ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL

Chapter I
THE PROBLEM
Introduction

Social Media Platform means a mobile and/or internet-based platform used and

controlled by a Seller or any of its Affiliates for the exclusive purpose of promoting

the Business, information dissemination, customer services, various entertainments,

including any profiles or accounts and pages on Facebook, Google+, Instagram,

Pinterest, Tumblr, Twitter, Snapchat, and channels on YouTube, in each case, to the

extent exclusively related to the businesses, entertainment, information, personal

vlogs, etc. These are defined as “forms of electronic communication through which

users create online communities to share information, ideas, personal messages, and

other content (as videos).”

Politics, on the other hand, is defined as the mobilization of support for a

position, decision or action whereby “people act together through institutionalized

procedures to resolve differences, to conciliate different interests and values, and to

make public policies in the pursuit of common purposes” (Leftwich, 2004). In this

regard, politics is a pursuit of common interests wherein collective effort from the

public, private sector, and the government is needed to achieve common purposes.

Knowledge is power. Everyone recognizes this saying but few understand the

empowering role social media has played. Through social media, anyone online is

empowered by an unrestricted flow of information to add to their knowledge bank. In

today's world, it is undeniable that social media plays an important role in impacting

our culture, our economy and our overall view of the world. Social media is a new
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forum that brings people to exchange idea, connect with, relate to, and mobilize for a

cause, seek advice, and offer guidance. Social media has removed communication

barriers and created decentralized communication channels and open the door for all to

have a voice and participate in a democratic fashion including people in repressive

countries. This media outlet accommodates a wide variety of spontaneous, formal,

informal, scholarly and unscholarly writings to flourish. It enables common interest

based groups such as students to work in a collaborative group projects outside of their

class. It fosters creativity and collaboration with a wide range of commentators on a

number of issues such as education, the economy, politics, race, health,

relationships…etc.

The unexplored area of research is the political participation of the social

media users’ actual rallying and protest both on social media users and senior high

school students. Though ideally expected that social media platforms are influential to

the students but not that explored on a bigger picture in the context of the social media

users. In this study, the researchers therefore analyzed the role of social media

platforms on the formation of political attitudes among social media users. The

researchers investigated the effects of social media platforms on the opinions of public

with regards to politics.

Through social media platforms, people can acquire social resources, such as

political information, social services, or access to political officials and institutions,

and as the most active online users, they can make use of these social resources to

engage better in the society. New ways of communicating, using the social media, has

a democratic potential that opens for new forms of political participation and
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conversations. Research that tries to make a connection between democracy, young

citizens and Information and Communication Technology is limited but growing

(Olsson and Dahlgren, 2010). Attitude is an important concept that is often used to

understand and predict people's reaction to an object or change and how behaviour can

be influenced (Fishbein and Ajzen, 1975). The attitude construct continues to be a key

focus of theory and research in the social and behavioural sciences (Wood, 2000).

Thurstone (1931) defines attitude as affect for or against a psychological object; early

theorists used affect in the sense in which we now refer to as attitude (Ajzen and

Fishbein, 2000).

Among the social media platforms, Facebook is still the number one social

media platform in the Philippines. Based on the “2019 WeAreSocial” survey, 97

percent of internet users use Facebook followed by Youtube (96 percent), Messenger

(89 percent), Instagram (64 percent) and Twitter (54 percent). While Facebook does

not generate original news content, it has grown into an important medium for news.

Social media’s influence on political participation such as voting, advocacy or self-

expression remains unclear but there are studies. Three women in the academe

conducted research on young Filipinos below 45 years old. Clarissa C. David, Ma.

Rosel S. San Pascual and Ma. Eliza S. Torres tested five hypotheses using data

collected from an online survey of 978 Filipinos from Feb. 1 to March 31, 2016. The

study examined the “link between reliance on Facebook for news, political knowledge

and political engagement in the Philippines” by testing five hypotheses using data

gathered from the online survey. Research on “Direct and Differential Effects of the

Internet on Political and Civic Engagement” by Michael Xenos, et al. reveals that any
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effects of online news on political participation depend on traditional factors such as

their level of interest in politics from the start. Another study (stumbling upon news on

the internet, YonghwanKim, et al.) reinforces this. The exposure to information, even

if one is not seeking it, can increase online political participation. Another research

(Connecting blog, Twitter and Facebook use with gaps in knowledge and participation,

Sung Woo Yoo) confirms the previous studies, that the increased engagement occurs

among those already interested in news and politics.

At the same time, the development of civic attitudes and behaviors goes hand

in hand with young citizens’ general identity formation: How they orient themselves

towards the political world is likely to have a lasting impact on their later lives.

Gerber, Green, and Shachar (2003) find, for example, that turnout for earlier elections

is significantly associated with electoral participation in later stages of life. This

orientation towards politics mostly takes place in the digital sphere (Literat et al.,

2018). Research demonstrates that online civic communication mediates political

information processing (Lee at al., 2013), and functions as a steppingstone towards

offline participation (Moeller et al., 2014).

The study is conducted to explore social media users’ notions of political

participation and to uncover the possibility of discovering political differences and

stances among them. This aimed to determine how social media platforms had

changed the political landscape of Philippine Politics. This sought to explore on the

role of social media in shaping public opinions in the socio-political arena of the

Philippines since many have become more politically participative in the last years and

use these these portals in a possibility to have an active participation in the creation of
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posts, comments, banners, information contained in created posts all about political

opinions, etc.

Statement of the Problem

This study uncovered the political attitudes of the social media users. The
following variables were taken into consideration:

A. Content;

B. Style Analysis;

C. Political Knowledge and Engagement;

D. Political Needs and Political Efficacy;

E. Political Attitudes

Significance of the Study

Realizing the objectives of this paper, the researchers intend to provide benefits
for the following: the students, parents, and government officials.

Social Media Users Across Ages. Results of this research can help the social
media users to be aware of the role of social media platforms on their political
attitudes.

Generation Z. The centennials can be benefited with the study as social

media platforms are integral part of their political life as a growing number of people
around the world use digital media technologies for political information and
communication. This study will hone their skills of discernment between
misinformation, false news and fake news.

Government officials. Local, not just the national government officials are
also expected to be benefited with the study because they will be aware of the
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evolution of youth political participation especially on how modernization continually

affect the youth on their political views and opinions.

Researchers. The researches can also be benefited from the outcome of the
study. They will be acquainted with the role of social media platforms on formation of
the political attitudes of social media users. They will become well-informed how
digital media may consciously or unconsciously help them shape their political
ideologies.

Future Researchers. They are also benefited with the study if they wish to
explore more with the study. This can be their basis if they wish to conduct a research
that is aligned with this. They can conduct a quantitative research revolving on the
direct impact of social media platforms into political behaviors of the people.

Scope and Limitation

The study focused on the following variables: (a) content; (b) style analysis; (c)
political engagement and political knowledge; (d) poltical needs and political efficacy
and (e) political attitudes. The study covered the analysis on the role of social media
platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and YouTube on the political attitudes of social
media users. Published articles were also taken into consideration. These articles are
stated as follows: “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us” and “Blame the
President” by Antonio Contreras, “Duterte: Our boldest President ever” and “Duterte
makes history” by Rigoberto Tiglao, and “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to
scold the President” and “We need a selfless leader” by Louis “Barok” Biraogo. The
primary subjects of this research study consisted of the social media users particularly
the Facebook friends and the Twitter and Instagram followings/followers of the
research proponents.

Moreover, the participants for the political needs and political efficacy, and
political attitudes were purposely selected by referring to their age which ranges from
18 years old and above.
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Conceptual Framework

The paradigm shown below was the guide of researchers in analyzing the

social media contents in forming the political attitudes of social media users:

E.Political
Attitudes

D. Political
Needs and
Political Efficacy

C. Political Knowledge
and Engagement

B. Style Analysis

A.1. Title Analysis;

A.2. Thesis Statement;
A. Content A.3. Evidence and Argument;
A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

Figure 1. The Research Paradigm

This paradigm shows the variables that will be taken into consideration
during the conduct of the study. It will focus on the political contents on social
media platforms and selected published articles that tackle the author’s personal
preference when it comes to politics. It will also uncover the political opinions of
social media users through social media platforms. These will be unfolded through
the use of following research designs: content analysis, discourse analysis, thematic
analysis and grounded analysis.
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Theoretical Framework

These are the related ideas and accounts that support the structure of the study.
This includes all pertinent readings as well as findings of foreign and local studies and
the theories which will help the researchers construct the conceptual framework of the
study.

On New Media

The Internet and social media provide an opportunity to the young population
for political discussion through various online groups, pages, and accounts. Bimber
and Copeland (2011) emphasized on the role of new media for providing the platform
for political participation and changing their political efficacy. Schulz’s (2005) study
suggested that new media users are active in politics and political discourse. The
Internet has developed the interests toward politics of its users and improved political
efficacy of the respondent which create their online and offline political engagements.
Jiang (2016) examined the effects of the Internet on online and offline political
participation. He also investigated the Internet’s role in molding citizens’ perceptions
of politics. This strong relationship creates political efficacy and election interest
among Internet users and increases their political involvement (Jiang, 2016). The use
of the Internet has become the main source of political efficacy and political
participation, enhancing awareness about voting and campaigning. New media also
increases the ratio of voters’ turnout among users. It develops the approach which
helps in voting and donating campaign for politics (Larson, 2004). Users’ efficacy
helps them to understand the political affairs in a better way through the acquisition of
political information from new media. Kahne, Middaugh, and Allen (2014)
investigated the youth, new media, and the rise of participatory politics and concluded
that new media has given a platform to individuals for information and communication
with large audiences and a means to participate in political activities. The above-
mentioned studies have been conducted in developed countries and shared the similar
findings. However, marginalized and rural areas youth have been excluded and
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neglected in the research domain. The study focuses on rural active youth in political
process through social media.

On Facebook

Strouds (2018) defined Facebook as an interactive

software application developed to utilize the core technologies of
the Facebook platform to create an extensive social media framework for the app.
Facebook Apps integrate Facebook’s News Feed, Notifications, various social
channels and other features to generate awareness and interest in the app by Facebook
users. According to the recent statistics of NapoleonCat (2020), there were 73, 170
000 Facebook users in Philippines in January 2020, which accounted for 65.4% of its
entire population. The majority of them were women - 53%. People aged 18 to 24
were the largest user group (24 000 000). This suggests that this is a user-friendly
accessible app that shows the widespread use of this platform in the Philippines. The
Philippines just entered its status as a “middle-income” country, from a long history of
being a poor country with a large proportion of the population living in poverty
(around 22%). It is a country with low levels of high school and college graduation
rates and generally low access to many forms of technology. Most recent data show
laptop and desktop computer ownership/access at only 24.3% of households across the
country,[36] most schools do not have computers in classrooms, and most students do
not have access to one. However, the rapid adoption of smartphones and the sharp
decline in the costs of smartphone units that are capable of Internet connection led to
an expansion of internet access in the Philippines.

David (2019) stated on her study that Internet penetration rate in the country is
officially less than 40% for a country of 101 million people. However, according to
FB, there are over 50 million Filipinos in the country on their platform. Among those
that report having access to the Internet, over 94% report having a social media
account and the vast majority of them are on FB.[37] As such, the Philippines is often
characterized as the social media capital of the world, on top of its reputation as the
texting capital of the world. The leading telecommunication companies in the country
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offer access to the FB app on smartphones without charging for data usage; this further
grew the population of Filipinos on FB.

The Philippines has a history of low levels of political knowledge acquired

from traditional media, no doubt owing to the very low circulation rates of newspapers
(at best, 15% read the paper regularly). Most news consumption happens through
television, and these days, social media. Compared to FB growth even in developed
countries, FB in the Philippines grew rapidly into the main driver of news traffic
among the most prestigious news outlets in the country. A paper (authors) on the role
of FB on news reporting in the country reveals that among the top 4 news websites,
FB-referred traffic accounts for between 60%-90% of clicks into news sites. This was
a year ago and it is reasonable to think that these percentages have grown since.
Television remains the number 1 news source across the country; but among those
with Internet access, it is likely that the majority of news consumption is FB-driven
(David 2019).

This unique situation of the Philippine news reading public makes it a good
venue to study the potential implications of reliance on FB for political news. Fresh
out of a contentious election with controversial results, FB-based campaigning and
political activism have flourished and thrived, some say, to the detriment of civilized
political debate. Online discussions and comments grew vicious and sometimes
violent, and full of political–and personal–vitriol, thus recently prompting the Senate
to open a hearing on the problem of social media’s effect on culture. Clearly FB has an
important role to play in the Philippines’ news use, political knowledge, and
engagement with politics, providing an interesting context for understanding the
relationships hypothesized in this study (David 2019).

On Political Knowledge

General political knowledge is one of the most valuable resources that any
citizen in a democracy can possess. Traditionally defined, political knowledge refers to
factual information stored in long-term memory (see Bartels 1996; Delli Carpini and
Keeter 1996; Althaus 1998). Individuals with high political knowledge exhibit
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behaviors that are consequential to a well-functioning democracy, including holding

stable attitudes about a broad spectrum of political topics, ideological constraint, high
levels of political participation, and informed, value-maximizing voting decisions. In
short, political knowledge is an instrumental good that allows citizens to translate their
political interests into effective political action. Thus, political knowledge is the basic
currency of democracy, as Delli Carpini and Keeter (1996) famously stated about two
decades ago. Or, at least, it has been. In this paper, we examine the importance of
political knowledge for civic competence in the era of the internet, when anyone can
look up anything at any time.

The media is a primary source of information about politics for most people
(Delli Carpini and Keeter 1996; see also Jerit, Barabas, and Bolsen 2006; Prior 2007;
Hayes and Lawless 2015). However, in the past few decades, the media environment
has changed dramatically. During the broadcast news era, people had limited
information options. There were fewer television channels (Prior 2007), and the
twenty-four-hour news cycle did not exist. Print news arrived in the morning, and the
national news was available in the early evening on TV. In short, access to information
had both quantitative and temporal limitations. In contrast, today the vast majority of
Americans can retrieve virtually any information at any time via the internet.

While information options first multiplied with the diffusion of cable television
in the 1980s, the availability of information accelerated dramatically with the
introduction of the internet in the mid-1990s, culminating in the widespread ownership
of smartphones today. A large majority of Americans (more than nine out of ten
Americans under 50)1 now have near-constant access to the internet, and with it, the
ability to obtain vast amounts of information, including political information. This
raises an important question: Has the internet, roughly two decades after its
widespread introduction to American society, fundamentally changed the basic
equation linking political knowledge to civic competence? Individuals may no longer
need to carry a lot of information in their heads. Our research examines whether
political knowledge today continues to serve as vital a role in promoting civic
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competence as it used to. In other words, when it comes to politics, is googling as

good as knowing?

On Political Efficacy

Craig (2009) said that political efficacy and trust—among the most frequently
used survey measures of general political attitudes—are often maligned for their lack
of reliability and validity. This paper reports results from the National Election Studies
1987 pilot study, which included more than thirty-five efficacy and trust items. Five
attitudinal dimensions were hypothesized; four emerged clearly. One scale, internal
efficacy, is especially robust; a four- to six-item scale represents a considerable
improvement on existing NES measures. External efficacy is distinguished from
political trust, at least when the former is measured in terms of the fairness of political
procedures and outcomes rather than in terms of elite responsiveness to popular
demands. Though less decisive, there also is support for dividing trust into incumbent-
and regime-based components. The failure to find a similar incumbent- and regime-
based distinction for external efficacy is in accord with theoretical perspectives.

On Facebook and Political Efficacy

Write a topic sentence here. Build a concept of a story. Social media,

especially Facebook, plays an important role in political efficacy. Abdulrauf (2016)
examined cognitive engagement and online political participation on Facebook and
Twitter among youth in Nigeria and Malaysia and concluded that political knowledge
and needs increased the political involvement and trust in young people. Abdu and his
colleagues measured the role of Facebook and its use, interactivity, quality
information, and political interest among youth. The study concluded that “Facebook
use, and political interest positively correlates with online political participation”
(Abdu, Mohamad, & Muda, 2017, p. 1). Conroye and his colleagues found that online
political groups are mutually connected with offline political participation; however,
the relationship between online political groups and political knowledge is limited
because of online group discourse, but the connection between online and offline
participation is very strong (Conroye, Feezellb, & Guerreroc, 2012). Heiss and
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Matthes (2016) studied the effects of politicians’ participatory Facebook posts on

young people’s political efficacy and revealed significant positive effects on those
with high external and collective efficacy traits and low cynicism traits. Chan and Guo
(2013) investigated Facebook use in political activities and concluded that “social
media use among youth can facilitate greater political and civic engagement,
particularly for those who perceive that they have limited ability to participate and
understand political affairs” (p. 461).

On Facebook and Political Participation

Considerable research over the decade has been produced on the impact of
social media and Internet on online and offline political participation. For instance,
Facebook has become one of the most significant platforms for online users to discuss
politics and participate in politics offline. Njegomir (2016) examined the impact of
Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube on millennials’ political behavior and found that
Twitter and YouTube were not used for political purposes; however, Facebook was
used for political content and may have a negative effect on formal political
participation in both developing and developed countries. Westling (2007) examined
the expansion of the public sphere and the impact of Facebook on political
communication. He interlinked the political communication strategies with public
sphere expansion and found that Facebook was a valid platform for bridging political
communication among public. Another study conducted by Marcheva (2008) found
that there was a strong correlation between social media platforms and collective
movements. Facebook helped in understanding the various impressions of political
participation such as discussions of controversial issues. Researchers have developed
multiple scales to study the impact of Internet on campaign and political messages.
Due to the monolithic nature of the medium, it is difficult to assess the effects of social
media on netizens. Political participation on Facebook is robust during elections.
Rustad and Sæbø (2013) found that politicians use Facebook to connect with citizens
and keep them updated about their agenda and political activities. Borah (2014)
presented his paper at the annual conference in International Communication
Association on the use of Facebook amid the presidential campaign and found that
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posts promoting the candidate increased political participation in individuals whose

party affiliation is congruent with the post (p. 1). Similar to that, Vitak et al. (2009)
observed the usage of Facebook and political involvement in the 2008 election. They
concluded that there are possible effects to change the usage of SNS among applicants
and political organizations. Hanson, Haridakis, Cunningham, Sharma, and Ponder
(2010) revealed that social media usage shows negative predictions for political
cynicism. Andersen and Medaglia (2009) found that the online sphere is popular
among voters because they know about their political candidates through various
means of party organization. Gerodimos and Justinussen (2014) found that Obama’s
campaign in 2012 utilized Facebook as a tool for promotion; this online campaign
highlighted Obama’s personality as a strategy which motivated followers to acts rather
than to become empowered. Stumpel (2010) has given insight in his thesis on politics
of social media (Facebook) and argues that discursive processes and counter
protocological implementations should be an essential political factor which governs
user activities on SNS. Based on the extensive amount of literature which has been
devoted to social media and political communication, we can argue that published
literature shows the opportunities and challenges of social media in politics in various
countries across the globe. Based on the presented literature, the following hypotheses
are derived to address in this study:

On Instagram

Instagram is an online photo sharing service. It allows you to apply different

types of photo filters to your pictures with a single click, then share them with others.
While is a rather basic service, Instagram's simplicity has helped it gain widespread
popularity. While nearly all smartphones have built-in cameras, they often do not
produce quality photos. By using Instagram, you can liven up otherwise mediocre
images and make them look more professional. For example, Instagram's Valencia
filter brightens photos and enhances the contrast, improving the appearance of drab
photos. The Earlybird filter adds a slight blur to the image, warms the colors, and
vignettes the corners, giving photos a softer look. You can also make more drastic
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changes to photos using a filter like "1977," which makes images look like vintage
photographs taken with an old camera (Techterms, 2014).

