Politainment

 

                                              (photo: youtube.com)

Sumbagay dakan!

Philippine National Police (PNP) chief Gen. Nicolas Torre III has accepted the challenge issued by Davao City acting Mayor Sebastian “Baste” Duterte to a fistfight, proposing instead a 12-round charity boxing match. The bout, he said, could serve a greater purpose - raising funds for those affected by Severe Tropical Storm Crising and the southwest monsoon.

“Maybe we can use this as an opportunity to raise funds in a charity boxing match,” Torre said during an interview with reporters at Camp Crame on July 23, as reported by The Philippine Star’s Emmanuel Tupas.

Online reactions ranged from excitement to bewilderment, with many netizens debating the figurative versus literal implications of the challenge.

This exemplifies the growing phenomenon of politainment, a term coined by David L. Paletz to describe the fusion of politics and entertainment. In an era dominated by digital media, political figures increasingly engage in performative acts to capture public attention, often prioritizing emotional appeal and spectacle over substantive discourse (Paletz, 1999).

This trend reflects a broader shift in political communication, where public engagement is driven less by policy debates and more by personality-driven narratives, dramatized events, and viral moments. By proposing a fistfight-turned-charity event, both figures engaged in a form of mediated political theater, reinforcing how entertainment values have permeated the political sphere in the age of social media.

Adding to this context is the digital landscape in the Philippines. As of 2025, the country continues to rank among the world’s most connected and socially engaged nations, with approximately 97.2% of internet users accessing the web via mobile phones and around 73–74% smartphone penetration, or about 51 million users. Filipinos spend an average of 3 hours and 34 minutes daily on social media, well above the global average, reflecting a digital culture deeply rooted in mobile connectivity and online interaction.

With over 114 million SIM cards registered, mobile phones have become the primary gateway to information, communication, and political engagement in the country (Statista, 2024; Philstar, 2024; We Are Social & Meltwater, 2024; DataReportal, 2020; Be Global E-Commerce Corp., 2024; AIWhyLive, 2024).

This suggests that social media has become the primary source of information and a significant driver of cognitive engagement for many individuals. As a result, critical thinking and discernment may be diminished, with attention often diverted toward emotionally charged or sensational content, such as the proposed Torre-Duterte boxing match, rather than more pressing socio-political issues.

What now becomes of Torre, who appears to be actively training and preparing for the proposed bout? This writer, also tasked with leading a division, understands the weight of public service: data analysis, policy execution, program oversight, and the constant demand for accountability. These are not light responsibilities. Yet Torre, a high-ranking official, seems willing to shift focus, at least temporarily, for what has been framed as a charity-driven boxing match.

As for the challenger, Baste Duterte, reports as of press time suggest he has flown to Singapore with his family for a vacation. One might wonder: is this a strategic pause or simply coincidental timing? After all, it was he who initiated the challenge.

While there is no personal grievance against either Torre or Duterte, the issue at hand raises larger concerns...

We deserve leaders who do more than simply entertain the public, we need those who inspire trust through integrity, action, and accountability. Likewise, we must strive for a citizenry that does not merely indulge in politainment, but one that speaks out, participates meaningfully, and champions a higher standard of governance. A better country is built not through spectacle, but through a shared commitment to genuine public service and responsible leadership.

True progress begins when both leaders and citizens reject the lure of spectacle and unite in the pursuit of principled governance and meaningful change.

Fix You

 

                                                (image: youtube.com)

Hinsakpan na noon.

Footage from Coldplay’s July 16, 2025, concert at Gillette Stadium in Foxborough captured a gray-haired man and blonde woman tightly wrapped around each other, only for them to tense and hide when their image popped up on the big screen.

Lead singer Chris Martin joked, “Either they’re having an affair or they’re just very shy,” as Aislinn Murphy of FOX Business reported. Amateur sleuths soon named them Astronomer CEO Andy Byron and Chief People Officer Kristin Cabot, a revelation that sent the clip viral, with many social media users leaping to conclusions about the nature of their relationship.

This sparked a wave of online reactions, with netizens creating memes and sharing reflections on both personal and professional relationships, some even quoting poignant lines from Coldplay’s 'Fix You' to capture the emotional weight of the situation.

Online comments began to surface, questioning whether such romantic entanglements still occur among older individuals, especially since the image featured a middle-aged man and woman. Many also wondered why there was such panic surrounding the revelation.

Romantic relationships among older adults continue to exist and evolve, often challenging ageist stereotypes that associate love and intimacy exclusively with the young. Research by Fileborn et al. (2015) highlights how aging individuals still actively pursue romantic and sexual relationships, yet society frequently views such expressions with discomfort or disbelief.

