Sister Mary John Mananzan expressed her disappointment over the result of the election after 10 allies of the Duterte administration entered the magic 12.

During the rally held at the Philippine International Convention Center in Pasay City (PICC) on May 17, the activist nun, together with other critics of the Duterte administration rejected the result of the election.

Along with other opposition supporters, Mananzan also believed that the election was cheated in favor of the Duterte administration bets.

“Napagkayarian namin, na talagang mandaraya, talagang mapanlinlang ang eleksyon na ‘to. At ang cheating na ito ay hindi lamang nangyari sa araw na ‘to kundi matagal na, magmula pa noong nage-endorse si Duterte sa kanyang mga kasama sa Senado na gusto niyang ilagay doon, at saka ‘yung mga buying of votes na napakalawak at saka parang nilelegalize pa kung sabing “okay lang kung para sa transportasyon.” Mananzan said.

“At saka ‘yung mga red-baiting, ‘yung sasabihing “ayan, wag niyo iboto ‘yan dahil ‘yan ay komunista,” she added.

Mananzan also captured the attention of the netizens because of her statement, urging the people to join them in rejecting the result of the election and show the power of the opposition in the streets.

Ako, I’m really calling for People Power. Kung wala tayong maaasahan sa gobyerno, sino ang ating aasahan? Tayo po mismo,” she said.

“Kaya po let’s go, and again, ibalik natin ang magic ng People Power,” she added.

Mananzan is a well-known activist who’s also a veteran of the first People Power revolution which ended the Marcos Administration.

Facebook page, Now You Know also shared the statement of Mananzan on social media which gathered support from some netizens who saw it.

“Wow Sr. Mary John we’d love to join you for people power.” Babot Weedon said.

However, some followers of the said page also discouraged Mananzan to call for another revolution.

“Just encourage people to pray for peace sister not for the People Power.PEACE for our country and in the whole world.” Laila Mae Thompson remarked.

Senator Francis ‘Kiko’ Pangilinan decided to resign as the President of the Liberal Party after he took all the responsibilities over the defeat of Otso Diretso candidates in the 2019 senatorial elections.

In a tweet, Pangilinan said that as the campaign manager of Otso Diretso, he has failed to give the candidates of his party a victory as no opposition candidates entered the magic 12 of the senatorial elections.

“As campaign manager for the Otso Diretso slate, I was unable to ensure our victory in the elections & I assume full responsibility for the outcome and hold myself primarily accountable for this defeat & have tendered my resignation as president of the LP effective June 30, 2019,” Pangilinan said in his tweet.

As campaign manager for the Otso Diretso slate, I was unable to ensure our victory in the elections & I assume full responsibility for the outcome and hold myself primarily accountable for this defeat & have tendered my resignation as president of the LP effective June 30, 2019.

— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) May 21, 2019

Yesterday, Pangilinan thanked everyone who participated in the opposition senatorial campaign.

“Kayo ang @OtsoDiretso. Kayo ang DNA ng kampanyang ito. Kayo ang nagbibigay buhay sa ating mga adhikain.” Pangilinan said.

Kayo ang @OtsoDiretso. Kayo ang DNA ng kampanyang ito. Kayo ang nagbibigay buhay sa ating mga adhikain.

— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) May 20, 2019

Salamat sa mga tulad mong tumulong at lumahok sa mga sortie at debate (kasama na ang mga namatay na mga volunteer sa Baguio at sa Negros), gumawa ng mga sariling gimik para mapansin ang ating mga kandidato, nagbigay ng donasyon, nag-sponsor ng mga sectoral dialogue, forum…

— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) May 20, 2019

… at maging ng mga regional radio at TV ads, lumikha ng sariling mga memes, jingle, at videos para sa ating mga kandidato.

— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) May 20, 2019

Salamat din sa mga lider sa lokal na bagamat tinakot ay tumulong pa rin, at sa mga celebrities na nag- endorso sa ating mga kandidato at hinarap ang mga online at offline bashing. Salamat!