On Instagram and Political Participation

Parmele and Roman (2013) said that Instagram has many features that aid in
political advocacy. Instagram messages, called posts, can include photos, short-form
video, and text that provide political news. Distinctive filters can be used to change the
color balance or contrast on photos to express different feelings. The posts can request
Instagram users to take actions, such as voting for candidates. To interact with leaders,
users can “tag” a political leader in a post, which can be seen by the leader and the
users’ followers, or send a direct message, which is seen only by the leader. Users also
can “like” a leader’s post, which increases the popularity of a leader’s message. Visual
communication research suggests that creative images have the potential to influence
public opinion because images can have greater success at grabbing viewers’ attention,
conveying emotions, and changing political behavior (Brader, 2005; Graber, 1996).
Grabe and Bucy (2009) note that images are “central to the conduct and outcome of
contemporary politics” (p. 7). With its heavy focus on visuals, Instagram may enjoy
similar political influence.

Millions of people follow the Instagram accounts of current and former

politicians, such as Donald Trump, Hillary Clinton, and Bernie Sanders. What is not
clear is what motivates people to follow political leaders on Instagram. Knowing the
followers’ motives can provide insight into what type of influence Instagram has—or
can have—politically. It is also important to know if demographic factors and political
attitudes influence political Instagram users’ motives. It may be that users’ motives
vary by age, gender, ideology, interest in politics, and trust in government. Politicians
could use this information to tailor their uses of Instagram based on the demographic
makeup and political attitudes of the groups they wish to influence. In this article, uses
and gratifications theory provides a framework for understanding Instagram users’
motives for following political leaders and how the motives are influenced by
demographic variables and political attitudes. The study is based on a survey of 309
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people who follow at least one political leader on Instagram, and it reveals why the
followers use Instagram for politics. In doing so, the data also provide insight into how
the politically active can be more influential on Instagram.

On Twitter

Twitter is an online service that allows you to share updates with other users by
answering one simple question: "What are you doing?" In order to use Twitter, you
must first sign up for a free account. Once you have created your account, you can
post your own updates and view the updates others have posted. You can search for
people to follow or you can let Twitter select random users. Once you have selected a
number of users, their most recent posts, or "tweets," will show up on your Twitter
home page. Likewise, your own latest tweets will show up on the home pages of
people who have decided to follow you. Twitter limits each tweet to 140 characters,
which means there is no room for rambling. Of course, in this era of limited attention
spans, 140 characters may be as much as other users want to read anyway. The
character limit is also within the 160 character limit of SMS text messages. This is
useful, since tweets can be sent to Twitter using mobile phones. To Twitter via your
cell phone, you simply need to add your phone number in the "Devices" area of the
Twitter Settings page (TechTerms, 2019). Statista (2021) displayed that as of January
2021, 76.2 percent of Twitter's advertising audience in the Philippines were females,
and 23.8 percent were males, according to Datareportal. The adverts reach of Twitter
in the Philippines was over seven million people in the same period.

On Twitter and Politics of Platform

The creation of social media data is governed by an intricate set of dynamically

shifting and often competing rules and norms. As business models change, the
emphasis on different affordances of the platform changes, as do the characteristics of
the assumed end user under the aspects of value-creation for the company. Twitter has
been subject to such shifts throughout its brief history, as the service adapts to a
growing user community with a dynamic set of needs. In this context, there has been a
recent critique of a perceived shift from an ‘open’ Internet (where open denotes a lack
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 17

of centralised control and a divergent, rather than convergent, software ecosystem),

toward a more ‘closed’ model with fewer, more powerful corporate players (Zittrain,
2008). Common targets of this critique include Google, Facebook, and Apple, who are
accused of monopolising specific services and placing controls on third-party
developers who wish to exploit the platforms or contribute applications which are not
in accordance with the strategic aims of the platform providers. In Twitter’s case, the
end of the Web 2.0 era, supposedly transferring power to the user (O’Reilly, 2005), is
marked by the company’s shift to a more media-centric business model relying firstly
on advertising and corporate partnerships and, crucially for this paper, on reselling the
data produced collectively by the platform’s millions of users (Burgess & Bruns, 2012;
van Dijck, 2012). This shift has been realised materially in the architecture of the
platform—including not only its user interface, but also the affordances of its API and
associated policies, affecting the ability of third-party developers, users, and
researchers to exploit or innovate upon the platform.

There have been several recent controversies specifically around Twitter data
access and control:

• the increasing contractual limitations placed on content through instruments

such as the Developer Display Requirements (Twitter, 2012c), that govern how tweets
can be presented in third-party utilities, or the Developer Rules of the Road (Twitter,
2012b), that forbid sharing large volumes of data;

• the requirement for new services built on Twitter to provide benefits beyond
the service’s core functionality;

• actions against platforms which are perceived by Twitter to be in violation of

these rules, e.g. Twitter archiving services such as 140Kit and Twapperkeeper.com,
business analytics services such as PeopleBrowsr, and aggregators like IFTTT.com;

• the introduction of the Streaming API as the primary gateway to Twitter data,
and increasing limitation placed on the REST API as a reaction to growing volumes of
data generated by the service;
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• the content licensing arrangements made between Twitter and commercial

data providers Gnip and Datasift (charging significant rates for access to tweets and
other social media content); and

• the increasing media integration of the service, emphasizing the role of

Twitter as “an information utility” (Twitter co-founder Jack Dorsey, quoted in Arthur,
2012).

On YouTube

Techterms (2015) defined YouTube as a video sharing service that allows users
to watch videos posted by other users and upload videos of their own. The service was
started as an independent website in 2005 and was acquired by Google in 2006.
Videos that have been uploaded to YouTube may appear on the YouTube website and
can also be posted on other websites, though the files are hosted on the YouTube
server. The slogan of the YouTube website is "Broadcast Yourself." This implies the
YouTube service is designed primarily for ordinary people who want to publish videos
they have created. While several companies and organizations also use YouTube to
promote their business, the vast majority of YouTube videos are created and uploaded
by amateurs.

On YouTube and Politics

With the development of YouTube in 2005, and its rising popularity as a

campaign tool, this study aims to explore the changing role of the Internet, with
particular emphasis on YouTube and its effects on politics. There are examples that
demonstrated the power of online video in impacting constituent opinion and election
results. In conducting the above analysis, the study determined that the content on
YouTube that generates the highest number of page views includes both negative
campaign content and informative video clips. As a co nsequence, YouTube has
provided important opportunities for independent actors to play a role in the context of
a political campaign.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 19

YouTube, an Internet website that hosts a v ast array of video content, was
developed for users to upload video, share clips with their friends, and provide a forum
for social networking around video content. When the political world took note of this
new medium, they believed that it would provide candidates and constituents with the
opportunity to post web video on and about the candidate. To date, the content posted
on the site, by both the campaign and voters, ranges from news clips, speeches,
interviews, comedy, satire, and negative campaign content. During the elections, we
first see user and campaign generated content in a political campaign, the results of
which led to the uploading of a large and wide range of video, including features both
praising and insulting candidates. For example, at the beginning 2008 election, the top
three Democratic presidential candidates (John Edwards, Hillary Clinton and Barack
Obama) all announced their presidency via online video posted on YouTube.

YouTube and online video represent another way for constituents to collect
information about a candidate. Therefore, candidates, no matter what party they are
affiliated with, have decided that they can benefit by engaging with the voter through
this medium. YouTube marked a turning point in politics on the Internet. Not only is
YouTube providing an arena for video content in a way not previously available but
information is being uploaded immediately and disseminated to the public faster than
ever before. Furthermore, the Internet, particularly YouTube, is offering constituents
and campaigns the opportunity to release information that is transparent, effortless in
its distribution, and allows for voter participation, unlike TV which has an element of
control that online video lacks. Video sharing sites will become an increasingly
important medium for reaching voters as a greater proportion of the electorate logs on.
YouTube will influence elections by extending the reach of campaign materials;
enabling candidates with little funding to get “face time;” reaching young people
through entertaining, visual means; democratizing political information while
diminishing candidate’s ability to control their message; increasing attention to
negative advertising; and putting scandals on the agenda and/or extending their shelf
life. YouTube enables candidates, political parties, and interest groups to reach an
extended segment of the population with minimal cost. This will likely increase the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 20

number of candidates in races, especially the presidential election, where early

exposure and momentum are crucial. YouTube allows more candidates to follow in the
footsteps of “Howard Dean” and use the Internet to gather “underground” momentum.
While it is unlikely that little-known presidential candidates will have a large audience
on YouTube, those with some name recognition will benefit from having their ads
accessible to the general public without expensive media buys. YouTube is well on its
way to become an established part of the parties’ communication strategies.

On Political Polarization

Kenny (2020) said that although polarization has often gone hand in hand with
the rise of populism around the world, there is little evidence of this confluence in the
Philippines. Jennifer McCoy, Tahmina Rahman, and Murat Somer define severe or
“pernicious” polarization as “a process whereby the normal multiplicity of differences
in the society increasingly align along a single dimension, cross-cutting differences
become reinforcing, and people increasingly perceive and describe politics and society
in terms of ‘us’ versus ‘them.’”20 According to this approach, one of the main
empirical criteria of polarization is that a society is politically divided into two distinct
blocs. As Alban Lauka, Jennifer McCoy, and Rengin Firat write, “polarization is low
if many people are supportive of a party but very few reject it and vice-versa.”21

There is little or no partisan polarization in the Philippines. By this measure,

there is little or no partisan polarization in the Philippines. Parties are marginal players
in Philippine politics. Only the small parties of the far left adhere to a well-defined
ideology. All the largest so-called parties are instead the electoral vehicles of
oligarchic clans. The Nacionalista Party is the vehicle of Manuel Villar (the
Philippines’ second-richest man), the National Unity Party that of Enrique Razon (the
country’s fifth-richest man), and the Nationalist People’s Coalition that of Eduardo
Cojuangco Junior (the fourteenth-richest man).22

Duterte’s party, the Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan, better

known as PDP-Laban, is similarly a personalistic vehicle, whose primary appeal to
voters is Duterte himself. In 2016, PDP-Laban secured just three seats in Congress,
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 21

even though Duterte won 39 percent of the national vote.23 Even three-and-a-half
years into the Duterte presidency, no such party-based polarization exists. In fact, in
September 2019, only 4 percent of respondents identified with PDP-Laban, while 94
percent identified with no party at all.24 As a result of the marginal role played by
parties, most measures of polarization, such as the ideological distance between parties
or legislative rollcall voting, would imply the near absence of polarization.

However, polarization may be measured in two other ways. First, society could
still be split into two relatively coherent and opposed blocs, even if party affiliations
do not reflect this cleavage. In the Philippines, however, socioeconomic,
ethnoreligious, and regional differences have not structured or dominated politics. For
a brief period in the late 1990s, it appeared that social class might form the basis of an
enduring political cleavage, but since the fall of Estrada in 2001, most of the country’s
political elite has continued to draw support from cross-class, clientelistic coalitions.
Similarly, although there are considerable underlying tensions between the country’s
major ethnolinguistic groups, regionalism has a minimal impact on national politics.
Duterte sought to exploit residual anti-Manila sentiment outside the National Capital
Region, but in practice he has broad support throughout the country.

A second alternative way to look at polarization focuses purely on support for

or opposition to the government. During the Marcos presidency, for instance, the
cleaving of both the elite and the masses into pro- and anti-Marcos factions could be
seen as evidence of intense (if temporary) polarization, as region, ideology, and
interests all momentarily aligned to form a master cleavage. Is there evidence of this
kind of pro- and antigovernment polarization under Duterte, a populist and often
antidemocratic leader?

Although Duterte has prominent domestic critics, it would be a mistake to say

that Filipinos are divided into persistent pro- and anti-Duterte blocs. Duterte began his
term in office with high approval ratings, as most presidents in the post–martial law
period have. However, Duterte’s popularity has proven much more enduring than that
of his predecessors. Social Weather Stations polls indicate that, in December 2019,
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 22

Duterte reached his highest level of popularity to date, with a net approval rating of 72
percent.25 Furthermore, even though factors such as class, region, and gender may
partially predict individuals’ attitudes toward Duterte, his approval rating is high
across different demographic categories. According to a December 2019 Pulse Asia
Research poll, only 4 percent of Filipinos disapprove of Duterte’s
performance.26 Opposition to his government is, in the statistical sense, marginal.
This does not rule out the possibility that views of Duterte could change in the future,
but at present, there is simply no sizable constituency opposed to the president, at least
as measured by public opinion polls.

A.1. Review of Related Literature

On Political Evolution of the Philippines

Philippine Consulate General (2014) said that historians believe the Philippines
dates back to the Paleolithic age. Based on the archaeological artifacts recovered,
Filipino society and culture were fairly developed prior to contacts with other
countries. Filipinos had commercial relations early on with China, Indo-China,
Malaysia, India, and the Arab countries. Chinese silk, porcelain, jars, gold, ivory, and
beads were traded for wax, bird's nest, teak-wood, rattan, pearls, precious stones, and
other marine and forest products.

Ferdinand Magellan came to the Philippines on March 16, 1521 and claimed
the country for the Spanish Crown. A colonial government was established in Manila
in 1571. Spain introduced changes in the political, social, and cultural life of the
people. One of these is Christianity. In 1896, the Filipinos staged the first nationalistic
revolution in Asia against the Spaniards. The 1896 Revolution was the culmination of
a succession of revolts against Spanish oppression. The death by musketry of Dr. Jose
Rizal, who led the reform movement, fueled the fires of revolution.

On June 12, 1898, leaders of the revolution declared the country's sovereign
state and proclaimed the first Republic of the Philippines, the first constitutional
democracy in Asia. Meanwhile, Spain declared war against the United States over
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 23

Cuba and was defeated. As an offshoot, the Philippines was ceded to America by
Spain through the Treaty of Paris.

Under American rule, agriculture, commerce, and trade developed. Among the
changes they introduced were: the modernization of transportation and
communication, the improvement of banking and currency, and a system of public
education.

At the outbreak of the Second World War, Japan occupied the country. In
1945, the Americans under MacArthur liberated the country and granted it
independence in 1946. The Republic of the Philippines was proclaimed on July 4,
1946, with Manuel Roxas as President. Massive rehabilitation and rebuilding out of
the devastation brought about by the war was started. In 1972, Martial Law was
declared by then President Ferdinand Marcos. Political repression and economic
deterioration during the Martial Law Years resulted in the historic "People Power"
Revolution of February 25, 1986. This led to the proclamation of Corazon C. Aquino
as President of the Philippines.

President Aquino restored the democratic institutions in the country. A

Constitution, ratified on February 2, 1987, provided for a tripartite system: the
Executive, the Legislative, and the Judiciary. This was the type of government before
Marcos declared Martial Law and adopted a modified parliamentary government.
Aquino also restored the freedoms of speech, press, and of assembly.

On June 30, 1992, Fidel V. Ramos became the 12th President of the Philippine
Republic. President Ramos, a hero of the 1986 EDSA uprising, anchored his
government on twin themes of "people empowerment" and "global excellence" as the
engines of economic growth and social equity.

On the 100th anniversary year of the Proclamation of Philippine Independence,

Joseph Ejercito Estrada became the 13th President of the Philippines.

On 20 January 2001, Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, through another popular

uprising called "People Power 2", unseated then President Joseph Ejercito Estrada.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 24

The daughter of former President Diosdado Macapagal, President Arroyo's vision of a

"Strong Republic" is governed on four pillars: poverty alleviation, good governance,
new politics of party programs and leadership by example.

On June 30, 2016, the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte began following his
inauguration as the 16th President of the Philippines, succeeding Benigno Aquino III.
Duterte is the first president from Mindanao and the oldest person to be elected
president of the Philippines. He is also the first Philippine president to have worked in
the three branches of the government. Duterte was the mayor of Davao City at the time
of his 2016 presidential election victory, garnering over 16 million votes or about 39%
of total votes, beating his closest rival by over 6.6 million votes. Duterte's approval
rating has been relatively high throughout his presidency despite criticism and
international opposition to his anti-narcotics drive.

Duterte started a nationwide campaign to rid the country of crime, and

corruption, and illegal drugs. The war on drugs saw about 6,600 persons linked to the
illegal drug trade killed as of July 2019. Duterte campaigned to restore the death
penalty in the Philippines.

It was during his time when political polarization emerged and became
widespread continually. It is during his presidency that displayed the power of social
media in shaping political opinions of the voting public.

On Political Participation

Defining who the youths are may draw different interpretations as this can be
bound by society’s demographic, political, economic and socio-cultural contexts. It
can be fairly assumed that countries around the world conceive youth differently. As a
demographic concept (Atal, 2005), youth has biological and sociological aspects. It
relates to an age group that is transiting from childhood to adulthood. Certain roles and
expectations are associated with the youth, however, these social constructions can
vary from culture to culture. In social research, conceptualizing youth invokes three
notions: as a generation, as a life stage and as a social group (Kovacheva, 2005).
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 25

Political participation is paramount in making democracy work for people and

societies. It enables citizens to ventilate their views and concerns to government and
officials and exert pressure on them to act on these concerns. It involves political
engagement and public involvement in decision making (Lamprianou, 2013). Political
participation relates to individual or collective action that supports or opposes state
structures, authorities, and/or decisions regarding allocation of public goods. It can
happen at the national or local level and can be expressed in verbal or written forms.
Political participation can be, violent or non-violent and can be of any intensity
(Conge, 1988). As a significant sector of society, the political involvement of the
young in the processes and institutions of democracy has assumed a particular
relevance. Youth involvement in politics makes government cater to their specific
needs as a sector and enables them to be co-author of transformation and further
evolution of democracy and its institutions (Forbig, 2005).

A normative conception of youth participation in politics is about engaging in

forming opinions and taking actions to bring about positive change in society Their
participation can take different forms such as voting in general elections, joining
political parties and events, participation in youth organisations or issue-based NGOs
or volunteering, participation in debates on youth or community issues, opinion
shaping through written press or youth radio, participating in online discussion for a
writing or following blogs, and seeking information and learning about democracy
such as participating in simulations of political processes, attending training or
learning at school, engaging in youth organizations (EACEA, 2013).

On Obstacles of Political Participation

The following obstacles hinder young people’s participation at the individual

level:

➢ Distrust in political institutions- A growing number of citizens (including

young people) have little trust in formal political processes, political
institutions and leaders, perhaps because they feel they are not representative
of their interests.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 26

➢ CPP-NPA-linked invites- This leads them to false ideologists of leftist

organizations and be swayed by the propaganda of these groups, many of
which have links to the Communist Party of the Philippines – New People’s
Army (CPP-NPA) through invitations to join their groups and brutalize the
government. This is a perilous group as it manipulates people and make them
deeply indoctrinated that would tend them

➢ Lack of access to/knowledge about political processes- Young people are

grappling with understanding the complexities of democratic societies and
formal political processes. The UN 2016 Global Youth Report shows that
nearly 53 percent of young college graduates say they always vote in national
elections, in comparison with about 44 percent of all 18–29-year-olds.[ii]
Other groups that are likely to lack the required knowledge to participate are
marginalized youth such as minorities, unemployed youth, and those living in
isolation and/or poverty. A weak understanding of democratic principles and
electoral processes makes it more difficult for youth to perceive elections as
routes to express their grievances, demand change, and hold governments
accountable.

