N.B. – This was published in Asian Correspondent (October 26, 12:40 p.m.) where I write a weekly column (Philippine Fantasy).
If you’re interested in political fiction, try visiting a new website called Great News PH. It works on a tried and tested public relations motto: “Highlight the positive, ignore the negative.”
Mind you, this is not for the weak of heart (assuming you are a concerned human being and not a harebrained lapdog who happens to understand English). You would be treated to pictures and pictures of President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) doing everything and anything for the Filipinos. No, I’m not referring to electoral fraud, extra-judicial killings, kickbacks from anomalous contracts and wanton abuse of power.
In this part of cyberspace, there is obviously an alternate reality where GMA does everything good. According to the website, her milestones in governance include the generation of 350,000 jobs, provision of P150-billion loans and distribution of 15 million cavans of palay (rice; cereal grain), among many other positive accomplishments.
With these impressive numbers, it is not surprising that the title of the website is Great News PH, with the word “great” in obvious reference to the Philippine President.
And in extolling the greatness of the President, even the well-documented accusations against her are practically non-existent. Even if local and international fact-finding groups prove the existence of extra-judicial killings in the country, she cannot be guilty for the simple reason that she is immune from suit while President. Care to know whatever happened to the Senate investigations on anomalous contracts like the botched National Broadband Network (NBN) project costing $329.5 million? These are already non-issues for the government as no evidence has been unearthed, thanks to creative legal ploys like invoking an executive order that prohibits government officials from appearing in congressional inquiries without permission from the President.
Now, what kind of people would come out with a website that could provide misinformation to audiences? I’m sorry if my curiosity got the better of me, but I did a WHOIS lookup on the domain name (greatnews.ph) and this is what I got.
A further quick Internet search shows the name of the company (which has the same registered address in greatnews.ph) registered with the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI): Marish Investments Group. Whether or not this company will play a major role in the 2010 elections remains to be seen, especially if GMA runs as a member in the House of Representatives.
A look-see at Great News PH’s photo gallery shows the President in action.
Looking for a bright idea to stay in power longer? The bulb may give her an answer.
Now what was on her mind when these other photographs were taken?
“Look, up in the sky! Blame god for the flood, not me!”
“I tell you, god was the one who caused the heavy rains.
The flood just so happened to be knee-deep (neck-deep for me!) because…
Wait! Are you listening to me? Look at me!”
“It’s already dark and here I am still sitting on a rubber boat bearing the name of the Manila mayor
who belongs to a different political party! Talk about awkward moment on a not-so romantic night!”
“It’s bad enough that the rubber boat bears the name of a Liberal Party member,
it’s worse that I have to sit beside someone wearing a yellow raincoat.
Can someone tell her to wear blue instead?”
And since Great News PH gives a different picture of reality,
you won’t expect this Photoshopped picture of GMA to be posted there,
even if it is widely being circulated in e-groups and social networking sites.
Just how many friends does GMA have? Perhaps we can find out on Facebook (as advertised in Great News PH)! Notice that she has 6 unread messages in her inbox. By the way, her first name (Gloria) and surname (Arroyo) both have six characters. You’re intelligent enough to know what I’m getting at: 6-6-6. And you don’t have to be a numerologist to know what the three-digit number means.
In case you’re not familiar with the country’s history, the Philippines was colonized by Spain from 1565 to 1898, which is exactly 333 years. That’s half the devil compared to GMA who is the real… Wait, let’s not forget the “great news” alternate reality, an exact opposite of what the eyes can see.
Indeed, GMA is immaculate reincarnate in the eyes of her supporters for whatever reason. In the final analysis, however, one cannot easily dismiss as products of an imaginative mind the crisis besetting the country.
In the era of Gloria, the majority of Filipinos are calling for her resignation from office, never mind if GMA is said to be the ninth “hottest” head of state in the world.
Simply looking around makes you very agitated. Deeply analyzing the context makes you more enlightened.