WAR ON DRUGS:

A GAME OF THE GENERALS

To those not familiar, Game of the Generals is a board game, which involve two players moving pieces on a board, much like the better known game of chess.  This game, unlike chess, introduces an element of deceit and “fog-of-war”.

In a “General’s” game, the player sets up his pieces in a freeform manner, and tries to protect his flag while trying to outflank his opponent and capture his “flag” unit. Each piece belongs to one of several unit types each with varying strengths with different qualities, the exact unit type is not known to the opponent as each piece is undistinguishable from another, save for markings which only the unit owner and the referee (a neutral third person) can see.  For example, a piece known as the “5-star general” can pretty much “kill” any other opposing unit, but is vulnerable to a “spy” unit; spies however, can be killed by a “private”.  The way a player arranges his pieces and how well he presents his “poker face” to the public, are factors that come into play in this game.

This war on drugs is figuratively and quite literally a game of the Generals.  Figuratively, because there is always an element of deception, and literally because of the personalities who may be involved.

Now, what I am about to say contains a lot of speculation and opinion. A lot of this is hearsay, so take this with a grain of salt, but these rumors are so widespread now that this is what the “non-chattering” public would claim to be the truth.

The Executive Department as a Neutral Referee
Quite literally, it seems that the Executive department, under the watch of President Duterte is acting as a “Neutral Referee”—the third man in a Game of the Generals match.  The referee in this case is a non player, all he does is watch the game progress and calls out which piece wins a challenge.  He lets the players have at it with one another.  In this case, he merely watches as the drug lords, their coddlers and the low level pushers make mince meat out of one another.  He is content and satisfied to watch the players destroy one another as the narcotics trade in the country implodes from within.  And, like a mischievous referee, he would sometimes drop hints about “who” these pieces on the board really are, to the glee of the captive Filipino audience clamoring for blood.

In a word, it is “masterful” 
First, it was low level pushers, the lieutenants, dropping one by one.  The public has accepted that these deaths (I dare not glorify it with the use of the term, “Extrajudicial Killing”) were perpetrated by corrupt policemen, mayors and drug lords trying to cover any evidence.  Now, the drug lords and the mayors themselves seems to be the targets—the coddlers of the low level pushers are now the targets of their coddlers.

Who are these coddlers of the drug lords?  It seems that these are people in high places.  These are your senators and generals.  Take the case of the recently slain Melvin “Dragon” Odicta.  It is widely known (rumored) that he has connections with some powerful senators.  He spoke with DILG Secretary Mike Sueno and suggested that he surrender to the police with “some conditions”.  This didn’t help him though.  The widely circulating rumor is that he was killed by some police and military men.  The lawyers who were supposed to meet him were being prevented from coming to him.  Clearly, somebody powerful and with a high position wanted him silenced.

Who killed the Dragon?

Another example is the currently at large (or should we presume him dead?) druglord Kerwin Espinosa who has supposed links with a “senator”

Rolando Espinosa:  Look at his pitiable mug. 

I wouldn’t want to be him

Given these circumstances, all I can say is "Wow".  It looks like the Executive department decided to let the drug lords and their coddlers play a game of the generals with one another and he is the referee.  Masterful.

A Word of Advice to Drug Lords and Pushers (NSFW)

You know who you are, and you know who are after you.  You weren’t born yesterday and your predicament certainly didn’t happen overnight.

Turn yourselves over to the police, tell them who and what you know.

If this doesn’t sound enticing, please, strongly consider the alternative.  Kill your coddler.  If you are a pusher, kill the mayor who coddles you.  If you are the mayor, kill the general who coddles you.  If you are the general, please kill the senator who coddles you.  Dead men tell no tales.  Kill him first, before he kills you.

Meanwhile, the common, sit glued before their TV sets and tabloids cheering on as more and more of your kind get your well-deserved deaths.

Endnote

We’ve all heard about the Davao City bombing, I just want to say that my sympathies go out to the victims and those left behind.  Terrorism, like drugs, is one of those ills which needs to be snuffed out of our country before things go out of control.

#staystrongDavao #OneNation #thearchipelago

#DUBREDO: REALLY MEDIA? COME ON

Sometimes, I think that Filipinos are too shallow and starstruck to make democracy work in this country.  This is no more evident in the uptrend of the twitter hashtag “#dubredo”.  This hashtag refers to the tandem of Philippine President Rodrigo DUterte and Vice President Leni RoBREDO. 

All this arose after the first meeting of the newly inaugurated heads of state and the pair were photographed looking very comfortable with one another, Leni Robredo in particular looking very giggly—like a schoolgirl in the presence of her crush. 

"Coz there's something in the way you look at me"

🎶😍💞💑 #Dubredo it is! Haha. pic.twitter.com/t0LRctvTyP

— marilou. (@matud411) July 5, 2016

Later, more “shipping” happened when Duterte asked Robredo if she wanted to head the Housing and Urban Development Coordinating Council (HUDCC).  Twitter was literally blowing up with #Dubredo memes.

What kind of people have we become that we let this touchy-feely, kilig-ness affect our national consciousness?  Makes me question the sort of logic “Dubredo” voters applied last May 9.

More disturbing is how this shipping is somehow worthy of being featured in the news.  Did Duterte’s boycott of the Media reduce them to reporting mush?  Or is it because the persons allied with the Liberal Party are fighting to keep their party relevant in the new administration?  One would think that the media, in the face of the criticism arrayed against it by Duterte would strive to report on things of greater substance than kilig-ness mush.

 

All this may just seem like harmless fun, but I can’t help but think that there is a darker side to all this.  It is no secret that Duterte and Robredo come from opposing political parties, and that there is actual enmity between them.  During the election campaign, Robredo would go along with her running mate Mar Roxas’ negative portrayal of Duterte as a dictator and would spread black propaganda.  Some have also theorized that former president Fidel Ramos put some pressure on Duterte to give Robredo a position in his cabinet.  Duterte, in turn, complied but just offered the HUDCC, a post that has been held by the past two Vice Presidents and is a fairly low-key post. 

Duterte is probably hoping that that Robredo just stays quiet in the post he gave her.  It is well known that the Vice President in the Philippine system has no role apart from existing for the purpose of succession in case of the President’s death or incapacity.  It appears that the media is not going to let that happen.  They have just found their new darling.