➢ Social and economic exclusion/marginalization- Finding a sustainable job

has become a daily struggle for many young people in all parts of the world.
They have to cope with precarious working conditions such as part-time,
short-term, temporary, and low-paid employment situations, all of which
make it hard to find a work–family balance, rent a house and access health
care services (among other important priorities). Living conditions are even
harder for young women, youth growing up in poverty and conflicts, youth
without education certificates, and unemployed youth.

➢ Limited data on youth political participation- Data collection is essential to

understand the complexities of youth political exclusion and to develop
comprehensive youth strategies and targeted interventions to foster youth
participation throughout the electoral cycle. Many EMBs do not have either
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 27

(or both) quantitative and qualitative data on youth electoral participation.

EMBs may not have easily accessible data. Even if they do have data, such as
citizens’ birth dates in voter registration systems, they may lack the capacity
(time, skills, resources) or inclination to analyze the data in ways that are
useful for these purposes.

➢ Party politics: Political parties are the gatekeepers of elected positions and
decide who will be placed on their candidate lists and at which position.
Political parties’ nomination processes have not always favored young
candidates, as they are often placed in low positions on candidates’ lists, with
very limited possibilities to get elected. To counter the declining youth
political party membership, youth wings have been established. In reference
to Republic Act 7941, the party-list system is a mechanism of proportional
representation in the election of representatives to the House of
Representatives from national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations
or coalitions thereof registered with the Commission on Elections
(COMELEC). Component parties or organizations of a coalition may
participate independently provided the coalition of which they form part does
not participate in the party-list system. Unfortunately, political party
leadership has not always taken youth wings seriously, such as when these
groups’ mandates are limited to supporting campaigns and/or recruiting new
party members. In such instances, they often are given no power to influence
nomination processes, set agendas or write party manifestos

➢ Interrupted electoral cycles: If one or more election is delayed for any reason,
there might be the risk that young people, particularly first-time voters, opt
out in subsequent votes. Their lack of opportunity to cast ballots in originally
scheduled polls can easily transform into lack of interest for the political
affairs and self-isolation from democratic processes.
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On Social Media and Philippine Politics

Internet connection speeds in the Philippines remain one of the slowest in Asia.
This limitation however has not stopped Filipinos from using the web and maximizing
their use of the applications and service available online. In the recently concluded
2016 national and local elections, social media platforms were again used by
candidates, political parties and interests groups with political, social and economic
agenda. The intensity of use however significantly differed from the two previous
electoral exercises. For University of the Philippines National College of Public
Administration and Governance Professor Prospero De Vera, social media became an
important platform in the recent elections, where candidates and their supporters
launched their campaign, promoted their agenda and criticized other candidates and
support groups. Having ran political campaigns for some candidates in the past, De
Vera noted how the use of social media in the recent elections, particularly during the
campaign period, has changed. In previous years he said, people merely disseminated
campaign materials produced by the candidate’s team through social media. For
sociologist Nicole Curato of the University of Canberra’s Centre for Deliberative
Democracy and Global Governance, social media in the Philippines has significantly
changed from being a merely platform for communication and entertainment to one
where users spend much of their time in a day. “Social media has not just been a
platform, but it’s a place where people live,” she said. Compared with how social
media platforms were also used in previous elections, Curato observed that this time,
some users and interest groups also used these networking websites to challenge the
news from mainstream media by creating counter-narratives. UP Diliman Political
Science Assistant Professor Nelson Cainghog also noted how narratives were shaped
on social media in the recent elections. He noted that there was an increasing number of
Filipinos who took part in discussion of social and political issues online. And with the
increasing number of Filipinos using the networking websites, he sees these as able to
“shape the terrain of public discourse and the contestation of power in the next
elections.”
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On Political Implications of Social Media Use

Social media are platforms on which users can join live chats, upload videos,
send messages, maintain blogs, form discussion groups, and share files (boyd and
Ellison, 2007). Various dimensions of Internet use lead to different types of civic and
political engagement (Moy et al., 2005). On the basis of prior work (Zhang and Lin,
2014), the present study identified four dimensions of social media use: (a) information
exchange and instrumental use ‘for information and civic purposes, utility oriented,
often work-related’ information searching behaviours (Brandtzæg, 2010: 952); (b)
relational and social networking use; (c) recreational or entertainment use; and (d)
social media-based political activities. Specifically, social mediabased political
activities have been examined by several studies on government–citizen interactions via
new media, particularly virtual political engagement via social media, (Bode, 2012;
Vitak et al., 2011).

Kriesi (2008) argued that the role of media in politics has become increasingly
crucial as party control over voters has declined; however, a rich body of literature has
attempted to explain how individuals engage in politics via new media and social media
(e.g. Zhang et al., 2010; Gil de Zúñiga et al., 2012). However, most existing studies
have either not identified the dimensions of social media use or not distinguished
between individual and collective political actions. Numerous studies have suggested
that online social networking behaviours are positively correlated with both individual
and collective civic and political engagement. For example, using social media for
news and information was positively associated with civic participation such as
engaging in community-based volunteering and fundraising as well as political
participation such as attending public hearings and joining boycotts (Gil de Zúñiga et
al., 2012). People who participated in political activities on Facebook by following a
candidate’s page or posting a politics-related status on their personal Facebook pages
were also more likely to serve as volunteers and sign petitions (Vitak et al., 2011).
However, Kim, Chen, and Gil de Zúñiga (2013) suggested that recreational use was
negatively associated with offline political participation such as attending public
hearings, contacting the media, or attending political rallies. Because the Internet has
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 30

provided various channels for political participation, Hao, Wen, and Cherian (2014)
extended the research scope to online participation such as online opinion surveys,
online voting, posting comments on political blogs, and online debating. They
compared news consumption behaviours on conventional media with social media and
found that news usage via conventional media was not associated with online or offline
political participation, whereas using social networking sites for news was significantly
related to both online and offline political and civic engagement.

On Social Media and Political Interest

Political interest has been defined in a variety of ways. It is seen to be

motivational in that interest is the foundation that spurs engagement with politics
(Luskin, 1990; Prior, 2010; Robison, 2017). Interest is therefore something of a
catalyst that leads to political action. On the surface, this seems to make sense – in
order to do ‘something’ there needs to be a reason to do it. However, not all political
engagement is fostered through interest, it’s possible that political participation may be
spurred through a sense of citizenship duty instead. If interest is seen to be
motivational what then of people who might identify as being interested but then
choose not to engage with politics? To define interest only as motivational then
overlooks people who are interested in politics but who do not act on this interest
(Dostie-Goulet, 2009; van Deth, 1989).

On Social Media Usage

As defined by Verduyn et al. (2017, p. 281), active social media usage refers to
online behaviors that facilitate “direct exchanges” among users. Such behaviors
include liking, commenting, sending messages, and otherwise engaging with other
users. In contrast, the literature defines passive use as the monitoring of others without
direct engagement. These patterns of usage have also been identified by researchers in
the field by other names. Burke and Kraut (2016) identify active use as “composed
communication,” while Osatuyi (2015) refers to passive use as “lurking.” These
patterns have also been identified by researchers outside the fields of psychology and
communication. For example, Muntinga, Moorman, and Smit (2011) investigate these
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 31

patterns of behavior from a marketing and branding perspective, and identify passive
use in regard to brand-related content as “consuming,” and active use in regard to
brand-related content as “contributing” or “creating.” While there is substantial
research analyzing the effects of these usage behaviors on user outcomes, the
discipline lacks a clear and universal quantitative unit of measurement to collect this
data.

On Philippine Media Landscape

Philippine media is among the oldest and the most free in Asia. The Philippine
press is known for its irreverential approach and the pugnacious character of its
leading journalists. The Philippine Daily Inquirer, a leading newspaper often features
two ideologically opposed commentators writing on political affairs. Conrado de
Quiros has been waging a ceaseless and often obsessional battle against Gloria
Macapagal Arroyo for years. On the other hand, The Daily Tribune never tires of
attacking the present government of Noynoy Aquino. The government rarely censors
the media although it has been known (during President Estrada) to withdraw
advertising support for newspapers critical of its policies. Only relatively strict libel
laws constrain reporters from covering controversial issues. But while the media is
free it is also highly partisan. People with interests ensure that they have access to
media reportage either through direct ownership or through economic or political
means. Reading different newspapers often gives one the impression that they are
referring to distinct realities. While there is considerable media diversity, the
ideological spectrum is much narrower. Ownership of the media explains this lack of
ideological spectrum. The national newspapers are in English and owned by prominent
families with powerful connections to broad sectors of society. They are generally
conservative. Regional newspapers are published in English or in the vernacular and
mostly restrict themselves to local events and personalities. There are several popular
tabloids written in Filipino and therefore more accessible to the ordinary citizen but
they rarely comment on serious national matters. There are no major Left wing
publications apart from partisan pamphlets. Generally, the print media, while highly
regarded, is limited to middle class urban readers. Radio and television are the major
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 32

electronic media and enjoy a much wider circulation throughout society. Radio is
generally in the vernacular and mostly addresses local issues, sometimes amid great
controversy. Feuding politicians employ local journalists to attack their opponents,
often with tragic consequences. Almost all journalists killed worked for local radio,
television or newspapers. The so-called impunity associated with these killings results
from the lack of control of the national government over local political warlords, the
most notorious being the Ampatuans from Maguindanao province. They massacred 14
over 35 journalists (23 November 2009) accompanying a candidate running for
governor in the province. The case remains one of the highest single incidents
involving the killing of journalists. Most of these journalists worked for local radio
and newspapers but the case attracted both national and global condemnation.
However, despite this attention, the case is bogged down in the judicial system and in
the meantime several crucial witnesses have disappeared or been killed. While radio is
probably the most extensive source of information for most Filipinos, television has
become the main source of entertainment. Most television programs are in Filipino
although regional stations also broadcast in their vernaculars. Television receives by
far the greatest source of advertising income. According to Asian Media Barometer in
2011 television got (76 per cent) radio (18 per cent) and print media only (4.7 per cent)
of advertising income. But these figures do not necessarily reflect the political
significance of these media. Generally, the print media is the most influential
nationally and radio plays an important role locally. While television provides regular
newscasts and current affairs programs, its main role is in providing entertainment,
except during critical periods such as national disasters or political crises where its
evocative imagery is most compelling. The Philippines remains one of the most
dangerous countries for journalists. Since 1986 when democracy was restored, 133
journalists have been killed, the majority related to their work. There seems to be an
element of class or status in these killings since they all involve local or junior
members of the profession. No major journalist working for a prominent media outfit
has been summarily killed, although some have been kidnapped by Muslim
secessionists and later rescued. Apart from the Ampatuans, who are currently in jail,
no prominent personality has been successfully convicted for the murder of journalists,
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 33

often despite compelling evidence. This has given rise to the term culture of impunity,
a somewhat misleading term, since many other killings (not journalists) also remain
unsolved. The military has also been accused of disappearances that have not resulted
in convictions. The most prominent case that has remained unresolved decades later is
the assassination of Benigno Aquino, Cory’s husband in 1983. While one may not
expect the Marcos regime, being the main suspect, to resolve this murder, the
ascendancy of Corazon Aquino to the presidency in 1986 was equally unproductive.
Only low ranking soldiers were convicted and no mastermind was ever determined.
This indicates that the culture of impunity operates deeply within Filipino society.
While this event was covered extensively by contemporary media no new information
has 15 been discovered. Like other aspects of Philippine society, the media operates
within often unstated but marked limits. Uncovering the real masterminds of Benigno
Aquino’s assassination remains unchartered territory.

On the Effects of Technology in the Philippine Context

Pertierra (2012) coined that the effects of technology in the Philippine context
despite the early adaption of modern technology in the Philippines, no significant
social transformations were achieved as a direct result of their usage. These
technologies were centered in Manila and mostly acted as symbols of imperial power
rather than as agents of social change. The steamboat arrived in 1849, the telegraph in
1876, the railway in 1888, telephone in 1890, motorcar in 1900 and the electric tram in
1905 (Pertierra, 2003). These technologies had only recently been invented in the
West and their effects were not uniformly felt elsewhere. Other communication
technologies followed soon after, such as film (1897), radio (1922) and television
(1953). These media quickly became popular but mainly provided escapist
entertainment rather than the basis for new cultural perspectives. Indeed, the mass
media became an extension of and support for political domination. Hence, families
with political ambitions ensure that they have access to and control of media. The
media is also used in religious proselytization (e.g. El Shaddai, JIL). Rarely is the
mainstream media used in expressing dissent and challenging established authority
(Del Mundo, 1986). While the new media may open new avenues for expressing
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 34

dissent, their capacity to translate dissent into political action remains unclear.
Nevertheless, they have transformed the media landscape to reflect a more varied
range of perspectives.

On Political Change and New Media of the Philippines

The removal of President Estrada in 2001, described as a coup d’text marked

the coming of age of the new media - Vox populi vox dei takes on new meaning in the
digital age. EDSA 2 marked the political significance of mobile phones, the only
communications media not under the immediate control of elite interests. Mobile
phones have been able to transform the media landscape in unexpected ways.
Traditional media such as television, radio and newspapers have become more
interactive, requesting their audience to text in their opinions and interests. While
traditional media provided most of the information and entertainment available to
Filipinos, mobile phones and the internet now provide alternative sources. These new
sources often bypass the censoring and filtering mechanisms used in earlier media.
While formal censorship is rare, other mechanisms are used in the mainstream media
that effectively limit access to controversial views. A recent art show was cancelled
because Catholics objected to the portrayal of Christ – this image was immediately
made available on the internet, causing the controversy to include alternative voices,
something the mainstream media is loath to do. The new media also give Filipinos
better access to the global information system. However, as an earlier study indicated
(Pertierra, et. al, 2002), the importance of the new media for political action has been
exaggerated. Filipinos do not act politically mainly on the basis of information
received but rather on more substantive and often pre-established grounds. Using the
Philippines as an example but including other cases, Miard (2008:27) argues that: 23
The effect of mobile phones is either inexistent, too weak to be measurable, or offset
by other factors. The simple assumption that mobile phones alone will create a
measurable impact on political activism cannot be sustained... Loyalties and alliances
usually frame the political actions of most Filipinos and the new media, while
providing new information, generally confirm existing expectations. The
consequences of new communicative technologies vary according to both cultural and
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 35

societal structures. In cases where these structures are heavily inter-meshed, the
autonomy of communicative action is severely restricted. Philippine politics is not just
a discursive practise but, more importantly, consists of material structures limiting the
possibilities of discourse. A culture of critical discourse is poorly developed in such
circumstances (Pertiera 2012).

On Social Media and Political Participation

Bisnar (2018) coined that the current political landscape of the Philippines was
influenced by the outdated Spanish-era governance style and the 1987 Philippine
Constitution. The problems the Philippines is currently facing today dates back to the
Spanish colonial era where classism prevailed thus ensuring the gap between the rich
and poor for perpetuity and local politicians and political dynasties jockey for power
and wealth in their respective provinces and towns. The Spanish concept of family
honour combined with the intertribal mentality of the Filipinos which dated far back in
the pre-Spanish era shape the political landscape of the Philippines today. Although
the Americans taught the local Filipino politicians the art of American democracy, the
two factors aforementioned still remained strong; the American democracy merely
reshaped the political structure of the country, but not the mindsets brought about by
the two aforementioned factors, sometimes blended with American-style agenda. For
example, democracy and religion go together with the agenda of the post-1986 Liberal
Party today.

The post-Marcos era Liberal Party see themselves as the rightful protector of
the 1986 EDSA Revolution and the upholder of individual freedom ‘won’ back after
the revolution. The 1986 Revolution would have failed without some moral help, and
to that end they need the help of the Catholic Church which controls the religious life
of all Catholic Filipinos that comprise more than 80% of the national population; to
this day the Liberal Party and Catholic Church were close allies with each other and
swore to defend the democracy, individual freedom and the right of every person to
live ‘won’ back after the revolution. The result is the Catholic Church is now often
being associated with the Liberal Party and the ‘failings’ at the long aftermath of the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 36

Revolution; the secular political landscape that once dominated the country pre-1986
is now completely ruined by the participation of the Catholic Church in everyday
politics, oftentimes in conjunction with the Liberal Party (Bisnar 2018).

Bisnar (2018) also stated that PDP-Laban, which is Duterte’s current political
party, was itself an offshoot of the Liberal Party. In fact, each national political party
in the Philippines anyone could ever imagine, save only for the party which Vice
President candidate Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. belonged during the 2016 presidential
elections, were all once post-1986 Liberal Party offshoots formed as soon as Corazon
Aquino assumed presidency. The party only changed its agenda when Duterte finally
took the helm of the presidency and thus a significant share of the party top leadership.
The PDP-Laban is now being associated as the main bulwark against the seemingly
‘failed’ neoliberal policies and practices of the Liberal Party all thanks to Duterte.
Along with its political allies outside the party, the PDP-Laban took a 180-degree turn
from a liberal-leaning party to a somewhat right-wing populist movement backed by
millions upon millions of supporters nationwide and worldwide. This trend in the party
would be on the short term, however, if Duterte, always the populist politician he ever
was, finally steps down in 2022, and it’s still in question whether the party remains as
it was under Duterte, whether it will revert as it was before his presidency or whether
it will go in a completely different path, all post-2022.

Political participation provides people with opportunities ‘to communicate

information to government officials about their concerns and preferences and to put
pressure on them to respond’ (Verba et al., 1995: 37). Such participatory behaviours
are categorised according to multiple dimensions (Verba et al., 1971). One of these
dimensions is the ‘conflict dimension’, which answers the question ‘Do the
participants act as individuals or do they act collectively with others?’ (Verba et al.,
1971: 14). Scholars have documented these two types of political participation. For
example, contributing to an electoral campaign and contacting government officials
and the media are regarded as individual political participation, whereas joining a
rallyor a demonstration is considered collective political participation (Aars and
Strømsnes, 2007; Ha et al., 2013; Weber, 2003).
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 37

Rather than political participation being treated as a uni-dimensional concept,

individual political activities must be differentiated from collective ones. First,
participants of the two modes of political actions experience different levels of social
interactions from those who do not participate in that specific political activity, or
holders of opposing political views. Verba and colleagues (1971: 14) specified that the
difference between individual and collective political activities was the extent to which
‘individuals [were] opposed by counter participants’. Ha and colleagues (2013)
proposed that individual-based political action ‘requires people to organize their
thoughts before acting’, whereas collective actions ‘go beyond any individual’s
control’ (525). Pattie and Johnston (2009) argued that collective political actions are
more cost demanding and immune to counter participants or disagreement for
individuals who have already participated in such collective actions. The counter
participants would act as a positive stimulus, reminding these experienced participants
of the importance of their participation and reinforcing their stance (Pattie and
Johnston, 2009). Similarly, McLeod, Scheufele, and Moy (1999) distinguished
opinions expressed in public situations from those expressed in private, informal
political talks because public-based opinions are driven by people’s perceptions of the
general opinion climate; such situations encompass more than an individual’s existing
political predispositions.