Public reactions, such as surprise or judgment when middle-aged or older individuals are seen engaging in acts of affection, reflect persistent social taboos and cultural expectations regarding age-appropriate behavior. These norms can lead to undue scrutiny or even moral panic when older people are caught in situations that resemble the romantic behavior more typically associated with youth.

In today’s digital age, where videos can go viral in an instant, adults involved in such relationships may need to exercise discretion, mindful of how their actions could affect both their professional standing and personal lives. Beyond personal consequences, their children may also face unintended backlash as a result of public scrutiny.

In an era where digital disclosures can have lasting effects, practicing digital discretion, the mindful management of one’s online persona and self‑disclosure, becomes increasingly vital.

In the Philippine context, where infidelity remains a cultural taboo, there is a growing need for ongoing moral discourse, both from religious institutions and state mechanisms. As social media increasingly becomes a space where such behaviors are normalized, it challenges the deeply rooted values and moral anchorage traditionally upheld by Filipino society.

Here in our country, social media has become a powerful arena where infidelity and boundary-pushing behaviors, such as micro‑cheating, are increasingly normalized, despite strong cultural taboos (Tonelada, 2024). This normalization clashes with deeply ingrained Filipino values like hiya (shame), pakikisama (social harmony), and kapwa (shared identity), which foster community cohesion and discourage behaviors seen as morally deviant (Enriquez, as cited in Filipino values, 2025),

Indeed, there are moments when emotions can be all-consuming, but it is precisely in these times that we must pause and engage our rational mind over our emotional impulses. Choosing to think clearly rather than react instinctively can help us avoid decisions that may lead to complex consequences, especially those that could jeopardize our careers, relationships, and personal integrity.

In the end, discretion is not about suppression, it is about self-respect and foresight. In a world where every action can be captured and broadcast, the choice to act with clarity over impulse is what preserves not only our dignity, but also the lives quietly intertwined with ours.

Sabong, Tilapia, Tawilis and Our Society

 

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Pagkaon da baja ta nan tilapia?

The Philippine Coast Guard launched a high-stakes dive operation in Taal Lake on Friday, July 11, uncovering multiple sacks at the lakebed—potentially linked to the grim fate of the missing sabungeros. Over 30 technical divers were deployed after a site assessment, following the explosive revelations of whistleblower Dondon "Patidongan." His testimony not only reignited public interest but directly implicated gambling magnate Atong Ang in the suspected murders of the cockfighting aficionados. This dramatic turn, reported by Dominique Nicole Flores of The Philippine Star, signals a disturbing convergence of crime, impunity, and political silence that demands national reckoning.

As authorities comb through the depths of Taal Lake based on the whistleblower Patidongan’s chilling disclosures, the public’s reaction has taken a disquieting turn. Online, memes and parodies warning against consuming lake-sourced produce such as tilapia and tawilis, have gone viral, fueling panic and misinformation. Batangas Governor Vilma Santos-Recto has raised the alarm over the growing concern, which has already begun to impact the local economy. Fisherfolk in the coastal towns surrounding Taal report a sharp decline in sales, as fear spreads that the lake, once a vital source of livelihood, may now be tainted by its alleged use as a dumping ground for murdered cockfighting enthusiasts.

Despite the absence of scientific confirmation or official warnings, fear rooted in symbolic contamination has triggered moral panic, resulting in declining fish sales and economic strain for local fisherfolk. This reaction underscores how perception, shaped by media, rumors, and cultural meanings, can override rational assessment and affect real-world livelihoods (Flores, 2025; Cohen, 2002).

Considering that the alleged disposal of bodies in Taal Lake occurred three years ago, why is there a sudden aversion to consuming fish from its waters now? What explains this delayed but intense public reaction? Is there a deeper psychological or sociological link between the heinous nature of the crime and the collective avoidance behavior, or is this merely a surface-level response amplified by sensationalism and viral content?

Such questions invite a critical reflection on how fear and symbolic contamination operate in society, often independent of time or scientific evidence, yet powerful enough to reshape perceptions and daily practices almost overnight.

This phenomenon can be understood through the lens of Mary Douglas’s Purity and Danger (1966), which posits that societies construct ideas of pollution and taboo not purely from physical risk but from symbolic boundaries of order and morality. In the case of Taal Lake, the association of the water with murder has rendered the lake's fish symbolically "unclean," even though no direct evidence of contamination exists. The public’s aversion reflects a cultural reaction to perceived disorder, where the lake becomes a site of moral violation, and its produce, by extension, becomes tainted.

After the COVID-19 outbreak was traced to a wet market in Wuhan, China, wet markets in general, not just in Wuhan, were symbolically marked as “unclean” or dangerous, even in places where there were no cases or scientific links to infection. Many people avoided Asian markets altogether, and in Western countries, this extended to anti-Asian xenophobia. This reflects Douglas’s notion that symbolic contamination can override objective assessments of risk.