— Kiko Pangilinan (@kikopangilinan) May 20, 2019

Comedian and show business writer Ogie Diaz defended incoming Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa from his critics who questioned his ability.

In a Facebook post, Diaz admitted that he didn’t vote for Dela Rosa and Christopher “Bong” Go who’s also secured his victory in the senatorial race, however, he urged the people that they should respect that the two politicians were already elected by the majority.

He pointed out that some Senators fail to serve the people despite having a more impressive educational background.

Diaz also praised Bato for not being pretentious, saying that he admitted that he’s not yet familiar with making laws.

According to him, people should give the retired General a chance to perform in the Senate.

He wrote:

“Wag na nyong laitin si Gen. Bato at SAP Bong Go at kwestiyunin ang kapasidad nila para maging Senador.

Ilan din naman yung mga senador na may mataas pang pinag-aralan na ine-expect pa nating performing, pero sinamantala lang ang pwesto.

Buti nga itong si Bato, hindi pretensyoso. Talagang sinabi niyang wala siyang alam at mag-aaral pa siya. Kesa mag-ilusyon siyang alam niya ang trabaho ng isang senador kahit hindi naman, mas nakakabuwisit yon.

Ako nga, di ko ibinoto sina Bato at Go, pero dahil sila’y halal na, eh respeto pa din ang gusto kong ibigay sa kanila at panalangin na sana’y magampanan nila ang iniatang na responsibilidad sa kanila.

Let’s give them a chance. Tandaan: si Nancy Binay noon, katakutakot din ang lait sa kanya, pero performing ang lola sa Senado.

Kaya yung mga hindi pa din matahimik diyan at okray pa rin nang okray kay Bato eh di sana, kayo na ang kumandidato, tutal, ang tatalino nyo eh.
Kayo na.”

Bato received criticisms on social media after he asked if there’s a seminar available to teach him how to make laws because he’s not yet familiar with it.

Source

Incoming Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa has an idea to help the young Filipinos who wanted to defend the Philippines against a possible Chinese invasion.

In a post, Dela Rosa expressed his intention to push for the mandatory Reserved Officers Training Corps (ROTC) so the people who are calling the Duterte administration as pro-China and claiming that they’re patriotic can defend the country anytime.

According to him, he was inspired by the youth on social media showing the patriotism by showing their opposition against China’s reclamation in the West Philippine Sea.

“Para doon sa mga kabataan na nagbigay ng team china monicker sa duterte administration, I admire your patriotism. I will work for the return of mandatory ROTC in order to strengthen our territorial defense in case of foreign invasion. Konting tiis lang mga anak for the sake of our country. Ok?”

Some critics of the current administration on social media are young Filipinos who currently studying in Universities.

Most of them expressed their support to the opposition senatorial bet Otso Diretso who promised to defend the Philippine territory from China.

Mandatory ROTC for students was canceled in 2002 because of several controversies and replaced by the National Service Training Program (NSTP).

Several politicians and administration tried to revive the mandatory ROTC, however, they’re all failed.

In 2017, Duterte approved the proposal to revive the mandatory ROTC and certified it as “urgent” so the Congress and Senate would prioritize it.

Ifugao Lone District Representative Teddy Baguilat accepted his defeat on the gubernatorial race in his province against incumbent Banaue Mayor Jerry Dalipog.

In a post, Baguilat who’s a known critic of the Duterte administration told his followers that he decided to conceded after he saw that his opponent got more than 5,000 votes than him.

As of writing, Dalipog got 35,901 votes while Baguilat placed second with 30,580 votes.

“It has been hours since I realized I would not make it as Governor of the province I dearly love. It hurts and would hurt for a long while. But I will be okay. I’m actually excited to explore new horizons and do the Rs – Rest, Rejuvenate, Reflect and Recover.” Baguilat said.

“Meanwhile, thank you to all our supporters and volunteers. I can’t express how grateful I am for your sacrifice. I hope I can still be able to help you even if I will be unemployed for a while.”

He was saddened because he got many plans for his province like scholarship program and improving the health care facilities.