The term active citizenship is defined as participation in civil society,

community and/or political life, characterized by mutual respect and non-violence and
in accordance with human rights and democracy within the European context (Hoskins
& Mascherini, 2009). Promoting active citizenship is one of the European
Commission's strategies for increasing social cohesion and reducing the democratic
deficit across European countries within the context of the wider Lisbon process.
Developing citizen awareness, knowledge and skill level of democratic rights,
sensitiveness to social issues and defense against negative impact of media messages
are among these objectives. European Commission considers media literacy an
extremely important factor for active citizenship in today's information society. Within
the European context active citizenship is defined as the combination of four
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 38

dimensions; (1) protest and social change, (2) community life, (3) representative
democracy and (4) democratic values (Hoskins & Mascherini, 2009). Teachers'
perceptions of citizenship are among the frequently researched subjects in terms of
both their effect on students' perception of citizenship and as a citizen. The aim of this
study is to explore the relationship between teacher candidates' level of media literacy
and active citizenship, in terms of their participation level to protest and social change.
Survey method is used to collect data in this casual comparative research. Sample of
the study is 1101 freshman and senior teacher candidates studying in Faculty of
Education at Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University in the academic year of 2011-2012.
The relationship between media literacy level and participation level to protest and
social change is explored after controlling for the effect of socio-economic factors. It
is explored that there is a significant relationship between media literacy level and
participation level to protest and social change which is preserved after controlling for
socio-economic factors. According to results, this study discusses how to handle
digital and media literacy education in formal and informal settings in teacher
education programs in relation to active citizenship.

On Individual and Collective Political Participation

Individual and collective political participation differ in the costs and resources
required to perform political actions. The media are the primary providers of political
information through which citizens become informed, deliberate with others, and
finally reach a basic agreement on social facts (Swanson, 2000). This agreement
serves as a resource for further political action. When the Internet began to gain
popularity in the 1990s, the predicted impacts of its use were unclear. More recently,
Kershaw (2010) argued that new media would only facilitate political actions of
already mobilised groups (i.e. those with more and pre-existing organisational
memberships). However, Neuman (2001) suggested that new media provide
alternative channels for information access and form new social alignments by
overcoming the barriers of time and space. Inspired by the inconclusiveness of the
existing studies on the role of communication practices in political participation, our
study investigated the extent to which the two types of political participation are
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 39

shaped by two intertwining factors: the dimensions of social media use and the
existing collective resources of organisational membership.

On Political Ideology

Elsevier (2014) defined political ideology as a set of ideas, beliefs, values, and
opinions, exhibiting a recurring pattern, that competes deliberately as well as
unintentionally over providing plans of action for public policy making in an attempt
to justify, explain, contest, or change the social and political arrangements and
processes of a political community. The concept of ideology is subject to partly
incompatible conceptual interpretations. The Marxist tradition views it pejoratively as
distorted consciousness, reflecting an exploitative material reality, that can be
overcome through unmasking; or, more recently, as a fictitious narrative necessary to
maintaining the social order. Non-Marxist approaches split into three perspectives.
The first sees ideology as abstract, closed and doctrinaire, largely impervious to
empirical evidence and superimposed on a society. The second sees ideology as a
series of empirically ascertainable attitudes towards political issues that can be
explored by means of behavioral methods. The third views ideologies as indispensable
mapping devices of cultural symbols and political concepts that constitute a crucial
resource for understanding and shaping sociopolitical life. They compete over the
‘correct’ and legitimate meanings of political words and ideas, and by means of that
control, over the high ground of politics.

On Social Media and Political Information

The Politics of Information turn the focus to the problem-detection process

itself, showing how the growth or contraction of government is closely related to how
it searches for information and how, as an organization, it analyzes its findings. Better
search processes that incorporate more diverse viewpoints lead to more intensive
policymaking activity. Similarly, limiting search processes leads to declines in policy
making. At the same time, the authors find little evidence that the factors usually
thought to be responsible for government expansion—partisan control, changes in
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 40

presidential leadership, and shifts in public opinion—can be systematically related to

the patterns they observe (Baumgartner, 2015).

One of the demonstrators during the 2011 Egyptian revolution tweeted "We
use Facebook to schedule the protests, Twitter to coordinate, and YouTube to tell the
world," thus acknowledging and establishing the fundamental role of social media in
the political unrest and revolution against the regime in Egypt. Information Systems
(IS) have been recognized as an important vehicle for national progress, social
movement and political change (Majchrzak et al., 2013; Oh et. al., 2015; Oh et al.,
2013). Contemporary social and political changes highlight new forms of social
movement that are taking place using Information and Communications Technology
or Information Systems, specifically social media. While social and political scientists
as well as information systems researchers have studied social movements for a
number of years, the majority of these studies has explored the role of ICT on activism
and social movements in the Western world. Yet, the political implications of these
technologies in the context of authoritarian and repressive political systems remain
relatively under-researched and need further development (Breuer et al., 2012). In
addition, studies in the IS discipline addressing the role of information systems in
general, and social media in particular, in the context of revolutionary political change
as has happened in the Case of 2011 Egyptian revolution are limited (Greengard,
2009; Maghrabi & Salam, 2013; Majchrzak et al., 2013; Oh et al., 2015; Oh et al.,
2013; Wattal et al., 2010). Majchrzak et al. (2013) states that "the time has come to
assess the evidence about ICT's social consequences and to develop better theories
about the precise nature of the role of ICT in complex social problems" (p.1).

On this study, the relationship among social media, social movement, and rapid
revolutionary political change by focusing on the role played by social media,
particularly Facebook, Twitter, and YouTube was explored, in the context of the 2011
Egyptian revolution that led to the fall of authoritarian Mubarak regime. More
specifically, our narrative research aims to understand and generate a theoretical
explanation of the process by which social media influences online activism and
shapes social movement collective interpretation for revolutionary political change.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 41

On Social Media and Political Awareness

According to Zaller political awareness means ‘‘the extent to which an

individual pays attention to politics and understands what he or she has encountered ’’
(Zaller 1992, 21). To elaborate, awareness reflects ‘‘intellectual or cognitive
engagement with public affairs ’’ (ibid.), as indicated by factual information about
government and politics that has gotten into people’s minds”. Political awareness
operates in the political information exchange between the individual and various
sources of political messages communicated in the public space. It is commonly
understood as an important asset, which determines people’s engagement with politics
and how political awareness might be a key asset, which determines participation and
active citizenship. Although there is some degree of consensus, over how we should
understand political awareness, there is a variety of conceptualizations of political
awareness. Above all there are is an even greater variety in what cognitive information
and other preconditions the political aware make use in analysis of information and
participation decisions. There are questions of the role of political values; standards
which makes people prefer certain policies, persons outcomes or ideologies, equality,
freedom, respect, tolerance etc., the role of emotions; contempt, indignation, liking,
pride, envy or admiration all influences rationality and other important issues
operating as preconditions in the politically aware.

On Political Trust

In its broadest sense, political trust refers to citizens’ assessments of the core
institutions of the polity and entails a positive evaluation of the most relevant attributes
that make each political institution trustworthy, such as credibility, fairness,
competence, transparency in its policy-making, and openness to competing views. As
a conceptual device, political trust is conceived as a mid-range indicator of support
between political actors in charge of each institution and the overarching principles of
democracy in which specific institutions are embedded in a given polity.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 42

A.2. Related studies

These are the following studies related to this study:

On the study conducted by Jacinto J. (2018) entitled “Correlates of Political
Participation ”, it was then concluded that the respondents often have political trust in
the selected government institutions, generally somewhat interested in politics, agree
to have political efficacy, and disagree to have political participation. In terms of
media usage, they sometimes used them and rarely used social networking sites. In the
context of this study, political participation is a choice and it is not selective of age,
occupation, income, civil status, and location of residence. Regardless of one’s
demographic profile, participation in politics is so common especially in this
democratic country where almost everyone has a say and entitled to express his/her
wanted reforms as long as within the ambit of his/her rights. Being politically trustful
and interested have moderate tendency of dictating one’s political participation.
Political efficacy can go with the extent of political participation. Likewise, exposure
to SNS for obtaining politically-based information can drive along with political
participation.

On the other hand, on the study conducted by Cabo (2016) entitled “Youth and
Political Participation in the Philippines:Voices and Themes from a Democracy
Project”, it used content analysis of focus group data and reflection papers of students
about their subjective experiences, feelings, insights and views regarding their
participation in the project and politics in general believe in the conventional wisdom
that the young are a politically impassive and indifferent generation. It was concluded
in the study that the youths are interested in political life around them and hold critical
views about the behavior of politicians and political candidates. And even as they
recognize the weaknesses and deficits in the political system, the youths are interested
in political participation not just in voting but in other engagements that support
democracy and good government. The paper also concludes that today‟s youths are a
promising generation of political activists whose energies, enthusiasm and aspirations
can be mobilized and harnessed to strengthen democratic processes and achieve their
aspirations for what they call good society, good government and good politics.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 43

Conversely, on the study conducted by Howie and Peacock (2016) entitled

“The Power of Media in Shaping Political Attitudes”, the proliferation of media
content and the use of that content among various public frequently raises the question
of whether and how media might influence political attitudes and behaviors.
Scholarship in political science and communication has continually tried to
disentangle these relationships. Recent research has included a variety of theoretical
perspectives with a focus on experimental designs, but also including surveys, content
analyses, and network analyses. Moderating and mediating variables often determine
the strength of the relationships between media and political attitudes, and causality is
a crucial consideration when determining the directionality of these relationships.It
was recommended in the study that future research should continue these lines of
exploration and also consider new media affordances and user interactions

Moreover , on the study conducted by Zhang and Lin (2018) entitled “Impacts
of social media use and organizational membership on individual and collective
political actions” it was examined how social media use and organisational
membership jointly affect participation. Comparative surveys in Hong Kong and
Taipei revealed that information sharing and virtual political engagement on social
media mobilised users to engage in collective political actions. The impacts of social
media on individual-based participation were conditioned on organisational
membership, as reflected by the number of organisations joined. Organisational
membership moderates the relationship between social media use and political
behaviours differently in Hong Kong and Taipei.

Furthermore, on the study conducted by Sta. Maria and Diestro (2009) entitled
“The Youth Speak: Forms, facilitators and obstacles to their political participation” .
Based from their study, drawing on results from four focus group discussions with
high school students in rural and urban environments, the researchers explored youth
perceptions about their roles as political agents in Philippine society. Participants were
also asked to share their ideas on what could hinder and facilitate their engagement of
their roles. The study is conducted to explore young people's notions of political
participation and to uncover the possibility of discovering differences among the youth
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 44

based in urban and rural environments. The findings show that political participation is
conceived in at least two ways among the youth in this study. The first way is to view
participation in terms of doing one's duty, to perform what is expected, and not to
engage in behaviors that are detrimental to the peaceful and orderly existence of the
community. The second way is to see participation in terms of one's connection with
others and with one's community. The first notion of political participation, articulated
mostly by the urban youth in this study, is a common notion of political participation
in civic education. More emphasis seems to be placed on civic responsibility, rather
than on "making a difference." The second notion of political participation is found to
be expressed mostly by the youth in rural environments. They see participation in
terms of varied forms of assistance they may provide to others in society, and in terms
of their involvement in community activities. These results are analogous to the
findings of Amon, et at. (2008) which shows that teenagers in urban communities are
more centered on the activities in their homes, while rural teenagers are more
community centered. It was recommended that it should be noted that the urban rural
juxtaposition presented here with regard to the youth's political participation does not
fully explore the dimensions of the two environments presented earlier. It was also
recommended that future studies need to take up the suggested differences explored in
the present study. Evidence needs to be provided to establish the linkage between
contextual features vis-a-vis the political action and activities of Filipino adolescents.
What the findings of the present study suggest is that political participation among the
rural youth may be more centered on building social capital, and as such, much of the
political actions they find themselves engaged in revolve around the elements of social
capital (Kahne & Sporte, 2008). Participation in social networks, being involved in
interactions that serve to enhance trust in leaders and institutions, and behaving in
ways that serve to reinforce community norms, form the avenues for political
socialization for the rural youth. The rural youth participants in the study talk about the
relations within the family as a facilitator of their engagement in political actions. The
importance of social relations in promoting political participation leads us to the
notion of social capital. The results of this study, however, allowed the researchers to
draw several conclusions about political participation among the youth respondents in
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 45

the study. Political participation entails the recognition of one's agency. Moreover, the
young person's world of political participation incorporates the others' support and
approval of youth's actions as they engage in political participation. It can therefore be
said that the opportunities to have their views heard by others provide Filipino
adolescents with the social conditions to express their political agency.

Lastly, on the study conducted by Ohme and Moller (2020) entitled “Following
Politicians on Social Media: Effects for Political Information, Peer Communication,
and Youth Engagement”. According to the findings and conclusions of the study,
young citizens increasingly turn to social media platforms for political information.
These platforms enable direct communication between politicians and citizens,
circumventing the influence of traditional news outlets. The consequences of direct
contact with politicians on such platforms for citizens’ political participation were also
revealed in the study. In this study, it argued the interplay of different actors in the
political news diet of citizens should be investigated from a networked communication
perspective. Relying on a cross-sectional survey of young Danes (15–25 years old, n =
567), they investigated the relationship between following politicians on social media
and: (a) the composition of young citizens’ political media diet; and (b) their civic
messaging and campaign participation. Following political actors on social media
relates to increased campaign engagement and can be a catalyst for young people’s
exposure to campaign news, but their friends and followers function as the main node
of their political online networks. The researchers documented a process of the de-
mediation of politics on social media: Established news media lose influence as
primary information sources for young citizens. It was also discussed that these results
in the context of users’ active curation and passive selection of their political social
media diet.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 46

Operational Definition of Terms

Politics. It is the set of activities that are associated with making decisions in groups,
or other forms of power relations between individuals, such as the distribution of
resources or status.

Social Media Platforms. These are interactive technologies that allow the creation or
sharing/exchange of information, ideas, career interests, and other forms of expression
via virtual communities and networks.

Political Attitudes. These are central components of people’s belief systems and play a
central role in explaining political behaviour, notably as intermediate variables
between social structure and political behaviour.

Political Polarization. It is the divergence of political attitudes to ideological extremes

in which an individual's stance on a given issue, policy, or person is more likely to be
strictly defined by their identification with a particular political party.

Political Landscape. This refers to the the evolution of political situation in a certain
country or place.

Political Knowledge. It is the range of factual information about politics that is stored
in long-term memory

Political Engagement. It includes a broad range of activities through which people

develop and express their opinions on the world and how it is governed, and try to take
part in and shape the decisions that affect their lives.

Political Efficacy. It is the citizens' trust in their ability to change the government and
belief that they can understand and influence political affairs. It is commonly
measured by surveys and is used as an indicator for the broader health of civil society.

Political Awareness. It is the ability to understand different people’s hidden agendas

and use this knowledge to your advantage.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 47

Political Participation. It refers to voluntary activities undertaken by the mass public

to influence public policy, either directly or by affecting the selection of persons who
make policies

Assumptions
The study was premised on the following assumptions:
1. There are roles of social media platforms on the formation of political attitudes
of social media users.
2. There are factors in social media affecting the political attitudes of social
media users.
3. The screenshots of the social media users’ political opinions are ethical.
4. There are studies, documents, accounts or data that are available in connection
to the impact of social media platforms on the political attitudes of social
media users.
5. The data gathering instrument employed in this study is valid and reliable.
6. The analyses of the findings are unbiased and untheorotically grounded on set
parameters.

Research Methodology
This presents the methods, discussions and procedures of the research design,
the population and sample of the study, data gathering instrument, data gathering
procedure and statistical treatment of data which were utilized in the study.

Research Design
This qualitative research used the grounded and semiotics research design,
content, discourse and thematic analysis for the following variables: (1) explaining
political contents from published articles; (2) examining political discourse through
comments from social media platforms; (3) analyzing political data and information
from participants to identify common themes; (4) counting the keyword frequency
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 48

from published research and (5) construction of hypotheses and theories through the
collection and analysis of data;

The study explored the role of social media platforms on the formation of
political attitudes of social media users by means of the presence of pertinent paper
trail pertaining to political contents and further analysis with the use of photovoice for
the screenshots of the political opinions of social media users in different social media
platforms. Photovoice and paper trail were used by the researchers to gather
information and collect data about the influence of social media platforms on the
formation of political attitudes of social media users. The data that was gathered were
used for the analysis of digital texts including pertinent documents from web pages
and the screenshots of the political views and opinions of social media users from
different social media platforms. . It concentrated on the sequential unfolding of their
political opinions guided by Photovoice that was distilled down to five steps: title,
theme, caption, narration, and analysis.

Data Sources

The researchers asked permissions from the selected participants that are
included in the study to allow the research proponents to screenshot their political
opinions from their social media accounts. Further data, published articles and
pertinent documents related to the study will be gathered from the different sources in
the Internet particularly from Google Books, Google Scholar, ERIC (Education
Resources Information Center) and Microsoft Academics.

Study Locale and Informants

The study solely focused on the screenshots and pertinent data and documents
that will be gathered on the Internet and social media platforms. Among the social
media users, the following groups: (1) non-voter; (2) voter; (3) pro-government voter
and (4) anti-government voter with their political opinions on social media platforms
will be chosen as the subjects for the photovoice to be the basis and reference of the
research proponents.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 49

Data Gathering Instruments

The researchers used an interview guide with a list of questions that the
interviewer hopes to cover during the course of an interview. This was used to guide
the interviewer to further understand the influence and role of social media platforms
on the formation of political attitudes of the social media users. The interview guide
below was taken into consideration:

Data Gathering Procedure

In realizing the objectives of the study, the researchers followed a definite
procedure which will be conducted from April 21 to May 27, 2021. Specifically, the
researchers:
a. Asked permission from the social media users to include their posts
regarding on politics and analyze these narratively;
b. retrieved from websites the documents, articles and other references that
were needed in the study for better and clarified results;
c. analyzed, clarified and interpreted the data that was gathered from the
documents, articles and other references;
e. discussed the findings of the study not including the names of the selected
social media users in the discussion to protect their identity and to affirm the
correctness of the recorded information;
f. supported the results of the analysis of the data gathered by credible sources
from the theoretical framework.

Data Analysis
This qualitative research used the grounded, content, discourse and thematic
analysis design. Grounded analysis’ main feature is the development of new theory
through the collection and analysis of data about a phenomenon. It is
phenomenological but it goes beyond phenomenology because the explanations that
emerge are used to develop new theories. This was used to develop new theory after
the analysis of all data that will be gathered along the conduct of the study.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 50

Content analysis is the study of documents and communication artifacts, which

might be texts of various formats, pictures, audio or video. Social scientists use
content analysis to examine patterns in communication in a replicable and systematic
manner. This was used to analyze the content of published articles pertaining to
Philippine politics including its title, thesis statement, evidence an argument, and
concluding statement or proof.
Discourse analysis is sometimes defined as the analysis of language 'beyond
the sentence'. Its objects are variously defined in terms of coherent sequences of
sentences, propositions, speech, or turns-at-talk. This was used to analyze comments
and statements in social media platforms that are manifested in political engagements
to identify their political knowledge on Philippine politics.
Thematic analysis is a method of analyzing qualitative data. It is usually
applied to a set of texts, such as interview transcripts. The researcher closely examines
the data to identify common themes – topics, ideas and patterns of meaning that come
up repeatedly. This was used for the interview transcription that will be done through
personal messenger chat among the participants.
The different data analyses mentioned above focused on the following: content
of published articles pertaining to political opinions, style analysis that counted the
keywords that are mentioned in the entire article, social media users’ political
knowledge and engagement through political comments from social media platforms,
their political needs and efficacy that were examined through an interview and
formulating theory regarding on the political attitudes of social media users.

