contents are true and correct,

    you can simply say America has surrendered to

    CHINA

    in almost everything.

    And say United States of America committed

    suicide or is committing it that

    CHINA

    can and has outdone USA totally since 2001 when

    CHINA

    was able to get into WTO [ World Trade Organization ].\

    https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bGv_arQe32U

  4. Just now on Headstart ANC ”Phillip Goldberg US ambassador…..” No we are not surprised by the sudden sweet deals from China because we know that Cayetano went with Tugade to China in June together to arrange this”

    • Haha
      Goldberg getting his own back and sending a ‘coded message’ as a goodbye gift to duterte and his campaign contributors.

    • What Goldberg would say if he could:
      Obama is a ‘rock star’, and Duterte is a ‘sock puppet’.
      As a leaving gift i am giving Duterte a box to stand on so that he doesn’t feel so inferior.
      Maybe an english dictionary would also be of use to Duterte, and a copy of ‘Debrett’s New Guide to Etiquette and Modern Manners’.

    • lately, there was petition by concerned citizens to committee on appointments not to accept or endorse tugade as dotc (?) chair. apparently, tugade has managed to make traffic worse now. he has not done what was promised na he will decongest traffic.

  5. Now Do Dirty go soft on US before leaving for Japan
    ————————————————————————–
    “The alliances are alive,” Duterte told Japanese media in Manila on Monday, Kyodo News reported. “There should be no worry about changes of alliances. I do not need to have alliances with other nations.”

    Duterte’s aides and the president himself later tried to clarify that he did not mean he was cutting ties with the United States and his remarks on Monday were the most conciliatory yet.

    Duterte told the Japanese media he had been expressing a personal opinion, not speaking for the government when he mentioned separating from Washington, the Nikkei newspaper said. He said he only plans to have an “alliance of trade and commerce” with China, Kyodo reported.

    —————————————————————————————————-
    http://news.abs-cbn.com/news/10/24/16/duterte-softens-stance-toward-us-before-japan-visit

    Do Dirty did admit that it was of personal vendetta towards US. Now what would China react to this?

    • remember, erlinda! dating war cry yan ng mga pinoys during world war two. erlinda being the pinay raped by the japs, not the huks.

      sana hindi maghuramentado si digong sa japan, ang saki duon ay oishi masyado. digong might yet come up wit another rape joke, only this time, world wall two war jokes.

  6. Regarding the Call Center employees

    I remember Duterte’s promise to them that he will end contactualization. I want to point out that he did not promise the regularization of the employees.
    He is fulfilling his promise of ending contractualization by ending the existence of call centers in the philippines. LOL. I did not mean to laugh at the predicament of the call center employees who will lose their jobs. I am just amazed by which Duterte uses words. He maybe saying something but meant something else or he says some things repercussions of which he is not aware of. In short there is not even a bit of thoight on what comes out of his mouth. Whether it is irresponsible, vulgar or stupid Duterte has to run his mouth afterall he thinks that is presidentiable.

    Meanwhile those who are employed by the call centers who thought of being regularized may end up being unemployed as most of the foreign owned companies are weighing in on whether to move somewhere else.

    Nice job Digong

  7. In the news: Teddy Locsin Jr. talks about the option of legalizing drugs as a way of addressing the Philippines’ drug problem. – The World Tonight, ANC, October 24, 2016

    Do it, and after those are legalized, I hope the victims ! S U E ! this govt for wrongful deaths esp. the victims of drug related and others who are just in the wrong time at the wrong place.

    • sorry po, if illegal drugs are legalized and there is law, it’s possible the law legalizing drug may not be retrospective. it may only apply from a point onwards and cannot cover what has gone before.

      still, it’s good teddy locsin is thinking about legalizing drugs. that way, drug addicts may have to fund thier own rehab and not relie solely on govt. it’s very costly to run rehab centers, with some drug addicts relapsing and then, back to rehab with maybe no end in sight. too much money down the drain.

      if drugs is legalized, drugs maybe cheaper and affordable, and drug lords would no longer be raking in millions. they would have to be taxed too, no longer hiding in secret and monopolizing drug trade. and people will not longer be killed for drug possession, maliban lang kung talangang gustong nilang magpatayan, may love triangle.

  8. The truth is the key to freedom.

    http://news.abs-cbn.com/focus/10/24/16/2-dead-cops-daily-and-other-dubious-data-in-du30s-war-on-drugs

    Duterte’s credibility is dropping like a lead balloon. From planting evidence to making up ‘facts’.
    ‘Lies, lies, and duterte statistics’

    Naturally Duterte’s mindless supporters are so gullible that they would believe anything they are told, and like the brainless politicians question nothing, whilst duterte only achieves the death of thousands of innocent teenagers and children, and dela rosa plays the wannabe entertainer. Madness.