During the height of the pandemic, many avoided not only COVID-positive individuals but also their personal belongings, homes, and even areas they had visited. This symbolic boundary of “unclean” lingered beyond the actual infectious period, rooted in fear and a culturally shaped understanding of purity.

Considering recent events in the Philippines, where families of the missing cockfight aficionados continue to cry out for justice, and communities around Taal Lake suffer from economic decline due to the lake’s symbolic association with violence, the government must respond with urgency and accountability. The area, now perceived as “unclean,” reflects more than environmental fear; it reveals a deeper societal wound inflicted by impunity and neglect. It is imperative that the state not only ensures justice for the victims but also implements concrete measures to prevent such heinous crimes in the future.

The lives of Filipino citizens must not be treated as disposable or reduced to collateral damage in the pursuits of greed and corruption. Restoring public trust requires more than recovery operations: it demands systemic change, protection of human dignity, and a reaffirmation that every life matters.

Justice must not sink with the silence of the lake. If the state fails to act decisively, it not only abandons the missing, it betrays the living.

 

When Voices Are Muted

 

                                               (image: youtube.com)

Hilom, saba diha, ikiha ta kaw…

When legal action meets online discourse, the line between justice and censorship grows dangerously thin.

Sen. Risa Hontiveros July 2, 2025 sued former Senate witness Michael Maurillo, who claimed he was bribed by the senator to implicate detained preacher Apollo Quiboloy, according to the report of EJ Macababbad of the The Philippine Star.

Senator Risa Hontiveros has filed charges against the individuals behind the YouTube channel “Pagtanggol Valiente,” which she noted was created on June 24, just a day after Joy Maurillo allegedly made a final attempt to contact her office, claiming she was being detained at the Glory Mountain property of the Quiboloy-led Kingdom of Jesus Christ (KOJC). Hontiveros said the timing raises suspicion about the coordinated spread of disinformation targeting her.

In her complaint, Hontiveros also asked the National Bureau of Investigation (NBI) to pursue legal action against several social media personalities who she said “deliberately contributed to the spread of false and malicious claims” by sharing Maurillo’s video. Among those named were former Palace press secretary Trixie Cruz-Angeles, former broadcaster Jay Sonza, bloggers Krizette Chu and Sass Rogando Sasot, content creator Banat By (Byron Cristobal), Tio Moreno, and lawyer Ranny Libayan.

Trixie Cruz-Angeles pushed back against Senator Hontiveros’s legal action, arguing that it constitutes a form of prior restraint and a dangerous curtailment of free speech. In a petition to the Supreme Court, she and other content creators asserted that being summoned or threatened with legal repercussions for reposting or commenting on public matters—such as Joy Maurillo’s video—sets a chilling precedent that stifles legitimate discourse and dissent.

Angeles maintained that such actions violate the constitutional guarantee of freedom of expression and warned that penalizing online commentary simply because it criticizes public officials undermines democratic engagement.

In a similar note, Harry Roque, in a fiery Facebook Live broadcast on June 27, accused Senator Hontiveros of “orchestrating” legal actions against him and other critics—charging that she is deliberately “weaponizing her office to silence dissent”. He contended that by initiating ethics complaints and pressing for NBI involvement, Hontiveros was exploiting her senatorial authority to suppress opposition and stifle debate.

“As a public servant, I welcome fair criticism,” Hontiveros asserted, “but I will not stand by as dangerous falsehoods are spread—especially when they threaten not only my integrity but also the safety of witnesses, my staff, and the institution of the Senate itself.” Given the existence of the Cybercrime Prevention Act in the Philippines, she maintains the legal right to seek redress and protection under the provisions of the law.

The international community has consistently expressed concern over the use of cyber-libel laws as instruments of censorship, particularly on high-profile cases such as that of Filipino journalist Maria Ressa. Organizations like the United Nations, the European Union, and the International Commission of Jurists have emphasized that criminal defamation laws, including cyber-libel, can have a chilling effect on freedom of expression and are often incompatible with international human rights norms (United Nations Human Rights Council, 2020; European External Action Service, 2020; International Commission of Jurists, 2020). These bodies argue that such laws are prone to misuse by state actors to silence dissent, undermine press freedom, and restrict civic space.

There is undeniably a chilling effect when those in power use silencing phrases like "Hilom" or "Saba diha," effectively discouraging people from expressing their thoughts, whether ordinary or profound. Such dismissive language undermines the fundamental freedoms of speech and expression, which are essential pillars of any democratic society.

If those in power continue to suppress the free exchange of ideas by fostering an environment of fear and oppression, how can genuine development and the pursuit of the greater good ever take root? Progress thrives in spaces where dialogue is encouraged, not silenced.

In the end, when truth is contested and dissent is punished, democracy falters. If power is used not to protect voices but to silence them, then we risk trading freedom for fear, and no society can thrive in that silence.