Ethical Considerations

Risks and Inconveniences

Approval to conduct this study were obtained from the panel of examiners and
the school principal of Ilocos Sur National High School and research advisory
committee which ensured that the research study satisfactorily complied with the key
ethical principles.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 51

Compensation

Since the participation in the study is completely voluntary, the participants

would not be receiving any compensation of any kind but gained insights as to impact
of social media platforms on their political attitudes.

Voluntariness/Withdrawal of Participation

Participation in this research is highly voluntary. Thus, the participants have

the right to withdraw participation at any point without penalty or risks of any kind. In
case of withdrawal of participation, the researchers sought consent of other willing
participants to be included in the sample. They are expected to participate in the
discussion of the results to validate the foregoing study and to provide explanations.

Confidentiality

The participants in the study are assured of the confidentiality and anonymity
of the responses/observations. To protect the identity of the participants, their names
were not included on the research.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 52

CHAPTER II

PRESENTATION AND DISCUSSION OF FINDINGS

This section presents the findings of the researchers about the content,
discourse, thematic and grounded analyses of the social media contents in forming the
political attitudes of social media users.

A. Content Analysis

This presents the six articles that were selected by the research proponents.

Associated here are text analyses, keyword density, title analysis, thesis statement,

evidence and argument, and concluding statement or proof.

1. Antonio Contreras

1.1. “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us” (SEE APPENDIX A)

Table 1. TEXT ANALYSIS

Word Count 940

Character Length 5284

Letters 4292

Sentences 37

Syllables 1466

Average Words/Sentence 25.4

Average Syllables/Word 1.5

Lexical Density 40%

Lexical Diversity 42%

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 53

Table 2. KEYWORD DENSITY

Order Keyword Occurrences

1 President 13

2 People 5

3 Directly 4

4 Health 4

5 COVID 4

As transcribed from the table 2, the word “President” has the most occurrences
in the article which clearly suggests that this article is about President Duterte. One
sentence from the article which contains the word “President” goes this way, “A good
and loving father would not let his children go through that pain in the same manner
that a good and loving president would not subject the citizens of his country to such
deliberate insensitivity if not total irresponsibility.” This explains that the entire article
focuses on the incompetence and poor responsiveness of President Duterte most
especially on his COVID-19 pandemic response. That statement is also rhetoric as the
author described President Duterte as a loving father to his children. The word
“people” and “directly” is placed on 2nd and 3rd spot which elucidates that President
Duterte should speak directly to his people especially with the height of COVID-19.
The word “health” also occurred in the article for four times. This word came from the
statement, “The discourse that speaks of these images as proof of life is already
enough indication that there is a compelling need to address people’s anxieties and
suspicions about the state of the President’s health. It doesn’t help when what is
provided are images that only feed further the conspiracy theories.”
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 54

A.1. Title Analysis:

Presidential duty to appear and talk to us

By: Antonio Contreras

“Presidential duty…”

Article VII, Section 1, of the 1987 Constitution vests executive power on the

President of the Philippines. The President is the Head of State and Head of

Government, and functions as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the

Philippines. As chief executive, the President exercises control over all the executive

departments, bureaus, and offices. Presidential duty includes the responsibility for

implementing and enforcing the laws written by Congress and, to that end, appoints

the heads of the federal agencies, including the Cabinet.

Presidential duty to appear and talk to us

On April 7, 2021, social media users particularly the anti-government netizens

had a public backlash against President Rodrigo Roa Duterte with the hashtag,

NasaanAngPangulo, questioning the absence of the President from the public eye.

Antonio Contreras possibly traced his title on this since the article was published on

April 13, 2021. It is when the netizens began their speculations after the President

canceled his weekly national address “Talk to the People” twice on the 7th of April

2021. Duterte’s last public appearance on that day was on March 29 when he

welcomed the arrival of one million doses of procured CoronaVac vaccines developed

by China’s Sinovac BioTech. The President also held his last “Talk to the People” the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 55

same day. The title is seemingly urging the President to show himself amidst the crises

that are happening in the country.

The professor shared his sentiments regarding on the President’s absence and it

can immediately be seen by his title that, to all intents and purposes, Contreras argued

that the President would have simply spoken directly to his people. His title itself

argues that showing himself is integral especially in this age of the internet, where

modern and sophisticated information and communication technologies abound to

breach the physical barriers and deliver live images to every handheld and mobile

gadget of Filipinos. However, in a statement of Harry Roque, he debunked the

netizens’ speculations and opinions and said that the president would not deliver his

regular public address “in light of the rising number of active COVID-19 cases.” Sen.

Christopher “Bong” Go, who is Duterte’s longtime aide, then backed up the

Presidential Spokesperson, Harry Roque and said that the President’s public address

was postponed after 45 members of the Presidential Security Group (PSG) tested

positive for COVID-19. His public address was instead rescheduled.

A.2. Thesis Statement

“WHEN Rodrigo Roa Duterte became president and he impressed on us that

he was unconventional and radically different, we did not expect that this

included his being strange about not showing his face to directly talk to the

nation at a most critical time.”

This is a strong thesis because it shows that the two ideas are related—

President Duterte’s charisma and the ‘uniqueness’ he possess from the other Presidents
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 56

and the author’s claim that the President is nowhere to be found during national crises.

Since the article is an argumentative or persuasive piece of writing, Contreras did it

with a debatable thesis or claim. In other words, the thesis is something that people

could reasonably have differing opinions on. Purdue University (2020) even said that

if your thesis is something that is generally agreed upon or accepted as fact then there

is no reason to try to persuade people. Moreover, the thesis statement of Contreras is

an example of a debatable thesis because reasonable people could disagree with it.

Some people, particularly the DDS might think that they are right in what they believe

in so there’s no need for them to suffer from the ‘consequences’ as argued by

Contreras. Although the scope of the article might seem overwhelming at the start,

generally, the author made it narrower which makes thesis statement more effective as

well as the argument that it is trying to convey.

This thesis statement explains and came from the recent obscure public

absence of the President during the height of Typhoon Rolly on November and last

April wherein the President was supposed to talk to his people. The thesis statement

explicates the speculations of netizens that something bad has happened to the

President. Contreras argued that President Duterte is a father figure of the country and

is supposed to show himself in trying times including typhoons and the current

pandemic that has ruled the country for more than a year already. The

#NasaanAngPangulo started when the public noticed that the President did not make a

public address until the typhoon had passed which made the #NasaanAngPangulo

earlier trended at the height of Typhoon “Rolly” (Goni), which mainly struck the Bicol

region on All Saints’ Day. It was also when the netizens’ perceptions that Duterte was
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 57

trivializing the plight of Filipinos affected by the typhoon when the 75-year-old leader

said he wanted to join them for a swim but was not allowed by the Presidential

Security Group. But this perception was then dispelled by Harry Roque and claimed

that the political opposition was behind the trending hashtag #NasaanAngPangulo and

asked it to stop that kind of online activity. President Duterte was also noticed that he

was not present at the meeting of the National Disaster Risk Reduction and

Management Council but the Palace explained that the President’s presence was not

necessary since the Cabinet members who make up the council were his alter egos.

Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque defended the President and argued that he

does not need to preside over the meeting because, all agencies, all departments are

functioning and fulfilling their duties even if the President is not physically in the

room.

In addendum, the thesis statement also asserts that President Duterte once

impressed the Filipinos during the campaign on 2016 elections with the President’s

rhetoric statements. Contreras claimed that not showing of the President in the public

made him unconventionally and radically different in a negative way. Netizens also

compared the President to Vice President Leni Robredo who always shows her plans

and achievements before, during and after of the crises in the country. On the contrary,

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque said President Rodrigo Duterte was always

aware of the situation and had been directing government agencies to do what they can

to help Filipinos affected by the typhoon. The spokesperson also urged the public that

people should not ask where the President is because according to him, the President is
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 58

always on top of the situation that in this time of technology, the President gets to

know what is happening in the different areas of the country.

#PatayNaBa also trended over rumors concerning the President’s health.

Duterte’s health has been a long-standing issue during his presidency, as he has

previously missed many official engagements during his term. This hashtag sparked a

conversation on empathy and sensitivity, as the hashtag prompted Duterte supporters

to jump to his defense. Netizens pointed out the cognitive dissonance in his supporters

getting testy over a hashtag about his death but the anti-Duterte netizens defended the

trending hashtag and said that some Filipinos have turned a blind eye to death threats

from the President himself along with the many killings under his administration.

Netizens and some political analysts also said that the country’s oldest

president upon assumption of office has spoken about his many ailments even before

he was inaugurated. Due to the President’s obscure absence, netizens poked fun at the

President’s “proof of life.” They pointed out that if Duterte was in good shape, then he

should’ve been able to deliver his weekly address, while others laughed at how

orchestrated the set-up was. Filipinos, on different social media platforms, continued

to demand accountability from the government in the most creative way they knew

how – with an abundance of memes, funny tweets, and viral posts even it appears to be

insensitive and spiteful.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 59

A.3. Evidence and Argument

Introduction:

Antonio Contreras is known as an anti-Duterte political analyst and professor

which clearly explained why the writer came up with such political opinion

backlashing President Duterte’s absence particularly on the most important days that

the public demands his presence. Contreras’ article’s evidence and argument focused

on urging the President to show himself in the public eye most especially during

crises.

Narration:

“A good and loving father would not let his children go through that pain in the

same manner that a good and loving president would not subject the citizens of his

country to such deliberate insensitivity if not total irresponsibility. A good president

would come out, in person, to directly address all of us and assure us that he is well

and safe, and that he is doing everything to make us all well and safe particularly

during this time of the pandemic.”

The excerpt mentioned above from the article written by Contreras actually

explained the importance of the President to show himself that he is well and safe

during these trying times and that the President is doing excellent in responding to the

COVID-19 pandemic and any other issues and problems that the country is currently

facing. As the public demands for competence and accountability, netizens most

particularly the anti-government social media users have been creating their own
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 60

speculations and assumptions with regards to the absence of the President last

November and April which then dispelled by the solid aide of the President including

Presidential spokesperson Harry Roque and Senator Bong Go.

Contreras also argued that instead posting images of President Duterte, beside a

table, jogging around the Malacañang grounds, riding a motorbike, playing golf, the

President should show himself and his concrete plans to the public eye. The professor

urged the President that what people need was a live presidential address telling his

people what needs to be done and solved amid the current ruling of the pandemic in

the country for more than a year already. He also argued that these stunts are not

enough to assuage the doubts, and fears, of people. The professor also claimed that the

discourse behind the images posted by Sen. Bong Go are proofs that it is already

enough indication that there is a compelling need to address people’s anxieties and

suspicions about the state of the President’s health. The political analyst also asserted

that providing images like those will only feed further conspiracy theories and

speculations about the current health of the President.

The critics of the President including Contreras seized on the line as evidence of

his authoritarian impulses. Some opposition says that the President was also tapping

into an idea about the presidency that is widely accepted, if rarely examined. People

most particularly the anti-government wants the president to play the role of an action

hero, not far less glamorous. Some Filipinos find it simply jarring that in the face of

uncertainty and crisis all the President can provide pictures and images but not

concrete and reliable plans.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 61

Contreras even strongly argued that the President only found time to be videotaped

while running around but did not find it his duty to a confused, fearful, worried and

virus-ravaged citizenry to even stop, wave his hand and briefly talk to his people.

Contreras simply argues that a president must also nurture the patterns of behavior that

allow an administration to work effectively, that he has to empower his subordinates to

make decisions and also trust them when they say an issue demands presidential

attention, a scarce resource.

The presence of the President amidst national crises is important and this is

supported by a study (Audreliz Matias et.al. 2021) which argues that every leader’s

message is crucial amidst national crises. For example, amid the pandemic, Joe Biden,

president at the United States of America, frequently communicated through press

releases, video conferences, announcements, emails and social media to minimize

stress among all members of the campus community. In every public engagement

where he addressed issues involving the crisis, he encouraged an open dialogue that

allowed people to raise concerns and then followed up with detailed plans for tackling

those issues.

In a crisis, a leader needs to embrace the opportunity to think and act big -- as well

as responsibly and fast. The economic impact of the pandemic on higher education and

how long it will last is still unfolding. But its effects on enrollment, student mobility

and funding for public higher education undoubtedly are, and will continue to be,

significant. As visionaries, leaders must be willing to take risks and look for

innovative ways for the institution and its community to become more resilient

(Matias et.al 2021).

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 62

Confirmation:

The article provides a strong point as it can be supported also by various claims

on the Internet such as Richard Heydarian’s statement wherein he said that Duterte,

like other illiberal populists, has fumbled his initial handling of the pandemic and that

the fallout of the President’s responsiveness could probably damage his popularity and

legacy. Heydrian also said that during a recent national address, President admitted

that the government has become desperate already. In many ways, the blogger said

that this tragic outcome was far from surprising. Heydrian also asserted that across the

world, Duterte’s fellow illiberal populists have bungled the initial phase of the crisis,

the period when they had time to listen to medical experts and put measures into place

to reduce the spread of the virus.

While many welcomed the lockdown as an effort to contain an epidemic

outbreak, the Duterte administration, according to Heydrian, bungled its initial

implementation, as varying agencies made contradictory statements on curfews and

travel restrictions in the national capital region and beyond. The blogger’s article

somehow made it fair wherein it was stated that the government’s struggles are not

entirely of its own fault, given the country’s weak public health system.

Contreras and Heydrian are both anti-government and their articles are mostly

a backlash against President Duterte particularly on his COVID-19 plans and response.

The articles are demanding accountability, consistency and competence from the

President himself. They both also said that this incompetence of the President would
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 63

greatly affect his presidential history and legacy and the evolving Philippine political

landscape.

Refutation and Concession:

“It cannot be overemphasized that there is an urgent need to recalibrate the

response to the pandemic, but what we still have is a system that appears

directionless, subsisting on a week-to-week assessment of the situation and where the

government has practically ceded its Covid-19 data analysis to Octa Research, a

private entity. And it is not comforting to know that after a year of the pandemic, we

still have a broken contact-tracing system.”

The excerpt above is extracted from Contreras’ entire article. This claim seems

to be refutable saying that the current administration or the entire government itself is

directionless and do not provide reliable and competent responsiveness with regards to

the handling of COVID-19 pandemic. Duterte is facing renewed criticism over its

handling of the pandemic after a surge in COVID-19 infections that forced authorities

to reimpose stricter curbs in the region of Manila and in nearby provinces for two

weeks.

The social media platforms were abuzz with criticisms of the President’s

absence and apparent inaction over the past weeks, with many pointing out concerns

over the state of his health. However, Duterte’s former aide Sen. Bong Go posted on

social media of him performing different activities over the weekend such as golfing,

jogging and riding a motorcycle to disprove such speculations. Roque also said there is

no comparison between the administration's COVID-19 response and how former

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 64

President Benigno 'Noynoy' Aquino III’s regime handled the aftermath of Typhoon

Yolanda.

These assumptions of Antonio Contreras can be refuted as there are also many

evidences that manifest the President’s actions towards responding to the pandemic.

On 24 March, the President signed Republic Act 11469, also called the “Bayanihan to

Heal as One Act”, authorizing him to exercise emergency measures to address the

COVID-19 situation in the country. According to the Australian Aid of ILO

(International Labour Organization), the response from the Philippine government

includes policies and programmes that provide support to vulnerable populations and

sectors, address digitalization initiatives to ensure continued economic activities

despite social distancing, and lay down the foundation for post-pandemic economic

recovery. From 30 April to end of August 2020, more programmes and policies were

introduced. This time, it appears that particular attention was given to ushering the

movement of people outside the already congested capital, tackling digitalization

initiatives to ensure continued economic activities despite social distancing, and laying

down the foundation for post-pandemic economic recovery. To illustrate, COVID-19

sped up social reengineering efforts of the Government. It had to confront the

urbanization situation in Metro Manila, where high population density posed a

significant hurdle to social distancing efforts. The Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-asa

(Back to the Province, New Hope) Programme was institutionalized to balance urban

and rural economic opportunities by providing incentives for families, especially the

urban poor, to return to their hometowns and to stay there permanently. These are only
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 65

few of the implemented projects and plans of the government that had at least eased

the severe situation of the country.

The data mentioned above are fair enough to at least refute some of the

political statements and standpoints of Antonio Contreras with regards to the

government’s response to the pandemic. The entire article of Contreras appears to be

subjective and one-sided that it only discussed the weaknesses of the current

administration.

Summation:

“Shaping the 2022 election is important in a country where in recent years many

outgoing presidents face hostile successors, and—like former presidents Joseph

Estrada and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo—have wound up under house arrest or in jail

after leaving office for crimes allegedly committed back when they were president.

Duterte’s controversial rule, which has coincided with thousands of extrajudicial

killings and intense cleavages between him and the country’s leading businessmen,

has created no shortage of enemies for him. If Duterte leaves office with his legacy in

tatters, he could be extremely vulnerable to political persecution if not legal

prosecution at home. Thus, the ongoing COVID-19 crisis in the Philippines, the

economic shocks of which will echo for years to come, will impact not only Duterte’s

legacy but also the post-2022 scenario in the Philippines’ rapidly evolving political

landscape.”

The entire article of Antonio Contreras focused on the incompetence of

President Duterte in handling national issues and the obscure absence of the president
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 66

during the height of Typhoon Rolly and his “Talk to the People” last April. It was also

discussed here the ineffective response and handling of the COVID-19 pandemic as

perceived by his own opinions. Furthermore, the article also explained the aftermath of

the seemingly incompetence of President Duterte and the legacy that he will leave

after his term as a President. It was also stated that there is a big tendency that Duterte

will change the Philippine political landscape as his presidency became so

controversial especially at peak of the COVID-19 pandemic.

A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

In general, the argument of Antonio Contreras mainly focused on the absence of

the President at heights of national crises particularly the supposed ‘Talk to the

People’ of Duterte. Contreras argued that the President should present concrete plans

with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic response, not photos of him riding a

motorcycle or golfing just to dispel netizens’ speculations about his health conditions.

Moreover, Contreras also argued that President Duterte’s legacy is controversial

and it may affect the image of the President, his legacy and the political landscape of

the Philippines.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 67

1.2. TITLE: Blame the President (See APPENDIX B for full article)

Table 3. TEXT ANALYSIS

Word Count 988

Character Length 5943

Letters 4904

Sentences 44

Syllables 1659
Average Words/Sentence 22.5

Average Syllables/Word 1.7

Lexical Density 48%

Lexical Diversity 48%

Table 4. KEYWORD DENSITY

Order Unfiltered word Occurrences

count
1 China 15

2 President 9

3 Chinese 9

4 Blame 4

5 corruption 3

6 POGO 3
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 68

As revealed from the table 4, the word “China” has the most occurrences, followed

by “President” in the article of Antonio Contreras which clearly suggests that this

article is about China and President Duterte. Duterte is almost trending everyday

especially on Twitter because of his recent statements on China and the West

Philippine Sea. The netizens go against with him for keeping mum and fearful with

this issue as the President want it to be resolved in a friendly manner. But, earlier this

month, President Rodrigo Duterte refused to acquiesce to Chinese demands to

withdraw navy and coast guard vessels patrolling Philippine waters in the disputed

South China Sea. He refrained, however, from sharply criticizing the Chinese

government, reiterating his desire for the Philippines to maintain friendly ties with its

“good friend.” Duterte’s comments came after an eventful few days in the South China

Sea, which China claims in almost its entirety. An independent arbitral tribunal in The

Hague ruled in 2016 that Beijing’s claims have no legal basis in a case brought by the

Philippines, but Beijing has insisted it is not bound by the ruling.