“Sayang. I had so many plans for Ifugao. I had whispered a prayer last night that if I somehow pull off a miracle, I will do my best and work hard to be a good Father of the Province. But it’s not meant to be this time.” he said.

In his Twitter post, Baguilat complained about a “pyramiding vote buying” saying that the voters chose to sell their principles than voting for a politician that will give them scholarship and medical help.

“I lost. Hurts. Talo ang good work, tulong sa scholarship at pa ospital at prinsipyo sa 1K at 5K pyramiding vote buying. Dami pa kailangan gawin para maging wise voters tao. #tuloylaban,” he tweeted.

I lost. Hurts. Talo ang good work, tulong sa scholarship at pa ospital at prinsipyo sa 1K at 5K pyramiding vote buying. Dami pa kailangan gawin para maging wise voters tao. #tuloylaban

— Teddy B. Baguilat (@TeddyBaguilatJr) May 16, 2019

Senate President Vicente Sotto III is optimistic that capital punishment might get revived in the 18th Congress as many incoming senators are supporting it.

According to the unofficial tally of Commission on Elections (COMELEC), 10 out of 12 winning senators got a close-ties with President Rodrigo Duterte and most of them are supportive with the agendas of the current administration.

“In the new Senate, there’s a possibility of 13 [votes]” Sotto during a press conference on Thursday.

According to him, capital punishment might be imposed against drug lords only.

Senators Cynthia Villar, Sonny Angara, and Koko Pimentel are supportive with the said reimposition.

The winning Senators, Pia Cayetano, Lito Lapid, Ramon Revilla, Christopher “Bong” Go, Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa and Francis Tolentino also wanted to push capital punishment.

Dela Rosa is the most vocal when it comes to the revival of capital punishment, saying that it would be his priority once he started working as a Senator.

However, Sotto said that they’re still not sure if it would get passed, despite the mass support from the current and incoming senators.

“I think what will be passed by the Senate would be based on its merits, not because the president is endorsing it or not being endorsed,” Sotto said.

A netizen on Twitter accused incoming Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa of bribing the University of Southeastern Philippines (USeP) so he can get his Master’s Degree and Ph.D. make his educational background impressive.

In a post, a certain @specialchad on Twitter who’s one of the netizens complaining over the election results said that Dela Rosa only pays his Masters of Public Administration degree in 1998 and a Ph.D. in development administration in 2006.

“Another possible plottwist. Binili lang ang Ph.D niya at MA to get promoted. Marami rin nagcomment/PM na maraming schools ang ganto kalakaran to get Masters/PhD.” @specialchad said on his Twitter post.

The Tweet of @specialchad suddenly reached Facebook and went viral after several students and alumnus of USeP denied the accusations of the netizen.

“To answer your queries, the University upholds its integrity in delivering quality education! We already surpassed our vision in becoming a Premier University in ASEAN region. Now, the University’s vision is to become a Research University and it will not be attained if bayaran ang Degree from undergrad to graduate school.” Jan Lapina said on his post.

Even some Twitter users were angered by @specialchad post. Some even said that he might face charges for his Tweet against USeP.

“I will ask my friend who is the former USEP President to sue you for your irresponsible tweet. That was a sweeping accusation against a University in Mindanao. You sully their reputation.” @Wends_Rohingya told @specialchad.

I will ask my friend who is the former USEP President to sue you for your irresponsible tweet. That was a sweeping accusation against a University in Mindanao. You sully their reputation.

— Wends for HIV & Rohingya (@Wends_Rohingya) May 16, 2019

“@specialchad Where can I find you so I can slap you with my sufferings under USeP so you will understand what it means to be a Usepians. Your money doesn’t have value in my alma mater… only brain, resourcefulness and perseverance counts.” @pai_ying said.

@specialchad Where can i find you so i can slap you with my sufferings under USeP so you will understand what it means to be a Usepians. Your money doesnt have value in my alma matter… only brain, resourcefulness and persevarance counts.