    Another promise of failure achieved at vast cost. Duterte only ever manages to display his lack of knowledge on the drug problem and his 1980’s thinking in trying to solve it. Clueless.

    The approach of the administration – No diagnosis, wrong prognosis, eventual crisis. Headless chicken syndrome.

    • Come on Beachbum. Don’t be like Duterte, “thousands of innocent teenagers and children”???

      • Intentionally provocative, but i was also taught in law school, ‘innocent until proven guilty’, and not the other way round.

        How many are guilty. All?

        The fact that people readily now accept that everyone killed is automatically guilty is a key issue, and could set the scene for worse to come.
        It enables the government to bypass the legal process and the rule of law.
        Once you lower standards then it is only a downward path.

        Will such a cavalier attitude apply to the death penalty?

        Glad that you have 100% trust in the police!
        Hope your name is never put on a list by a disgruntled neighbor/lover etc!

        Just use creative imagination!

        • Given the context of your contribution it seems the wrong time to be intentionally provacative by telling porky pies. In my humble opinion.
          Having said that, keep up the good work. I read and enjoy all your pieces.

        • Point taken.

          But not telling a ‘lie’, just applying a general principle.

          There is also another principle which says that ‘the punishment should fit the crime’. I do not consider that death for being a suspected, or even actual, casual drug user is appropriate, and nor does any civilised country.
          Next, the chinese approach to human rights! No rights.

          Discussion upon a progressive sentencing policy would have been a better use of senate/congress time than the recent farces.

          Are all those killed even given independent drug tests as part of the autopsy? FoI request should provide the answer, or maybe not!

          “To those who think themselves strong, force always seems the
          easiest and only solution. It never is”
          Barbara W. Tuchman

        • I agree with your sentiments but sadly do not see a light at the end of the tunnel. Perhaps we are about to enter the tunnel, from what I’ve been reading over the past few days. Let’s hope its a short tunnel.

    • @beachbum

      “The truth is the key to freedom”.

      I can not agree more! This truism is so basic yet sadly so often forgotten.

      Our allegiance should only be to the truth and our task is always to expose and resist lies and falsehoods because our freedom is inversely proportional to the lies we permit in our society.

      Apart from lying politicians another enemy of truth on which our freedom and democracy depend are the religious charlatans.

  9. BAD PUBLICITY FOR Philippines! So vulgar cheap – napaka ‘mura’? Minu Mura tayo ng mga chino.

    Rodrigo Duterte has turned the tables in the Asia-Pacific. Now China is winning

    Peter Hartcher

    How much does it cost to buy an entire country?

    If the country is the Philippines, it seems that the answer is $US24 billion ($31.4 billion). That’s how much China paid last week in promises of investment and soft loans.

    In return, the Philippines president announced his country’s “separation” from the US.

    – http://www.smh.com.au/comment/rodrigo-duterte-has-turned-the-tables-in-the-asiapacific-now-china-is-winning-20161024-gs9bky.html

    • Marcos era, Sino ang mga taong naging mga tycoon at Bilyonaryo Lucio Tan, Danding Cojuanco, Ongpin, Benedicto at mga Marcos clan and atb.

      Ngayon kay Duterte mga Cabinet, Davao Bussiness People mostly Chinese, mga congressman mga senator na kunwari tahimik pero corrupt pala. maghintay tayo ng 6 years. Tapos magbuo na uli ang papalit na president ng Corrupt at nababayaran PCCG. Sarap na naman ng buhay ng mga Corrupt na Lawyer. and so on and on…

  10. ANOTHER WARNING TO DUTERTE

    Information Technology and Business Processing Association of the Pholipines comprising all business processing outsourcing(BPO) companies in the Philippines serving about 77% of US companies warned DTI that BPO expansion and new investment have been withheld because of the anti US policy statements issued by the government and Duterte. Despite the recent assurance of Sec Looez that PHL will continue honoring ties with US, International Data Center had issued a statement that ” with the current volatility of business environment in the Philippines, call centers currently in operation may not be affected but expansions and planned openings have been placed on hold”. BPO a $25 billion industry now in the Philippines employing thousands if FILIPINOS. It expects to double productivity by 2022 but with the current business climate spewed by pres Duterte’s rhetoric against US, that projection is no longer attainable.