The word “blame” also appeared four times which clearly supports the article’s

title, “Blame the President”. The article focused on the consequences of President

Duterte’s statements and the happenings in the West Philippine Sea and that he must

be blamed for the conflict regarding the territorial rights of the country. “Corruption”

also appeared three times also. Despite President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign boast

that he would eliminate corruption in the Philippines, the country’s rating in

Transparency International’s 2020 Corruption Perception Index remained at the same

level as last year and one notch lower than when he began his presidency in 2016. By

most accounts, corruption has worsened under Duterte and, by his own admission, the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 69

coronavirus pandemic and the lockdown to stem its spread have become lucrative

sources of graft. “POGO (Philippine Offshore Gaming Operator)” also appeared three

times in the article. Many mainland Chinese nationals taking up residence all over the

Philippines these days, it's because many of them have been brought here by

Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs), the online casino industry that may

soon overtake the business outsource processing (BPO) sector. China chose

Philippines because online gambling is illegal in China. The closest and cheapest

alternative destination is the Philippines, where online gambling is legal and now

regulated by PAGCOR. It would be prudent to remember that the boom in the POGO

industry is reliant on one big factor: the Chinese-Philippine relations that this

administration is bent on keeping amiable. Yet politics is a fickle thing, and there’s no

guarantee that these close relations will continue after the current president’s term. In

the event that they don’t, all the investment gone into real estate and POGO operations

could be wasted. But given the exclusionary nature of the industry that doesn’t hire or

cater to Filipino citizens despite using the Philippines as its base, it begs the question if

all this investment was worth it in the first place. The bottom line is, we’re playing a

risky game with our economy and real estate market. And until we can hedge against

losses, all bets are off.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 70

A.1. Title Analysis:

Blame the President

By: Antonio Contreras
“Blame the President”

The ultimate blame of the people is on the government, “whether we are in the

right or in the wrong,” President Duterte said on Wednesday, April 28, as he mulls

using “police power” to “control whatever there is to control.

With the height of the pandemic and the issue of the West Philippine Sea, many

Filipino citizens had taken out of their own shells to criticize President Duterte with

his response to the COVID-19 pandemic and statements with regards to the West

Philippine Sea. Not only Antonio Contreras has the guts to criticize and even blame

the President of what’s currently happening to the country, but many netizens also put

the censure to Duterte with their own political standpoints in their social media

accounts. The news articles may appear positive or negative; some netizens always

twist the truth and blame the President for everything that is happening in the

Philippines.

A.2. Thesis Statement

“Diehard Duterte supporters have to be told. When the dust settles, history will
not be kind to those who turned a blind eye and failed to call out the President
for laying the foundation for all these things to happen. His China pivot has
created the context for the entry of Chinese “bads” into our political economy.
And the claim that everything is the fault of corrupt officials even exacerbates
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 71

the President’s culpability as it suggests evidence of his failure to curb

corruption, despite his bold claims to eradicate it.”

Readers need to be able to see that a thesis statement has one main point.

However, the thesis statement expresses more than one idea, so it confuses readers

about the subject of the article. But on the other hand, it also provides a strong point

because it shows how opinion contradicts a widely-accepted view. This is a good

strategy for creating a strong thesis because it shows that the topic is controversial.

Readers will be interested in reading the rest of the article to see how the author

supports his/her point.

The thesis statement discusses or provides the DDS and their ‘consequences’ if

they continue to support President Duterte. Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS) is the

collective name adopted by political hardliners who rally around Philippine President

Rodrigo Duterte, whom they defend as a necessary strongman. These are distinct from

the rest of Duterte's support base of opportunists, technocrats, patriots and "ordinary

citizens". The term was popularized during the 2016 presidential elections and has

since been used to refer to the most unquestioning (i.e., the diehards) among Duterte's

loyalists, who in turn wear it as a badge of pride. Its initialism, DDS, was taken

directly from the Davao Death Squad—an alleged vigilante group that had existed in

Davao City during Duterte's term as mayor.

As their self-appellation suggests, the DDS are identified by their unwavering

loyalty to Duterte rather than alignment to any particular political-economic ideology.

The DDS mirror Duterte's policy stances and shifts, even when such shifts contradict

his self-identification as a socialist and membership in a democratic socialist party,

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 72

PDP–Laban. Observers, then, have described the DDS as a right-wing populist or even

far-right phenomenon the existence of which preserves the status quo. Such an

assertion has been demonstrated by the expansion in recent years of the historical and

religiously informed cultural hostility toward left-wing politics in the country, which

had been previously reserved for the Communist Party of the Philippines but which

had during Duterte's presidency begun to include national-democratic, left-liberal and

even center-left organizations such as the Makabayan, Akbayan and Liberal parties,

respectively. The DDS also find affinity with right-wing populist movements in other

countries and their leaders.

According to the Wikipedia, in common with Duterte's original support base

outside Manila, the DDS had been enthusiastic about the subsequently derailed

transition to a federal form of government through constitutional reform. Some within

the DDS, disillusioned by both the social doctrines of the Catholic Church and the

sanctimoniousness of the professional–managerial class (PMC), may have also stood

behind left-leaning causes such as the redefinition of civil marriage, which Duterte had

also supported but has since backtracked on. The DDS have also mirrored calls made

by some core supporters for the installation of a revolutionary government with

Duterte as leader. Such calls, however, have been motivated less by a willingness to

pursue systemic transformation than by a desire for greater participation in the status

quo.

“When the dust settles, history will not be kind to those who turned a blind eye

and failed to call out the President for laying the foundation for all these things to

happen.” According to the Collins Dictionary, if you say that something will happen
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 73

when the dust settles, you mean that a situation will be clearer after it has calmed

down. Whereas, according to the Oxford Languages, “turned a blind eye” means

pretend not to notice. The two expressions are example of idioms which clearly

summates Contreras’ style of writing. He is stylistically writer who loves to use

metaphor or personifications to add twist on his own articles. Antonio Contreras

described the DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters) as people who are pretending to be

blind with the truth. With all of the allegations and the ‘poor’ response to the COVID-

19 pandemic, Duterte loyalists still remain solid supporters and are still defending the

President against those who are criticizing him.

What is disconcerting is when reality is considered that many DDS take

political positions not because this is what they believe, but simply because this is

what Duterte adheres to, or at least that is what they perceive. There are simply many

DDS who have truncated their egos, and even their ids, and surrendered these to

whatever Duterte supports. This is perhaps why he remains astronomically popular,

and that he is liked, or at least what he does is approved and liked, by nine out of 10

Filipinos.

“His China pivot has created the context for the entry of Chinese “bads” into

our political economy. And the claim that everything is the fault of corrupt officials

even exacerbates the President’s culpability as it suggests evidence of his failure to

curb corruption, despite his bold claims to eradicate it.” President Rodrigo Duterte,

with a year left in his term, said he will fight corruption until his last day in office.

“We are not proclaiming that we have gotten rid of corruption. There is still corruption

in this government and any other government that will come after me; and in the past
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 74

— it is always there,” Duterte said in a prerecorded public address. The President said

the only way to eradicate corruption is to close down the government. On January 7,

2016, Rodrigo Duterte has made a promise to the residents of Mindanao as he urged

them to kill him if he fails to resolve crime and corruption in the country during the

first six months of his term should he become the next president. Duterte said that to

eliminate crime and corruption in his first six months as president would serve as his

“greatest contribution” to the country. Factually speaking, Philippines is ranked as one

of the most corrupt countries, 113 out of 180 nations. President Rodrigo Duterte won

the presidency with a campaign to eradicate corruption in the Philippines within six

months. On 27 October, 2020, President Duterte dedicated his remaining years in

office to fight corruption. He issued a memorandum and ordered the Department of

Justice (DOJ) to investigate corruption during his administration. He said, “The DOJ

shall have the authority to decide which allegations to investigate, taking into

consideration the gravity thereof and their impact on the delivery of government

service.” There are many experts in the internet arguing and claiming that President

Duterte clearly failed his promises way back in 2016. “Close the government to end

corruption” is also one of the most remarkable statements of the President which

implies that corruption is not an easy problem to resolve.

A.3. Evidence and Argument

Introduction:

Antonio Contreras is known as an anti-Duterte political analyst and professor

which clearly explained why the writer came up with such political opinion blaming
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 75

the President with the current situation of the Philippines. According to the article, this

includes the following: West Philippine Sea, corruption and the POGO which

‘benefits’ some Chinese people.

Narration:

The article focused on the Diehard Duterte Supporters, President Duterte

‘befriending China and corruption.

Diehard Duterte Supporters is the collective name adopted by political

hardliners who rally around Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte, whom they defend

as a necessary strongman. These are distinct from the rest of Duterte's support base of

opportunists, technocrats, patriots and "ordinary citizens". These Duterte loyalists have

been so active in defending President Duterte in all social media platforms. Some of

these supporters have also created their own YouTube channels and blogs to refute

some claims and arguments of the anti-government citizens and fight for what they

think is right. Maharlika, diehard Duterte supporter, is one of the famous YouTube

vloggers who is a solid supporter of the President. Every week, she posts new videos

that attack the opposition most especially to Vice President Leni Robredo. There is

also Jam Magno, a social media influencer, who posts videos and status that supports

the President.

Moreover, on the issue of the West Philippine Sea, Contreras claimed that

President Duterte seems to be ‘befriending’ China instead of claiming that the sea is

Philippine territory. With this, former Senator Juan Ponce Enrile said that Philippines

should resolve this issue as friendly as possible. Knowing that China is a country of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 76

nuclear weapons and all kinds of guns, they can wipe out the Philippines as easy as

they can. On the “Talk to the People” conducted on May 17, 2021, former senator

Juan Ponce Enrile even advised President Rodrigo Duterte on Monday to just ignore

his critics regarding the issue of China and the West Philippine Sea. Enrile said it's the

best thing Duterte can do, claiming the Philippines will lose more if it antagonizes

China. "That's the best thing Mr. President. Pabayaan mo na lang sila (Just ignore

them.)," he said. "After all Mr. President, you are only responsible to the Filipino

people, and you are not responsible to any specific person for your foreign policy.

Yours is to protect the interest of the nation and its people in the best way you can,"

Enrile added. Duterte replied that his critics have become "irrelevant" after talking to

the former senator and defense minister.

Lastly, Contreras said that President Duterte clearly failed in ending corruption

in the Philippines. On January 2016, the President once said in Mindanao that in six

months, he will end the corruption in the Philippines. But five years later, Presidnet

Duterte said that corruption will only end if government is closed down. His statement

five years ago only asserts that the President may have used rhetorics and displayed

bravado again to get people’s attention. With this seemingly failure that the President

had committed and ought to do, many articles from the internet say that corruption is a

difficult problem to combat and eradicate. .

Confirmation:

The article provides a strong point as it can be supported also by various claims

on the Internet such as BBC News World Asia wherein they explained DDS or
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 77

Diehard Duterte Supporters in which they said that many of the most ardent trolls are

supporters of the president - they call themselves DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters), a

play on the lettering of the Davao Death Squad, an execution squad, which according

to the United Nations, killed more than 1,000 people in the city in the southern

Philippines while Duterte was its mayor. The DDS are also labelled as trolls. Since

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte came to power, there have been concerns about

his administration’s distortion of online information raised by his opponents. A recent

report provides further evidence of what many see as a worrying development.

According to a recent report released by non-government organization Freedom

House, the Philippines is among the 30 countries in the world which deploy some form

of “manipulation to distort online information. The Diplomat even claimed that the

Duterte government has appointed several bloggers and social media personalities in

the government’s communications department. It even gave media accreditation to

some pro-Duterte bloggers. Unfortunately, some of these bloggers have been accused

of peddling fake news and spreading hateful comments against critics of the Duterte

government. Some are criticized for behaving like trolls especially those who think

that members of the media are too biased against Duterte.

Moreover, the issue on the West Philippine Sea can be likened from the article

of Rappler.com where Tomacruz (2021) said that Duterte keeps Filipinos under threat

in West Philippine Sea. The journalist strongly argued that on the world’s most

important diplomatic stage, a more defiant President Rodrigo Duterte once told world

leaders that the Philippines would reject all attempts to undermine the 2016 Hague

ruling that affirmed the country’s rights in the West Philippine Sea. The journalist
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 78

also claimed that throughout Duterte's presidency, Filipinos have often had to bear the

burden of his flip-flops on the West Philippine Sea.

Refutation and Concession:

Contreras’ claims and statements in his article are so difficult to be refuted as it

is all bounded with facts, proofs and evidences. So, with all things considered, the

researchers found nothing to be refuted and conceded as well.

Summation:

“These people have to be told. When the dust settles, history will not be kind to

those who turned a blind eye and failed to call out the President for laying the

foundation for all these things to happen. His China pivot has created the context for

the entry of Chinese “bads” into our political economy. And the claim that everything

is the fault of corrupt officials even exacerbate the President’s culpability as it

suggests evidence of his failure to curb corruption, despite his bold claims to eradicate

it. And Senator Gordon may be correct in saying many regulators are holding back for

fear of offending China and, indirectly, or so they think, the President. And we cannot

blame them.”

The entire article of Antonio Contreras mainly focused on the DDS (Diehard

Duterte Supporters) who have ‘turned a blind eye’ to what’s really happening in the

country after Duterte took oath as the new President of the Philippines. Contreras is in

utter dismay on how the DDS twist the facts, and blaming those who criticize Duterte.

The political analyst also added the entry of Chinese ‘bads’ into Philippine’s political
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 79

economy and discussion on how President Duterte failed to curb the corruption issue

in the country.

A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

Contreras’ article consist no axioms or set of assumptions as it appears to be

bounded with evidential claims and supported with facts. The political analyst only

presented his suppositions on what might happen to the Diehard Duterte Supporters if

they keep supporting the President.

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 80

2. Rigoberto Tiglao

2.1. “Duterte: Our boldest president ever” (SEE APPENDIX C)

Table 5. TEXT ANALYSIS

Word Count 1436

Character Length 8449

Letters 6847

Sentences 51

Syllables 2296

Average Words/Sentence 28.2

Average Syllables/Word 1.6

Lexical Density 50%

Lexical Diversity 44%

Table 6. KEYWORD DENSITY

Order Unfiltered word Occurrences

count
1 Duterte 10

2 communist 8

3 insurgency 6

4 Reds 6

5 Aquino 5

6 Cpp-npa 5
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 81

As gleaned on table 6, ‘Duterte’ has the most occurrences probably because the

article is all about the President. The word “communist” comes second. Communism

is a philosophical, social, political, and economic ideology and movement whose

ultimate goal is the establishment of a communist society, namely a socioeconomic

order structured upon the ideas of common ownership of the means of production and

the absence of social classes, money, and the state (YourDictionary). This word is

mentioned in the article probably because Duterte has torn down the disguises — the

“fronts” such as the Red party-lists — the communists have been wearing since their

party’s founding in 1968. The word “insurgency” also appeared six times in the article.

An insurgency is a violent, armed rebellion against authority when those taking part in

the rebellion are not recognized as belligerents (lawful combatants). The word “reds”

also appeared on the article six times. This refers also to those who found and/or part

of CPP-NPA. [Cory] Aquino occurred five times probably because the former

President embraced the communists, continuing her husband Benigno Aquino 3rd’s

alliance with communist ideologue Jose Ma. Sison and his Red conspirators

established at the very founding of both the CPP and the NPA — which was in the

Cojuangco-Aquino clan’s Hacienda Luisita in the late 1960s. Lastly, “CPP-NPA”

appeared five times on the article. The New People's Army (Filipino: Bagong

Hukbong Bayan), abbreviated NPA or BHB, is the armed wing of the Communist

Party of the Philippines (CPP), based primarily in the Philippine countryside.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 82

A.1. Title Analysis:

Duterte: Our boldest president ever

By: Rigoberto Tiglao
“Duterte: Our boldest president ever”

According to the Google Dictionary, the word “bold” is a person, action, or idea

showing an ability to take risks; confident and courageous. The title made use of

colon. A colon is used to give emphasis, present dialogue, introduce lists or text, and

clarify composition titles. Emphasis—Capitalize the first word after the colon only if it

is a proper noun or the start of a complete sentence. The use of colon emphasizes

Duterte— on what kind of President he is.

A.2. Thesis Statement

“FOR undertaking a comprehensive campaign to eradicate — finally, the

nation hopes — the 52-year-old Maoist menace in the country, Rodrigo Duterte has
emerged as the country’s boldest president ever. By doing so, he is also the most
perspicacious and the least “pulitiko” (as I will argue in this column) as he has torn
down the disguises — the “fronts” such as the Red party-lists — the communists have
been wearing since their party’s founding in 1968.”

The thesis statement provides a hasty generalization. This is a conclusion based

on insufficient or biased evidence. In other words, the author is somehow rushing to a

conclusion before he has all the relevant facts. The statement is also too specific that it

has given everything already. A thesis statement may provide a good characteristic

such as having a specific point but it has to be kept in moderation also.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 83

The thesis statement provides the summary of the article that explains the

boldness of President Duterte when it comes to his approach in taking down and

dismantling the CPP-NPA.

A.3. Evidence and Argument

Introduction

Rigoberto Tiglao is a columnist in “The Manila Times”. He was the former

editor-in-chief and senior vice president of Inquirer.net (now Philippine Daily

Inquirer). In this article, the columnist tackled the boldness of President Duterte to

undertake such a comprehensive campaign to dismantle the CPP-NPA, the last such

insurgency in Asia. Tiglao claimed that of the entire President, he seems to be in full-

pledge to totally defeat the CPP-NPA of their 52-year-old terror.

Narration

The Communist Party of the Philippines (Filipino: Partido Komunista ng Pilipinas)

is a revolutionary organization and communist party in the Philippines, formed by Jose

Maria Sison on 26 December 1968. It is designated as a terrorist group by the United

States Department of State through Executive Order No. 13224 together with Sison

and the New People's Army in 2002. The European Union, through Council Decision

(CSFP) 2019/1341, renewed the terrorist designation of the CPP-NPA in 2019, though

the European Union's second highest court ruled in September 2009 to delist Sison as

a "person supporting terrorism" and reversed a decision by member governments to

freeze assets. According to the US' Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) World
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 84

Factbook, the CPP and its armed wing, the NPA, aims to destabilize the Philippines'

economy and overthrow the national government.

Duterte said the request of the CPP and its political wing, the National Democratic

Front (NDF), to form a “coalition government” prompted him to “walked away” from

peace talks. Barely two days before the communist founding anniversary, President

Rodrigo Roa Duterte is standing firm that he will not call for a ceasefire “ever again”

with the Communist Party of the Philippines-New People’s Army-National

Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-NDF) for the remainder of his term.

