LETTERS FROM DAVAO

By Jun Ledesma

The virulent black propagandists

WHILE the country is grappling against the scourge of COVID 19 the political opposition and their black propaganda machinery are busy concocting toxins to poison the mind of the people. Their targets are no other than Pres. Rodrigo Duterte and his close confidant now Senator Christopher Lawrence “Bong” Go.

An angry President warned those who splashed disinfectants to hospital front-liners attending to COVID -19 patients ordering police enforcers to bathe them or let them drink the disinfectant in return. He also ordered the military, police, and barangay keeping order amidst the rioting leftist elements to “shoot them dead” if their lives are in danger in the performance of their duty. What came out in the critical media is just ‘shoot them dead’ in bold letters and skipped the details that led to an uncontrollable mob.

In an obviously orchestrated cadence the cabal of local and foreign-based propagandists attempted to denigrate Senator Bong Go. There is no denying the fact that the Senator has always been with the President to assist and attend to his needs. Bong is his data bank, he knows where to find the records in the voluminous files to name a few. We know the working habit of Duterte and Senator Bong Go is singled out to have the patience and stamina to last up to 3 o’clock in the morning while the President works and maybe patrolling the streets. The black propaganda against Bong is as vicious as it is preposterous. They made a furor of a small box containing 400 pieces of face masks addressed to Bacoor Medical Center “from Sen. Bong Go through the Lucio Tan Foundation.” As it turns out, the Foundation admitted to putting the name of the Senator and that the LTF is merely responding to the call of the President and the Senator for big business to help in the campaign to curb the scourge os the deadly virus.

The critics moreover are quick to exploit what they thought was a potent tool to hit Bong. They came out with a narrative alleging that donations are to be coursed through the Civil Defense Office and for Senator Go to dictate where these will be allocated. This, the propaganda states, is done because the Duterte administration is building up Bong as a presidential candidate. The donations referred to are test kits, Personal Protection Equipments and face masks. The rib-tickler of it all is the claim that the donations will be sent to Malasakit Centers. This arrangement, the poison note alleged, is the reason why shipments of gears and kits to hospitals are delayed. They are wrong in all counts.m The donors can consign their donation to any agency. Bong Go is not even in the radar screen on those perceived to be in the running for president.

If there was delayed in the provisioning of PPEs and Test Kits, blame it on Health Sec. Francisco Duque. He sat on his fat ass like Nero watching Rome burn. That is why we in Davao are mad because our front-liners are getting sick. Friends got together, in response to the PRRD and Bong Go’s appeal to help. And they provided the 500 PPEs and other gears for Southern Philippines Medical Center. Maybe be small but the gears can tie them up until Duque can wake up from his stupor and purchase the much needed items. In the words of Davao City Mayor Inday Sara, “there is no big and small right now, all the help to the frontlines is truly appreciated. Thank u!!”

And by the way, while true Malasakit Centers are pet projects of Sen. Bong Go who Chairs the Senate Health Committee to help indigent patients, the black propagandists forgot that the centers only assist patients for funds and medical procedures needed. It put under one roof PCSO, PAGCOR and other government aid agencies so patients will not be running around in search of assistance. They have no need for PPEs and test kits. Masks maybe.

To conclude, I want to express the sentiments of Dabawenyos and for that matter the Mindanaons: Just about the only Senator that is perceptible in time of crises and tragedies is the Davao Senator Bong and we are extremely proud of what he has been doing since day one. What he does in civic action and in legislation are always centered on the poor. It is a habit which he cannot whisk away. He dons his suit in Senate sessions and next moment puts on his working outfit to scoot or fly to any nook and corners in the country to extend help to victims of calamities and the needy. He might no be aware of it but he brings government close to the people.

The purveyors of fake news and black propagandists again hit the wrong target. They have become the most virulent virus in our midst, so watch out.

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About the Columnist

Image of Jun Ledesma

Mr. Jun Ledesma is a community journalist who writes from Davao City and comments from the perspective of a Mindanaoan.