— Jesthony Narvasa (@pai_ying) May 16, 2019

“Hi! I’m an undergraduate student from USeP. It’s an insult na sabihan na “binibili lang and degree” sa university namin. Special mention pa. And I don’t think tama yung nasagap mong info. Just like other universities, blood and sweat puhunan mo para makagraduate,” @syralynnespena remarked.

Hi! I'm an undergraduate student from USeP. It's an insult na sabihan na "binibili lang and degree" sa university namin. Special mention pa. And I don't think tama yung nasagap mong info. Just like other universities, blood and sweat puhunan mo para makagraduate.

— syralynn (@syralynnespena) May 16, 2019

After his post went viral @specialchad apologized to the netizens, saying that he’s only asking a question to the students and alumnus of USeP.

“Huhu. May mga nagmessage po kasi, gusto ko lang malaman yung totoo. Pero ayun, sana mapatawad nyo me,” @specialchad said.

As of writing @specialchad’s Twitter account was already deactivated for still unknown reasons.

Incoming Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa noticed one of his critic who mocked his statement over his willingness to learn how to make laws.

The student, who studied Political Science in De La Salle University on Tuesday posted the transcript of Dela Rosa’s interview with CNN Philippines, expressing his anger over the cluelessness of the retired general.

“THIS IS THE 5TH MOST VOTED SENATOR IN THE REPUBLIC. LECHEEE!!!! ANO NA PILIPINAS? ANO NA?!” the critic wrote on his post which already gathered 55,000 shares on Facebook.

As a response, Dela Rosa shared the post of the said critic and asked why the latter was so judgmental.

Dela Rosa even offered his hand to relieve the sadness of the critic who got disappointed to him.

“Grabe naman manghusga itong batang ito. Mahapdi pa ba ang sugat mo? Tulungan kitang gamutin yan dong.”

In another post, Dela Rosa showed a photo of him during his visit as guest of honor and speaker during a commencement exercise of his alma mater, Mindanao State University in 2017.

“Hello! Is it me you’re looking for?” Dela Rosa said.

Most of the critics of Bato are students who questioned his ability to work as a senator of the Philippines.

Meanwhile, several of his future colleagues offered their help to Dela Rosa, including Senator Panfilo Lacson who said that he’s gonna guide his fellow PMA’er about the rules of the Senate.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also confirmed that neophyte senators would be guided and trained by the upper house.

Senator Panfilo Lacson on Wednesday said that he’s willing to train incoming Senator Ronald “Bato” Dela Rosa in lawmaking.

According to Lacson, Dela Rosa doesn’t need to worry about looking for “seminars” because the Senate will provide all the needs of the neophyte senators like what happened to him in 2001 when he was first elected as a lawmaker.

“We will be meeting with the new members and give them some tips or lectures as was done to my batch in 2001,” Lacson said.

Lacson, however, said that Dela Rosa whom he considered as his underclass because the newest Senator from Mindanao would experience another period of plebehood.

“Bato need not worry. He will undergo another period of plebehood under my supervision since we are both in the majority bloc,” Lacson said.

Lacson graduated at the Philippine Military Academy in 1968 while Bato belongs to Class 1986, both of them became the leader of Philippine National Police (PNP).

Senate President Vicente Sotto III also confirmed that they indeed provide training for new senators.

“The Secretariat will also conduct an orientation and training on the Senate Legislative process to the staff of the senators as soon as they are hired,” Sotto said.

Senator Koko Pimentel also confirmed that Dela Rosa called him, asking for guidance.

“Yes, tumawag nga siya sa akin. Meron namang briefing for new senators. Lahat dumadaan diyan except ako,” he said.

Bato received criticisms on social media after he admitted that he’s not knowledgable in making laws, asking if it’s possible for him to learn lawmaking by looking for seminars.

“Ewan ko kung meron bang seminar diyan, o ano bang training diyan para matutunan ko yung paano gawin ‘yung batas. Ano bang trabaho namin diyan sa Senado? Kung merong ganon, I’ll take that opportunity na para matuto ako,” Dela Rosa said in an interview with CNN Philippines.

However, Dela Rosa also received praise from his supporters, saying that the incoming Senator showed his honesty and weakness, which some politicians cannot show.