Duterte said the Armed Forces of the Philippines (AFP) is also not inclined to

recommend any truce with the CPP-NPA this holiday season. To recall, as a sign of

goodwill, it has been tradition for the government to observe a temporary cessation of

military operations against the communists to allow the rebels to have some quality

time with their families during the holidays. The AFP, however, noted that the

communist terrorists have been demonstrating insincerity in previous agreements and

reportedly reneged from their own ceasefire declaration and attacked and killed

soldiers on humanitarian and peace and development missions. The President also said

the request of the CPP and its political wing, the NDF, to form a “coalition

government” prompted him to “walked away” from peace talks earlier. Sison bore that

the CPP-NPA continues to grow in strength, as they are developing guerilla fronts in

every region to become revolutionary base areas.

In recent weeks, President Rodrigo Duterte has used his weekly addresses,

supposedly to discuss the government response to COVID-19, to slam his critics. In

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 85

particular, left-leaning groups have been the target of his ire, accusing them of being

part of a Communist-driven “grand conspiracy” to overthrow the government. There is

nothing new about Duterte hitting out at Communist rebels and their alleged

sympathizers. But this has been further amplified after the President recently alleged

that groups such as the Makabayan bloc in the House of Representatives, Bayan and

Gabriela are fronts of the Communist Party of the Philippines, its armed wing, the

New People’s Army, and its political arm, the National Democratic Front (CPP-NPA-

NDF). The Makabayan bloc denied the President’s claim, dismissing it as a tactic to

hide the government’s supposed incompetence in handling the country’s problems

such as the COVID-19 crisis and an attempt to stifle dissent. Ironically, the

Makabayan bloc once belonged to the ruling coalition of the House of Representatives

dominated by lawmakers loyal to Duterte. This is simply the latest episode in the

worsening relationship between Duterte and the Left — one that began with a lot of

promise, so much so that it nurtured hope that peace would finally come after the

decades-long Communist insurgency.

Confirmation

According to the news article of GMA Network, peace negotiations between the

government and communist rebels collapsed in November 2017 after Duterte lamented

what he said were continued attacks by rebels on troops and civilians. The President

even tagged the CPP and NPA as terrorist organizations, although the government has

yet to secure a court declaration to officially outlaw the groups. The NDF expressed

disappointment over Duterte's decision to end the peace talks with them, saying that

social and economic reforms that may result from these could have benefited millions
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 86

of Filipinos. “President Duterte bears full responsibility for the failure of the talks on

social and economic reforms because of his sudden turn-around and heightened

hostility to the revolutionary forces and the people,” it said.

The failing relationship between Duterte and the Leftists has been ruined according

to some political analysts. This can also be confirmed by Eduardo Araral, associate

professor at the National University of Singapore’s public policy school. The political

analyst believes the government felt betrayed by the moves of the insurgents after

concessions made by the Duterte administration. The political analyst thinks Duterte

felt deceived. The Left got what they want – Cabinet posts, their jailed leaders freed,

and international recognition but the NPAs continued with their attacks and

recruitment and Duterte must have realized that peace talks are a waste of time.

Refutation and Concession

The statements, arguments and claims of Tiglao in his column article are bounded

with facts and evidential backups. There are no certain statements that are refutable.

Summation

The article focused on Rodrigo Duterte wherein it stated that the President has

emerged as the country’s ‘boldest’ president ever. By doing so, Tiglao argued that he

is also the most perspicacious and the least “pulitiko” (as I will argue in this column)

as he has torn down the disguises — the “fronts” such as the Red party-lists — the

communists have been wearing since their party’s founding in 1968.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 87

A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

Tiglao’s article consist no axioms or set of assumptions as it appears to be bounded

with evidential claims and supported with facts. The political analyst only presented

the boldness of the President when it comes to his approach on the 52-year old terror

brought by CPP-NPA.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 88

2.2. “Duterte makes history” (SEE APPENDIX D)

Table 7. TEXT ANALYSIS

Word Count 957

Character Length 5579

Letters 4479

Sentences 44

Syllables 1513

Average Words/Sentence 21.8

Average Syllables/Word 1.6

Lexical Density 49%

Lexical Diversity 49%

Table 8. KEYWORD DENSITY

Order Unfiltered word Occurrences

count
1 Duterte 15

2 Poll 6

3 91 5

4 Rating 5

5 Pulseasia 4

Table 8 shows that ‘Duterte’ has the most occurrences. The article is all about

President Duterte particularly the discussion and argument of Tiglao with regards to

the President’s approval rating in the PulseAsia. This is followed by the word “poll”
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 89

which is clearly associated with Pulse Asia also. Pulse Asia Research, Inc. an

enterprise launched in 1999 by professional academics with acknowledged expertise in

their respective fields of study is dedicated to monitoring salient socio-economic,

political and cultural issues in the minds of the Filipino public. This mission is

anchored on the belief that a periodic measurement of the public pulse is a key

ingredient for creating a robust democracy. ‘91’ occurred five times also as the article

discusses the recent approval rating of President Duterte amidst the allegations and

negations by his critics. The word ‘rating’ and ‘pulseasia’ comes fourth and fifth

which is also associated with the second and third word that has the most occurrences.

A.1. Title Analysis

Duterte makes history

By: Rigoberto Tiglao

The title of a document or an article has two roles, to give a compact summary

and to lead the reader to read the document. The title seems incomplete which makes a

reader to know more about it. However, it is indispensable to clarify the content

(“what to say”) and wording (“how to say”) of titles that are effective to attract the

target reader’s interest.

Several techniques have been reported on generating titles (Jin and

Hauptmann, 2000) (Berger and Mittal, 2000), and they focus on the former role, that

is, to give a compact summary. The main approach is to find a few keywords from the

document by calculating the importance of each word in the document. This approach,

incidentally, is similar to most text summarization techniques. The selected keywords

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 90

or title strongly reflect the author’s wordings. In other words, the approach that Tiglao

used here is an “author-centered approach”. In some cases, the title generated by this

approach might play the latter role poorly and fail to get the reader’s interest. To make

generated titles play their latter role properly, it is not sufficient to look into only the

author’s document. However, Tiglao also considered the readers. Tiglao’s title made it

necessary in the “reader-centered approach” to clarify the features of the reader’s

attention, that is, the relationship between the reader’s attention and the content and

wording of the title. Based on this knowledge, it will be possible to extract information

from the document that is more attractive to the reader than the author’s key

expressions and to include it in the generated title. The title seems to be unpredictable.

“Duterte makes history” is a very complex title. The reader might have thoughts in

their minds on what might that certain thing that Duterte made history in. So Tiglao

made a very smart approach here so that readers will be interested as the title is

inadequately addressed.

A.2. Thesis Statement

“PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has made history. PulseAsia reported on

Monday that based on its September poll, Duterte had a performance rating of 91

percent, up 4 points from its December 2019 poll. That level of popular support is

unprecedented. Nobody expected that.”

The thesis statement is a strong thesis. It makes a claim about the subject that

needs proving. It provides the writer (and the reader) with a clearly focused lens

through which to view the subject. It is summarized already on where is the whole
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 91

article is all about. It is explained in the thesis statement that President Duterte had a

performance rating of 91 percent, up 4 points from its December 2019 poll. Specific

noun (President Rodrigo Duterte) was also indicated which provides a strong thesis

statement.

The article’s entirety and direction is already stated on the thesis statement.

The article provides a strong claim and support of Rigoberto Tiglao with President

Duterte especially that it is bounded with proof and facts backed up by the data of the

PulseAsia.

A.3. Evidence and Argument

Introduction

Rigoberto Tiglao’s article argues and explains the recent controversial

approval rating of President Duterte conducted by PulseAsia. Despite the negations,

allegations, nonstop crisis and the poor response of the government to the COVID-19

pandemic, the President still obtained a high rating of approval.

Narration

The nearly incredible and stratospheric trust and job approval ratings were the

highest ever for any Philippine president. In fact, it is the highest for any leader of any

democratic country in the world today, and in history. The 91 percent beat approval

ratings of world dictators Hitler, Mussolini, Saddam Hussein, and Muammar Khadaffy

during their time in power. The 91 percent made Duterte the world’s most popular and

trusted leader, bar none. The Pulse Asia rating, it now turns out, has done more
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 92

damage, than good, to the Filipino people and to the Philippines. Duterte thought he

was doing just fine. Pulse Asia said so. This gave him confidence to do things he

wanted done his way.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s approval rating has hit a record high, an

opinion poll showed on Monday, despite a stubborn coronavirus crisis that has ravaged

the economy and caused millions of job losses. While his opponents chide him for his

authoritarian style and low tolerance of dissent, Duterte remains hugely popular

because of his man-of-the-people style and a perception of strong leadership and

success in fighting crime and corruption.

Refutation and Concession

“Duterte is responsible for the closure of the mighty ABS-CBN Corp., one of

the two most powerful and influential broadcast media organizations.”

In April 2017, the president said that he would block the franchise request,

claiming that ABS-CBN was "swindling” him by not airing one of his paid campaign

ads for the 2016 elections. This was the first of many times Duterte threatened the

network’s shutdown, citing personal reasons. Like other media outlets, he also claimed

that ABS-CBN spreads “fake news” about him. In December 2019, the President went

so far as to say, “If you expect that (the franchise) will be renewed, I’m sorry. I will

see to it that you’re out” (Vice 2020). There are a lot of articles in the Internet that

neither Duterte nor the government itself should be blamed with the recent

controversial shutdown of the biggest network in the country. Speaker Allan Peter

Cayetano even said that the owners of ABS-CBN are to blame for the network’s shut
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 93

down and not the government, several days after the House of Representatives’ panel

on legislative franchises denied the network another 25-year franchise. Cayetano said

he stands by the decision of the panel to reject ABS-CBN’s bid for another franchise,

reasoning that “private interests should be kept at the same arms-length distance as the

government from controlling the media.”

The biggest network, however, have a lot of violations so when the President

had ordered NTC (National Telecommunications) to shut down ABS-CBN, the

network respected Duterte’s decision. ASEAN Post (2020) stated the alleged

violations of ABS-CBN which include among others: (1) bias news reporting; (2)

labour-related contraventions and breaches; (3) broadcasting for a fee and operating a

"pay-per-view channel in ABS-CBN TV Plus, the KBO Channel, without prior

approval or permit from the NTC; (4) failing to publicly offer any of its outstanding

capital stock to any securities exchange within the Philippines within five years from

the start of its operations, which is an indispensable condition in its franchise; (5)

issuance of Philippine Depository Receipts (PDRs) to foreigners; and (6) the

skepticism and qualms orbiting around the citizenship of the media network’s

chairman emeritus Eugenio Gabriel "Gabby" López III, who is also the director and

treasurer of the Lopez Holding Corporation, an alleged American. The network claims

he has dual-citizenship – American and Filipino.

The last two issues (5 and 6) are the most touchy and contentious because if

proven true, then ABS-CBN being a mass media company had defied the

constitutional ban on foreign ownership of mass media. Article XVI (General

Provision) Section 11 of the constitution states that “the ownership and management
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 94

of mass media shall be limited to citizens of the Philippines, or to corporations,

cooperatives or associations, wholly-owned and managed by such citizens.”

The statement actually explains that Duterte had killed the press freedom in the

country. It’s quite an exaggeration to say that press freedom in the county has been

pilloried just because a giant media outlet has been closed due to an expired franchise.

To say that issues related to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic will not be covered

extensively just because ABS-CBN was shut down is an insult to the many journalists,

broadcasters, and media practitioners from other media outlets who are equally

capable of delivering news and information extensively about COVID-19 or other

issues.

ABS-CBN broadcasts have not actually stopped. They are still broadcasting

daily through live streaming via different social media platforms, cable TV, etc.,

starting a day after the CDO from the NTC was issued. The only thing that was

stopped was the use of the government loaned broadcast frequency (Free TV) – not

ABS-CBN’s operations, ability, and capacity to broadcast. That’s the truth of the

matter.

Summation

The article focused on the recent approval rating of President Duterte in the

PulseAsia that made him obtain 91%. The 91 percent approval rating of President

Rodrigo Duterte in the latest Pulse Asia survey reflects the people’s trust and

confidence in his ability to chart the right course for the country as Filipinos come to
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 95

terms with the COVID19 pandemic and we begin to reopen and recharge the

Philippine economy.

A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

Rigoberto Tiglao, the arguer of the article has stated his column bounded with

facts. There are no such axioms or set of assumptions.

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 96

3. Louis “Barok” Biraogo

3.1. “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President

Duterte” (SEE APPENDIX E)

Table 9. TEXT ANALYSIS

Word Count 797

Character Length 4814

Letters 3956

Sentences 43

Syllables 1367

Average Words/Sentence 18.5

Average Syllables/Word 1.7

Lexical Density 50%

Lexical Diversity 43%

Table 10. KEYWORD DENSITY

Order Unfiltered word Occurrences

count
1 Del Rosario 15

2 President 10

3 China 10

4 DFA 6

5 Aquino 5
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 97

As gleaned on the table, ‘Del Rosario’ has the most occurrences. The article

talks about the criticisms of del Rosario to the President and how his attitude towards

national sovereignty and territorial integrity of Philippines changed when Duterte sat

as President. The word “President” occurred ten times which clearly explains that

President Duterte is linked to the former DFA Secretary that strongly urges the

President to confront China in a way that war may possibly arise between the two

countries. ‘China’, the same as ‘President’, occurred ten times. The article mentioned

this as a reference to what the author’s article is all about. ‘DFA’ and ‘Aquino’ also

occurred which clearly explains the former position of Albert del Rosario when

Benigno ‘Simeon’ Aquino III was still the president. Aquino was included also a main

subject as he is linked to del Rosario.

A.1. Title Analysis

“Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President Duterte”

The title of a document or an article has two roles, to give a compact summary

and to lead the reader to read the document. The title seems too complete which makes

a reader lose its interest to read it further. However, it is indispensable to clarify the

content (“what to say”) and wording (“how to say”) of this title that are effective to

attract the target reader’s interest because they might want to know why Albert del

Rosario has no moral authority to scold President Duterte.

According to Wikipedia, moral authority is authority premised on principles, or

fundamental truths, which are independent of written, or positive, laws. As such, moral

authority necessitates the existence of and adherence to truth. Based from the title, it
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 98

can already be seen what the article is all about. The argument is also evident. The

claim is also there refuting del Rosario’s claims to President Duterte.

A.2. Thesis Statement

“Former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is

currently drumming up public animosity against President Rodrigo Roa Duterte over

the way the latter is handling the ongoing maritime dispute between the Philippines

and Red China regarding the South China Sea.”

The thesis statement is a strong thesis. It makes a claim about the subject that

needs proving which may or may not explained in the entire article. It provides the

writer (and the reader) with a clearly focused lens through which to view the subject. It

is summarized already on where is the whole article is all about. It is explained in the

thesis statement that Former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del

Rosario is persuading the public to show animosity to the President over his handling

on the current issue in the West Philippine Sea.

The article’s entirety and direction is already stated on the thesis statement.

The article provides a strong claim and support of Louis “Barok” Biraogo to the

approach of President Duterte in the rising tense and maritime dispute between

Philippines and China.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 99

A.3. Evidence and Argument

Narration

Louis Biraogo explained on his article that DFA former secretary, del Rosario,

has no right and moral authority to scold and criticize the President in his approach on

the West Philippine Sea. The article is not solely based on the facts but it is also

bounded with political opinion of Biraogo as he is a solid supporter of President

Duterte. The author even refuted the claims of del Rosario and went back to the times

where he was still the DFA Secretary and explained his ‘changed’ attitude and

behavior towards national sovereignty.

Confirmation

On the news article of GMA News, Presidential spokesman Harry Roque

criticized Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario for accusing President Rodrigo

Duterte of siding with China on the issue of the West Philippine Sea. Del Rosario has

lamented Duterte's characterization of the 2016 arbitral ruling as a scrap of paper,

stressing the decision was "valid and binding" and must be enforced against China.

Harry Roque, in full dissent, , said that it is del Rosario who gave away the

Scarborough (Shoal) to China when he ordered the Coast Guard to withdraw when

there was a standoff in that area.

Duterte has suggested an investigation into del Rosario’s role over the

withdrawal of Philippine forces during the 2012 Scarborough Shoal standoff, a

pronouncement backed by Foreign Affairs Secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. Roque said
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 100

Duterte was standing by the arbitration ruling, which upheld the Philippines’ sovereign

rights in the West Philippine Sea and invalidated China’s sweeping maritime claims.

Refutation and Concession

Though some of the claims and arguments of Biraogo are bounded with

opinion, the author still referred to facts and evidences such as him filing for petition

to del Rosario for his approach in the Sabah problem back when Aquino was still the

President. Del Rosario insisted that the solution to the Sabah problem was diplomacy

and dialogue, and not armed conflict. Although President Aquino promised to pursue

the Sabah claim before the International Court of Justice, nothing concrete happened

thereafter. Eventually, del Rosario did not act on that promise and that made Biraogo

file his petition. So with the facts mentioned, there is no such claim and argument in

the entirety of the article which appears to be refutable.

Summation

“del Rosario has no moral authority to criticize President Duterte for the way

the latter is handling the maritime dispute between the Philippines and Red China.”

Biraogo strongly defended the President for his approach on the West

Philippine Sea, refuting del Rosario’s criticisms and claims that he even went back to

history comparing the approach of the Aquino administration in the Sabah problem

which outraged Biraogo to file such petition against del Rosario.

The article’s approach seems to be one-sided but bounded with facts and

evidential claims.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 101

A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

Biraogo, the arguer of the article has stated his column bounded with facts.

There are no such axioms or set of assumptions. It was partially a defense against the

claims of del Rosario.

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 102

3.2. “We need a selfless leader” (SEE APPENDIX F)

Table 11. TEXT ANALYSIS

Word Count 808

Character Length 4551

Letters 3685

Sentences 31

Syllables 1281

Average Words/Sentence 26.1

Average Syllables/Word 1.6

Lexical Density 44%

Lexical Diversity 46%

Table 12. KEYWORD DENSITY

Order Unfiltered word Occurrences

count
1 Martin 13

2 President 8

3 Law 7

4 Public office 4

5 Political Power 2
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 103

As revealed on the table 12, ‘Martin’ has the most occurrences in the article

because it was discussed here that President Duterte eyes Martin Romualdez to run for

presidency in 2022. The article also explained the characteristics of Romualdez that

can be morally qualified if he runs for Presidency. ‘President’ occurred eight times in

the article because of two things: (1) President Duterte and (2) the imminent vice

presidential candidacy support of Martin from the President and the author himself.

‘Law’ was also mentioned seven times because the article discusses the degree of

Martin and his circumstances. It was also stated that Martin briefly engaged in the

practice of law and was also preparing himself for public leadership. ‘Public office’

and ‘political power’ also mentioned in the article as Biraogo explained the worst and

best type of politicians most especially with their approach and attitude towards public

office, disservice, greed of wealth and political power.