    “Both BPO officials and employees are feeling the jitters of Duterte’s anti US policy”
    Nice work, Duterte. You promised you will work for the Filipinos.
    DUTERTE, YOU’RE RIGHT ON THE SPOT!
    You are working for the Filipinos TO LOSE THEIR EMPLOYMENT

    He he he

    Johnny Lin

        • sorry po, baka marami din sa mga call center agents can actually speak mandarin aside from english. pinoys have ears for languages after all. nuon, aside form english, nihonggo was also preferred language and many pinoys can speak it fluently. now, it’s mandarin on the ascendant.

          many brown brothers have two faces and quite comfortable with it.

    • Gradually Do30 should eliminate English speaking Pinoys by CHANGING POLICIES to phase out English language as communication for schools, call centers,news station, foreign transactions and other business trading in English. So that young children would not be confused which language would be more useful for them in the next generation. If D030 WANTS TO CARRY OUT SEPARATION FROM THE U.S. , he must do it going down-from the basics and start with the children.
      Otherwise , he is only b_shitting Pinoys.

      Mine and his English aren’t so good anyways, why pretend and suffer the children.The thing is, the country can’t afford to divorce from the power countries because other nations like China, Africa, and India are better off to making it in the global domination than PH because of leaders after leaders who are only exaggerating their own importance and the 16 million blind supporters thinking that they already made a big change in the state of the country.

      Scrap the gr 12, if the destination is to stop the country going forward and just remain in the present level. The vision and hope are deteriorating for the adults, that the youths future is more vulnerable than ever.
      To parents, maybe curfew is a the nicest law that D030 passed after all to deter the youth in doing terrible things over the ambiguity of this leadership.

      LOOK HERE: http://www.africanglobe.net/africa/tanzania-plans-ditch-english-swahili/

      http://thisisafrica.me/ghana-plans-to-remove-english-as-a-medium-of-instruction-in-schools/

      https://www.indexoncensorship.org/2014/03/gambia-language/

      How much patriotism/separation and independent foreign policy can you get with that?

      Biro lang, day!
      ay naku , buang na ako sa imo.

    • look at that!
      see the brilliance of bduts!
      ending the endo, hehehe1
      HAYAN NA. TAPOS NA.
      at maaaring mawawala ng rin ang trabaho.

  11. On Raïssa’s query – “Someone on Facebook was asking me whether Yasay has a green card or is a dual citizen. I don’t know. Does anybody know?”

    There was a scheduled Committee Meeting on Wed 19 Oct 2016 to deliberate on the ad interim appointment of Mr. Perfecto Rivas Yasay, Jr. as Secretary, Dept. of Foreign Affairs. It was postponed until further notice.

    See advisory from The COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS (CA), http://comappt.gov.ph/

    (The COMMISSION ON APPOINTMENTS (CA) is an independent constitutional body that acts as a restraint against the abuse of the appointing power of the President by approving only those who are fit and qualified to ensure the efficient and harmonious functioning of the government.)

    • Is he or isn’t he? To date, no online reference including Wikipedia to attest Perfecto Yasay Jr.’s current citizenship status.

      Dual citizens in gov’t have 6 months to renounce foreign citizenship, http://www.rappler.com/nation/148896-dual-citizenship-government-service-prohibited-philippines

      CSC bars dual citizens from all government posts, www .philstar .com/metro/2016/10/09/1631686/csc-bars-dual-citizens-all-government-posts

      #Du30Cabinet Watch (DFA): Perfecto Yasay, x .rappler .com/x/moveph/1463540498072-Du30Cabinet-Watch-DFA-Perfecto-Yasay

      • According to this he is a Filipino-American. If this is true, he needs to denounce his American Citizenship before he can assume his cabinet post. Else, he’s breaking the law.

        http://thefilipinochronicle.com/hfchronicle%20news_Hawaii_Yasay_05212016.html

        Hawaii FilAm Named Foreign Affairs Secretary by Duterte

        Prominent Hawaii Filipino American, Perfecto “Jun” Yasay, Jr. , will be appointed Acting Secretary of the Department Foreign Affairs (DFA), incoming President Rodrigo Duterte announced on May 18, 2016

      • Para lang mga member ng HK Legislative Council na pro Beijing. Ang aangas iyon pala mga British
        Passport holder.

        • hmmm

          Timely analogy, comparison … considering both ‘states’ err territories used to be colonies of traditional allies by western power hegemonies (English, American).

          Lots of difference between former colonies.

          HK, w/o natural resources, smaller human pool by comparison – its economy (e.g. trade, surplus) by GDP is bigger than PI. Yet it only has its independence before the turn to this century, whereas PI was immediately after WWII.

          Of course, they didn’t have a dictator, but they do still have some of PI’s and macoy’s gold to this day and some of PI’s private & hidden wealth in HK deposits.