‘Un-warranted’ rumors

The “deployment exercises” of the PNP in relation to “rumors” of a warrant of arrest for former president Rodrigo Duterte issued by the ICC definitely fooled so many Filipinos.

The rumor, passed on as “reports,” was unverified if not a fabricated lie. What’s interesting is that it happened as a result of, or just when the PNP was deploying 7,000 cops “for an election-related exercise.”

But why was there no public advisory given to the media or local officials before the deployment exercises were conducted? As a result, all sorts of rumors and speculations have cropped up, none of them favorable to the administration.

While the Police Region 11 categorically denied the misleading and false information related to the deployment of 7,000 cops, the Committee on Peace and Public safety in Davao city declared that they were not informed of any simulation exercise to be conducted.

The optics of 7,000 cops being deployed at the airport fed the impression that the government was going to apply extreme use of force to arrest PRRD the same way the PNP did with Apollo Quiboloy.

That in turn caused people to worry about civil disturbance, rallies and violence on the streets. After two days of speculation and anxiety, people started to wonder if the PNP deployment was advanced planning for the declaration of martial law!

The timing of it all was really uncanny. First, the news spread that “Digong flew to China” instead of “Digong goes to Hong Kong to speak to OFWs.” Then the 7,000-strong PNP deployment happens, then rumors/reports come out that Digong would be arrested based on an ICC warrant.

When things began to have a life of its own, government officials slowly turned back the dial on the rumors and panic, two days later, saying the reports are unconfirmed, the warrant must first pass through the Department of Foreign Affairs, etc. etc.

The Blame Game will soon play out, with administration talking heads accusing the Duterte trolls and Duterte supporters of carrying on, raising hell about all the scenario building. But any seasoned “Marites” or PR wizard would smell a rat at work behind all of these.

The first two weeks of March have not been a good time for the current administration. The government found itself before the Supreme Court, forced to explain the controversial transfer of PhilHealth funds back to the national treasury as well as the basis for withholding funding to PhilHealth.

In case you missed it, the government took a media “beating” when SC Justice Antonio Kho opined that the government should return the P60-billion funds of PhilHealth and that the Board of Directors should be reviewed or replaced.

Following close behind will be the SC hearings on the constitutionality of the 2025 General Appropriations Act, then the alarming revelation that there have been eight undeclared or unpublicized kidnappings where hundreds of millions were paid as ransom.

Adding to the embarrassment and frustration of the Marcos administration is their inability to rush the impeachment trial of Vice President Duterte because Senate President Chiz Escudero stubbornly sticks to “rules and procedures” as well as their calendar.

All this has put the Marcos administration in a bad light, guilty of possible wrongdoing or mismanagement of PhilHealth funds, creating a false sense of security regarding peace and order and disregard for the balance of power among the Executive, Legislative and the Judiciary.

What it is is a “damned if you do/damned if you don’t situation” for the Senate President. If the Senate allows the anti-Dutertes in Congress and Malacañang to have their way, chances are the impeachment could be railroaded and finished just before the elections.

If the VP loses, anybody involved in the trial, meaning all the senators running for re-election, will almost certainly lose in the entire Visayas and Mindanao and possibly lose to newbies from media and business empires.

Those who delay, block or do not support a trial “forthwith” face the real possibility of not getting any and all funds they may be receiving or expecting for campaign funds from the administration, as well as from their job-related appropriations, which means they spend their own money to stay on as senators.

The other, already ongoing challenge is the demolition job being staged against Chiz Escudero and the Senate from many sides. From what I learned, “Oplan: Alis Chiz” started last January and is now being prioritized in order to ensure that Sara Duterte never gets to run for public office.

The mistake of those behind “Oplan: Alis Chiz” is they basically drew the line on the sand, revealing that Escudero and the senators are just “a means to an end” or the end of Sara Duterte from becoming a candidate in 2028. Alis Chiz therefore would be hitting two birds with one stone.

The administration certainly has a row of misses and losses as well as pure PR blunders, such as the strong-handed eviction of foreign retirees and investors in Camp John Hay. Last I heard one of the Koreans was facing deportation for talking about their experience with BCDA. If so, expect a diplomatic protest to come soon.

An equally negative PR event was the DENR announcing the cancelation of contract with the people who developed and protected the Masungi Georeserve and gave the company 15 days to vacate the premises. Even a PR consultant of DENR shook his head in dismay, knowing the storm surge of angry Masungi supporters! 

With all of these setbacks, who can blame the PR wizards for trying to distract us with “un-warranted” rumors?