Rappler's Incredibly Massive Failure Of The Mind

 

This is really something when I heard about how Rappler is yet again in danger of complete shutdown. I'm amazed at how Maria Ressa remains arrogant or how Rappler contradicts itself. I wanted to write another article and ran out of ideas. I feel that like ABiaS-CBN - Rappler has now entered into a whole new level of an INCREDIBLY MASSIVE FAILURE OF THE MIND. Some can say that Rigoberto Tiglao of The Manila Times is a purveyor of fake news. However, I still feel The Manila Times may be more reliable and Tiglao makes sense (at times) even if he's practically clueless about economics and foreign direct investment (FDI). 

An opinion piece that I wrote was about Ressa's appeal to clueless Western media. Unfortunately for her, Stephen Sackur of BBC HARDtalk didn't believe her and blasted her several times. I was laughing at how Ressa made a fool out of herself as Sackur further interrogated her. Did Ressa really believe that she could succeed where her two other friends (Antonio Trillanes IV and Maria Lourdes Sereno) failed? If she did, she clearly wasn't doing any research. Sackur exposed Ressa for what she was. Then she got the Nobel Peace Prize which I say is neither a source of outrage or honor. Instead, I feel that her Nobel Peace Prize award is COMEDY GOLD to the point why even bother revoking it? I wouldn't be surprised if Liela Dilemma, Antonio Trillanes IV, or any of her other comrades will be guaranteed nominations. I wouldn't be surprised if the Nobel Foundation will give Dilemma the Nobel Peace Prize. Trillanes may get his award if ever he attempts to overthrow President Bobong Marcos from his power. Maybe, we will see Trillanes go to the Netherlands to get the Nobel Peace Prize too.  

Cutting down though a problem Rappler could've avoided altogether if it wasn't for that certain law in the 1987 Constitution

I decided to read again through Tiglao's entry regarding the law catching up on Rappler for good. Unlike Tiglao, I'm no journalist and I'm just another nobody blogger sharing his mind. What truly interested me is this table below by Tiglao:

This is quite similar to how ABiaS-CBN got into the same situation. Honestly, I don't care if Gabby Lopez is a dual citizen or not. Ressa's mother, a widow, later remarried a man named Peter Ames Ressa, and Ressa was ADOPTED as Maria Ressa. Ressa's father was said to be a certain Tsinoy man named Phil Sunico Aycardo who died when she was but a year old. So, Ressa might be a dual citizen. Again, I have no issue with whether or not both Lopez and Ressa are American citizens. This really shows the 1987 Constitution of the Philippines REALLY SUCKS. Article XII of the 1987 Constitution says that the ownership of mass media in the Philippines is EXCLUSIVELY FOR FILIPINOS. The ripple effect of Carlos P. Garcia's Failipino First Policy still endures today. By having a "Failipino First Policy" which says only Filipinos can own mass media - Rappler is clearly in trouble!

Tiglao's The Manila Times expose even revealed about the violation of the Da Best Consh*tution in the World. TBH, I don't mind if Pierre Omidyar of eBay gave funds to Rappler as long as it's properly declared. However, the big issue is that by funding Rappler - Omidyar may effectively have a share with Rappler. I've even heard ABiaS-CBN has been having foreign shareholders. Again, I have NOTHING against ABiaS-CBN and Rappler having some foreign shares. Ressa's American citizenship doesn't need to be a problem either as long as she follows the laws. The big problem is how Rappler may have been a big tool against what could've benefited it - CONSTITUTIONAL REFORM. Well, isn't it surprising since a lot of Filipinos have had a LONG HISTORY of fighting against reforms that could've benefited the Philippines?

One of the worst things I could remember with Rappler is associating with that toad, Toady Casino, a member of Bayad Muna which is obviously a CPP-NPA legal front. I wrote a refute against Casino's nonsense. Casino even continues to badmouth foreign investments all the while he apparently supports the International Clown Court. Renato Reyes Jr. of Bayad Muna also went there too. Some would say, "Just follow the law!" or as Hilarious Davide says, "The 1987 Constitution is the best in the world." Yeah right, am I right? No matter how hard they try to spin it - Rappler has violated Article XVI of Da Best Konstitusyon in Da World. This really makes me laugh because a lot of issues Rappler is facing today could've been avoided if it wasn't for Article XVI of Da Best Konstitusyon in Da World.

How Rappler could've benefited from constitutional reform

Maybe, one can start with Ressa having been a citizen of America for a very long time. That should've been irrelevant if it wans't for Article XVI of Da Best Konstitusyon in Da World. The Philippines suffers a lot of backlogs because of protectionism. It's all rooted on the supply and demand as to why the Philippines suffers from incredibly expensive poor utility services. High cost of electricity, high cost of telecommunications with weaker services, etc. are all a result because of Garcia's REALLY STUPID Failipino First Policy. That's why I don't even want to call it "Filipino First". Call it for what it is - it's best referred to as Failipino BECAUSE it's a failure. Protecting the interests of Filipino businessmen only made it a haven for oligarchs. Sorry Fact Check PH but 60-40 has been defending the oligarchs in some way.

Just imagine what if economic liberalization happened way before Rappler was established. Ressa could freely invest even as an AMERICAN CITIZEN or a dual citizen. Ressa could've freely received funding from Omidyar Network. The funding Ressa receives can be legally recognized as long as it's declared to the Bureau of Internal Revenue (BIR). If there was faster Internet - Rappler can easily grow its network even in far-flung areas. That means the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) right now wouldn't be mandated to revoke Rappler's license. Instead, defending Da Best Konstitusyon in Da World has put Rappler where it is. Besides, isn't it also thanks to Da Best Konstitusyon in Da World that Bobong is now the 17th president of the Philippines and the Kakampinks can't even be a formal opposition? A parliamentary system would've allowed Leni Loud Robredo to march in yesterday as the Leader of the Opposition. Maybe, we'll have a midweek debate between Bobong and Leni Loud. Instead, there's none.

A parliamentary system would mean Rappler would have more coverage. Weekly questioning would have Rappler have the duty to write down the results of the debate. Just imagine it if Pia Ranada or any of the Rapplerites were showing up in the Philippine Parliament. Maybe, JC Punongbayad would've probably been a shadow minister by now with Leni Loud leading the charge. Instead, the presidential system will continue the BORING, NEARLY USELESS LEGISLATION. We don't have our legislative have a real formal debate. Instead, Rappler may have been also the cause of why the Philippines is stuck with the boring presidential system.

This is why I still call Rappler a massive failure of the mind. They wanted to defend the 1987 Constitution in the Philippines. They started their "fact-checking" which may have undermined anything that could've benefited them. If Rappler really wants to be operative - they should support constitutional reform. I can't truly say what Ressa's outcome with the case with Wilfredo Keng will be. What I want to say is Rappler truly has ended up shooting its own foot by not seeing how reforms could've benefited it.