The All-Dumb phenomenon: From boo-boos to obtuse ideas, claims, and actions

The so called “Aldub” phenomenon is making its presence strongly felt from the streets to the digital world. Even if you’re a no boob tube fan, it’s difficult not to notice it. It’s everywhere that even those who don’t read or subscribe to local showbiz feeds may have had some form of exposure to the hype. It’s difficult to understand how the public is being so receptive to the, frankly, overplaying and overhyped AlDub tandem. Suddenly, it’s news that AlDub is being discussed in a UP class. Even a priest is claiming that AlDub offers lessons on true love. Seriously? To make matters worse, Eat Bulaga’s rival show, It’s Showtime, is trying to match AlDub with the hard-sell Pastillas Girl in the search for her Pastillas Boy.

Similarly, it remains a mystery how an “All-Dumb phenomenon” has swept the country recently. The last couple of weeks have shown an abundance of dumbness to make many a Filipino cringe in embarrassment or disdain.

Mar’s greeting faux pas, alternative currency, and ‘black propaganda’

Meme via Mar Roxas X-Files & Tangina This Moment Facebook . Some rights reserved.

Perhaps it’s more than just a habit; it has now become an instinct. The constant politicking and theatrics of Mar Roxas may have completely consumed him that he forgot how inappropriate it is to greet people a “happy anniversary” over something not worth celebrating. On September 9, the Liberal Party’s presidential bet (or his social media manager?) posted the following message for Zamboangueños:

“Hi, fellow veterans of the Zamboanga siege. Happy anniversary! Just wanted to take a moment and reflect and thank you for your leadership and commitment to welfare of our people and country. Maraming salamat. Being with you all those 21 days has touched me indelibly. Know that our country stands strong and our flag flies high because of you and the men and women like you. We battle on! Mabuhay ang Pilipinas,”

That it is dumb to greet anyone “happy anniversary” over the commemoration of a bloody and destructive conflict is something every decent and educated person knows. If it was indeed Mar Roxas who wrote the message, he has added one more item on the long list of reasons why he shouldn’t be voted the next president. Looks like he has not moved on from his “P***** I** Ano ba to!“ days after all.

It did not help Mar in repairing his image that prank P500 bills were circulated, bearing his face in lieu of Ninoy Aquino’s. These bills were circulated at the House and were also mailed to reporters. They came with notes that read “Salapi pa more!!! Ibulsa ang pera, Iboto ang kursonada.” Most would likely attribute this stunt to the Binay camp but it is also highly possible that Mar’s camp is responsible for it. Either way, it’s a dumb and cheap idea. Both the camps of Mar and Binay don’t benefit from the stunt. They only convince voters to turn to other options.

A few days after the Zamboanga greeting and fake bill issues, Mar’s camp has been tagged by the popular Davao Mayor Duterte as the one responsible for spreading the rumor about Duterte having throat cancer. Without any hesitation, Duterte said, “I hold the Mar Roxas camp responsible for the actions of this PR man,” referring to local journalist Philip Lustre who posted the cancer rumor online.

Does Noynoy really want Mar to win?

Many are wondering if Noynoy Aquino really wants Mar Roxas to win the presidency. His actions of late have somehow implied the lack of keenness in seeing a Roxas presidency in 2016. All of a sudden, he himself floated the idea of an alternative truth on the Mamasapano Massacre although he slightly backtracked from his statement later on. He backed (before eventually stopping) the Bureau of Customs’ plan to open balikbayan boxes for inspection. He outright rejected the idea of adjusting income tax rates for inflation. Some would say these are proofs of his political will. Others perceive these as thoughtlessness or the lack of concern over the repercussions of his actions on Mar’s candidacy.

Alternative version on Mamasapano is MILF’s version

It turns out that the alternative version Noynoy was floating is the version written on the MILF’s report on the Mamasapano Massacre. The MILF’s report was sent to Malaysia but was not published or publicly compared to the versions of the PNP Board of Inquiry and the Senate. All of a sudden, Noynoy Aquino is saying that there’s an alternative truth apparently based on the MILF’s claims. Former SAF Chief Napeñas and erstwhile Aquino ally Panfilo Lacson quickly slammed the idea. Almost all radio and TV commentators rejected the claim and even criticized Noynoy for doing an implied attack on the credibility and dignity of the SAF or the PNP in general.

Image via Dean Bocobo . Some rights reserved,

Saying that there is an alternative version of the facts on what happened at Mamasapano is utterly dumb for myriad reasons. For one, MILF representative Iqbal attended the Senate’s Mamasapano hearings but not once did he mention the idea Noynoy is now trying to impress on the public. It’s impossible for the MILF to not assert their role in the killing of Marwan at the very start of the Senate investigations. Also, how could he accept the alternative version of the MILF when none of them were crime scene investigation experts? The details they mentioned on their report could no longer be verified because they burned Marwan’s hut, as some would allege.

It’s obvious that Noynoy is simply trying to make the MILF less repulsive to the public in an attempt to have the BBL passed. The idea couldn’t get any dumber. It was bad enough that BBL advocates equated being critical to the BBL to being anti-peace. Deodorizing the bloody stink of the MILF is just making stupid stupider.

Government failed to distribute relief goods, left to rot

Screencap via ABS CBN. Some rights reserved.

A recent COA report revealed that the government failed to distribute relief goods worth more than P141 million. It’s either the government is dumb to have caused such a scandalous amount of wastage or the COA is. How can COA come up with such a damning report against this current administration that desperately seeks to have its anointed win the next presidential election? The Department of Social Welfare and Development, the government agency responsible for the storage and distribution of relief goods, stressed that there were “no rotten goods in DSWD warehouses as these were all distributed to families needing assistance.” Is the COA too dumb to fail to differentiate existence from nonexistence or is the DSWD too dumb to assume that COA’s people are incompetent?

SAF deployed in EDSA

Whoever thought of the idea of deploying the SAF for traffic management duties needs to contemplate on his existence. The SAF is the country’s highly specialized police unit, an elite force, created to deal with organized crime groups, terrorists, insurgents, and lawless elements. Seriously? Is the current government really bent on degrading the SAF’s reputation and morale? If the goal is to simply add more people to handle traffic management, why don’t they get these warm bodies from the MMDA? Street reporters (radio reporters in particular) who have been monitoring the HPG takeover have noted the apparent lack of cooperation between the MMDA and HPG.