A.1. Title Analysis

“We need a selfless leader”

The title itself already gives a glimpse on what the article is all about—

characteristics of the next President. The title of a document or an article has two roles,

to give a compact summary and to lead the reader to read the document. The title

seems too complete which makes a reader lose its interest to read it further. However,

it is indispensable to clarify the content (“what to say”) and wording (“how to say”) of

this title that are effective to attract the target reader’s interest because they might want

to know what a selfless leader is. Vincent (2015) said that “Selfless leadership” is

ethically leading others in the achievement of assigned goals and the greater good for
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 104

the benefit of all others before oneself. Selfless leaders focus externally on enabling

and achieving the success of the organization and people before their own personal

success. In any endeavor, these leaders first ask themselves and their teams, colleagues

or their people, “What’s the right thing to do here?” and then, “How best can we do

it?” Accomplishing the goal or mission and doing it right becomes the team’s guiding

and unifying focus. This type of selfless leadership grants freedom to every team

member to take necessary action and removes all potential paralysis and doubt in the

face of danger, risk and opposition. Ultimately, selfless leaders leave lasting and

positive institutional accomplishments. They shape lives by their leadership and they

earn an honored and emulated reputation going into the future.

A.2. Thesis Statement

“With the exception of President Rodrigo Duterte, quite a number of our

country’s most conspicuous leaders view public office as a necessity, almost as if their

hold to political power is a matter of life or death. They are consumed with the desire

to stay in power by all means, fair or foul, and end up a disservice to the people.”

The thesis statement is a strong thesis. It makes a claim about the subject that

needs proving which may or may not explain in the entire article such as saying that

President Duterte is one of the country’s most conspicuous leaders. It provides the

writer (and the reader) with a clearly focused lens through which to view the subject. It

is summarized already on where is the whole article is all about. It is explained in the

thesis statement the bad side of those politicians who are greedy in power and wealth

that ends up in disservice and bad governance.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 105

The article’s entirety and direction is already stated on the thesis statement.

The article provides a strong claim and support of Louis “Barok” Biraogo to the other

politicians who see public office as a means of getting wealthy, which is also a gauge

of political power under existing Philippine social norms.

A.3. Evidence and Argument

Narration

Louis Biraogo explained on his article that President Duterte eyes Martin

Romualdez to run for Vice Presidency in 2022 elections. The article is not solely based

on the facts but it is also bounded with political opinion of Biraogo as he is a solid

supporter of President Duterte. The author even provided claims and arguments to

those politicians that are greed in wealth and political power. Biraogo even added a

personal narration and story of him and Romualdez during their early days in the

University of the Philippines College of Law and the circumstances of Romualdez in

which he confided to some of their common friends in Manila that he wanted to return

home and continue his law studies, but his passport was cancelled by the vindictive

administration of then President Corazon Aquino.

Confirmation

Merez (2019), on her ABS-CBN news article, confirmed that President Duterte

is set to endorse Martin Romualdez’s possible 2022 Vice President Bid. Presidential

Spokesperson Salvador Panelo confirmed it that Duterte’s support for Romualdez in

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 106

the 2022 national elections is sincere. “He (Romualdez) is a good person. If he wants

it, then I will [endorse],” Duterte told The Daily Tribune in an exclusive interview.

Romualdez was among top contenders for the House of Representatives'

Speakership post in the incoming Congress, but Duterte endorsed him as Majority

Leader instead. The President opted to back the speakership bid of his defeated 2016

running mate Taguig-Pateros Rep. Alan Peter Cayetano and his PDP-Laban partymate

Marinduque Rep. Lord Allan Velasco in a term-sharing scheme. Romualdez, nephew

of former First Lady Imelda Marcos, sought a Senate seat in 2016 but failed in his bid.

Duterte is known to be a friend to the Marcos family. Last year, he several times

expressed favor for former senator Bongbong Marcos, Romualdez's cousin, who is

pursuing an electoral protest against Vice President Leni Robredo.

Refutation and Concession

Though some of the claims and arguments of Biraogo are bounded with

opinion, the author still referred to facts and evidences such as him narrating Martin

Romualdez story why he left the Philippines and went back again but hindered by then

President Corazon Aquino. There is no such claim and argument in the entirety of the

article which appears to be refutable as the author based on facts.

Summation

Martin is an exception to Biraogo’s general impression about people in high

office who are greedy in power and wealth. From all indications, Martin may be the

leader this country will need after President Rodrigo Duterte bows out of office next
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 107

year. No wonder President Duterte is considering anointing Martin for vice president

in 2022.

The article’s approach may seem to be one-sided but bounded with facts and

evidential claims. There are axioms or set of assumptions that were mentioned such as

Duterte and Romualdez as an exemption to inconspicuous leaders in the country who

only aim for greed and abuse political power.

A.4. Concluding Statement or Proof

Biraogo, the arguer of the article has stated his column bounded with facts.

There are no such axioms or set of assumptions. It was partially a defense and support

for Martin Romualdez as President Duterte eyes for him to run for Vice President in

2022 elections.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 108

B. Style Analysis

Style refers to how someone expresses themselves in writing—in other words,

what makes their writing sound like them. This presents the writing style analyses of
the authors’ political articles that are used in the variable A (Content).

B.1. Antonio Contreras

B.1.1. “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us” (SEE Appendix A)

➢ Word Choice

The author made use of precise language. Good word choice takes the reader into

consideration. Contreras did not use words like “lugubrious” or “luculent” in an open

article nor used words like “silly” or “wonky” in this legal basis or reference. This is

done for stylistic reasons, and because Conteras have a required amount of information

that needs to be fit into limited real estate (time or space). However, the decisions

concerning diction, syntax, and what further information is added can lead to

sentences being so altered from the basic idea that the same exact event can be

depicted in two profoundly different ways. The use of the phrases like "A good and

loving father would not let his children go through that pain" or “A more prudent

president would have simply gotten out of bed” impacts the way people read the

articles and get the sympathy and arise biased attitude among readers.

➢ Style

The article is argumentative. Contreras argued about the ‘absence’ of President

Duterte amidst the national crises that are happening in the country. The article has

well-researched, accurate, detailed, and current information to support the thesis

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 109

statement and consider other points of view. It comprises three or more paragraphs

that explain the reasons why the author supports his thesis. Each body paragraph

covered a different idea or piece of evidence and contains a topic sentence that clearly

and concisely explains why the reader should agree with your position.

➢ Diction

The author is economical and efficient/to the point. The first few lines from the

article set a formal scene. Its long sentences and elevated vocabulary communicate

that the rest of the article will have proper, formal diction.

➢ Vocabulary

Contreras is an expert in his field which possibly suggests that his vocabulary is

wide and rich. The words like assuage and jarring can be confusing to the public eye.

Overall, the words are understandable enough to readers.

➢ Sentence Structure and Focus

The sentence structure is well-established. There are combinations of compound

and complex sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structures are well-

displayed.

➢ Paragraphing Structure

The paragraphs are combination of short and long paragraphs. Paragraphs provide

structure and flow to your text. Bacon (2017) that paragraphs allow you to move from

one thought to another. When you start a new paragraph you are telling your reader
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 110

that the topic is over and you are moving on. Without this structure, your brilliant

ideas and your sound argumentation will be difficult to follow.

With the paragraphs of Contreras, each of them deals with one topic. The topic and

argument are fully developed and supported. The ideas flowed logically. The

information is presented chronologically. Each paragraph propels with an enticing

transition to the next topic.

➢ Figurative Language

“A good and loving father would not let his children go through that pain in the

same manner that a good and loving president would not subject the citizens of his

country to such deliberate insensitivity if not total irresponsibility.”

This certain part of the article made use of metaphor. A metaphor is a figure of

speech that is used to make a comparison between two things that aren't alike but do

have something in common (YourDictionary). “A good and loving father” is

compared to “A good and loving President”. Both father and president are the ones

that lead so there is really an interconnectedness and relationship among the two.

“In fact, this image of a president playing around, gallivanting in the Palace

grounds while people are dying is akin to Nero fiddling while Rome burned.”

The author also made use of hyperbole with the word gallivanting. This word

means going around from one place to another in the pursuit of pleasure or

entertainment. Clearly, there’s no way that the President will do it amid the rising

cases of the COVID-19 in the country.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 111

➢ Point of View

The author made use of third-person-perspective. Third person point of view has

an external narrator telling the story. This perspective can be singular or plural, as well

as gender specific or gender neutral. Words like "he," "she," "it," or "they" are used in

this point of view. Third-person POV is often used in academic writing and fiction.

There are three types of third person POV (YourDictionary). In the article, the

pronoun ‘he’ appeared many times which clearly falls into third person point of view.

➢ Theme

The article is all about political dissent of Contreras most particularly to the photos
of President Duterte posted by Senator Bong Go amid national crises.

B.1.2. “Blame the President” (SEE Appendix B)

➢ Word Choice

The author is the same. It’s Antonio Contreras so he also made use of precise

language. Good word choice takes the reader into consideration. Contreras did not use

words like “lugubrious” or “luculent” in an open article nor used words like “silly” or

“wonky” in this legal basis or reference. This is done for stylistic reasons, and because

Conteras have a required amount of information that needs to be fit into limited real

estate (time or space). However, the decisions concerning diction, syntax, and what

further information is added can lead to sentences being so altered from the basic idea

that the same exact event can be depicted in two profoundly different ways. The use of

the phrases like " When the dust settles, history will not be kind to those who turned a
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 112

blind eye” impacts the way people read the articles and get the sympathy and arise

biased attitude among readers.

➢ Style

The style is expository. It is an apt descriptor for this type of writing is that it

exposes, or sets forth, facts like what Contreras did. In this article, a topic was

introduced and laid out in a logical order without reference to the author’s personal

opinions.

➢ Diction

The author is economical and efficient/to the point. The first few lines from the

article set a formal scene. Its long sentences and elevated vocabulary communicate

that the rest of the article will have proper, formal diction.

➢ Vocabulary

Contreras is an expert in his field which possibly suggests that his vocabulary is

wide and rich. The words like pragmatisms and machinations can be confusing to the

public eye. The first sentence of the article seems to be generalized. In academic

writing, it is important to find a balance between general and specific words. Always

using specific terms can overwhelm the reader and detract from your argument. Also,

depending on what you are writing, general terms may be more appropriate than

specific words. In scientific, technical, and other specialized fields, writers often need

to make general points, describe general circumstances, or provide general guidance

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 113

for action (LumenLearning). Overall, the words are somehow understandable to the

readers.

➢ Sentence Structure and Focus

The sentence structure is well-established. There are combinations of compound

and complex sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structure is well-

displayed.

➢ Paragraphing Structure

The paragraphs are combination of short and long paragraphs. Using short

paragraphs is an ideal way to open up your writing and create white space. In turn, this

makes your writing more inviting and easier to read (PlainLanguage). Paragraphs

provide structure and flow to your text. Bacon (2017) that paragraphs allow you to

move from one thought to another. When you start a new paragraph you are telling

your reader that the topic is over and you are moving on. Without this structure, your

brilliant ideas and your sound argumentation will be difficult to follow.

With the paragraphs of Contreras, just like his first article, each of them deals with

one topic. The topic and argument are fully developed and supported. The ideas

flowed logically. The information is presented chronologically. Each paragraph

propels with an enticing transition to the next topic.

➢ Figurative Language

The article did not use any figurative language as it is written in a very formal yet

argumentative way.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 114

➢ Point of View

The author made use of first-person-perspective. Third person point of view has an

external narrator telling the story. With first person point of view, the main character is

telling the story. Readers will see the words "I," "me" or "we" in first person writing. It

is commonly used for narratives and autobiographies. First person POV can be

singular or plural. The singular form uses "I" or "me" and the plural form uses the

word "we." Both are used to give the writer's personal perspective. (YourDictionary).

In the article, the pronoun ‘we’ appeared many times which clearly falls into first

person point of view.

➢ Theme

The article is all about political dissent of Contreras most particularly to the
Diehard Duterte Supporters (DDS).

B.2. Rigoberto Tiglao

B.2.1. “Duterte: Our boldest president ever” (SEE Appendix C)

➢ Word Choice

The author made use of precise language. Good word choice takes the reader into

consideration. Tiglao did not use high-sounding words in this legal basis or reference.

The use of the phrases like “Rodrigo Duterte has emerged as the country’s boldest

president ever” impacts the way people read the article and gets the sympathy and

arise biased attitude among readers.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 115

➢ Style

The article is argumentative as Tiglao claimed that President Duterte is the boldest

president ever for being able to ‘dismantle’ the 52-year old terror brought by CPP-

NPA. The author’s claims are bounded and backed up with examples and real-life

events. The author acknowledged the opposing side of the argument, stated his point

of view, and explain why his claim is the most beneficial to the reader. Tiglao’s

argument is effective for polarizing topics, as it acknowledges both sides and presents

the middle ground.

➢ Diction

The author is economical and efficient/to the point. The first few lines from the

article set a formal scene. Its long sentences and elevated vocabulary communicate

that the rest of the article will have proper, formal diction.

➢ Vocabulary

Tiglao is an expert in his field which possibly suggests that his vocabulary is wide

and rich. The words are properly selected and it can be understandable to people.

However, the word ‘wittingly’ can be confusing as it may not be that familiar to the

public eye. However, the author is organized when it comes to its vocabulary. It does

not sound unpleasant at all. It just drives any reader to go on and read what comes

next.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 116

➢ Sentence Structure and Focus

The sentence structure is well-established. There are combinations of compound

and complex sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structure is well-

displayed.

➢ Paragraphing Structure

The paragraphs are combination of short and long paragraphs. Paragraphs provide

structure and flow to your text. Bacon (2017) that paragraphs allow you to move from

one thought to another. When you start a new paragraph you are telling your reader

that the topic is over and you are moving on. Without this structure, your brilliant

ideas and your sound argumentation will be difficult to follow.

With the paragraphs of Tiglao, each of them deals with one topic. The topic and

argument are fully developed and supported. The ideas flowed logically. The

information is presented chronologically. Each paragraph propels with an enticing

transition to the next topic.

➢ Figurative Language

There is no any figurative language used in the article. It is formally written that it

made no space for double-meaning words. The article also appears to be evidential so

it would be contradictory if the author put figures of speech in it.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 117

➢ Point of View

The author made use of third-person-perspective. Third person point of view has

an external narrator telling the story. This perspective can be singular or plural, as well

as gender specific or gender neutral. Words like "he," "she," "it," or "they" are used in

this point of view. Third-person POV is often used in academic writing and fiction.

There are three types of third person POV (YourDictionary). In the article, the

pronoun ‘he’ appeared many times which clearly falls into third person point of view.

➢ Theme

The article is all about the dissent of CPP-NPA. Tiglao is clearly not for this so the
author explained on the boldness of President Duterte in taking time to defeat them.

B.2.2. “Duterte makes history” (SEE Appendix D)

➢ Word Choice

The author made use of precise language. By using precise wording, you can most

accurately relay your thoughts. Some strategies that can help you put your thoughts

into words include focusing on denotations and connotations, balancing specific and

concrete words with occasionally figurative language, and being on guard against

clichés and misused words (LardBucket 2012). The words are also specific. Tiglao did

not only discuss the survey poll but acknowledges the PulseAsia. Specified words are

much more understandable than general ones. This helps readers to know more about

that specific subject that is mentioned in the article. Good word choice takes the reader
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 118

into consideration. Tiglao did not use high-sounding words in this legal basis or

reference.

➢ Style

Expository writing style is used in this article. It does not include the author's

opinions, but focuses on accepted facts about a topic, including statistics or other

evidence. This includes the approval rating of President Duterte that obtained 91% for

his performance.

➢ Diction

The author is economical and efficient/to the point. The first few lines from the

article set a formal scene. Its long sentences and elevated vocabulary communicate

that the rest of the article will have proper, formal diction.

➢ Vocabulary

Tiglao is an expert in his field which possibly suggests that his vocabulary is wide

and rich. The words are properly selected and it can be understandable to people.

However, the word ‘wittingly’ can be confusing as it may not be that familiar to the

public eye. However, the author is organized when it comes to its vocabulary. It does

not sound unpleasant at all. It just drives any reader to go on and read what comes

next.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 119

➢ Sentence Structure and Focus

The sentence structure is well-established. There are combinations of compound

and complex sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structure is well-

displayed.

➢ Paragraphing Structure

The paragraphs are combination of short and long paragraphs. Paragraphs provide

structure and flow to your text. Bacon (2017) that paragraphs allow you to move from

one thought to another. When you start a new paragraph you are telling your reader

that the topic is over and you are moving on. Without this structure, your brilliant

ideas and your sound argumentation will be difficult to follow.

With the paragraphs of Tiglao, each of them deals with one topic. The topic and

argument are fully developed and supported. The ideas flowed logically. The

information is presented chronologically. Each paragraph propels with an enticing

transition to the next topic.

➢ Figurative Language

There is no any figurative language used in the article. It is formally written that it

made no space for double-meaning words. The article also appears to be evidential so

it would be contradictory if the author put figures of speech in it.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 120

➢ Point of View

The author made use of third-person-perspective. Third person point of view has

an external narrator telling the story. This perspective can be singular or plural, as well

as gender specific or gender neutral. Words like "he," "she," "it," or "they" are used in

this point of view. Third-person POV is often used in academic writing and fiction.

There are three types of third person POV (YourDictionary). In the article, the

pronoun ‘he’ appeared many times which clearly falls into third person point of view.

➢ Theme

The article is all about approval rating of President Duterte.

B.3. Louis “Barok” Biraogo

B.3.1. “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President

Duterte” (SEE Appendix E)

➢ Word Choice

The author made use of precise language. However, there are also figurative words

that are present. This may possibly suggest that Biraogo wanted to make his article

more interesting so that people would be more intrigued. Biraogo did not use words

that are unfamiliar in this legal basis or reference. The use of the phrases like " He is

too old to fight at the battlefront " or “It also shows that del Rosario has no moral

authority to criticize President Duterte” impacts the way people read the articles and

get the sympathy and arise biased attitude among readers. This article’s word choice is
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 121

clearly one-sided as it refutes del Rosario and Antonio Carpio with regards to their

claims and standpoints in the West Philippine Sea issue.

➢ Style

Argumentative writing style is used in this article wherein Biraogo strongly

claimed that del Rosario has no moral authority to scold or criticize the President for

his approach in the West Philippine Sea.

➢ Diction

The author is economical and efficient/to the point. The first few lines from the

article set an informal scene because it made use of a figure of speech and already

presents his argument as early as the first paragraph. Its long sentences and elevated

vocabulary communicate that the rest of the article will have proper, formal diction in

the entirety of the article. The diction is also reflected to what the author is trying to

argue. This can be supported by the MiniLessons (2015) which states that diction

refers to the kinds of words and expressions you choose to use in your communication.

The choice is usually based on context, and we all have the ability to express what we

mean using a different diction (colloquial, formal, intimate, etc.) depending on the

situation and audience.

➢ Vocabulary

Contreras is an expert in his field which possibly suggests that his vocabulary is

wide and rich but that does not mean that is already a high-sounding word. The author

made use of simpler yet impactful words such as battlefront and suicidal. A vital part
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 122

of academic writing is knowing when to use certain vocabulary and also making

judgements for specific vocabulary. Apart from being expected to know your

discipline specific vocabulary, a higher level of vocabulary knowledge and use is

expected. There are different levels of knowing a word, ranging from the basic

meaning to its association (connotation) [Lund University].

➢ Sentence Structure and Focus

The sentence structure is well-established. There are combinations of compound

and complex sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structure is well-

displayed. The presence of dependent and independent clauses are also present such as

“There is no doubt that Red China is exploiting the vulnerability of the Philippines, but

then, what can the Philippines realistically do about that as of now?”. University of

Technology Sydney (2017) states that a sentence is incomplete if it does not express a

complete thought, even if it contains a subject and a verb (see the dependent clauses

above). It is known as a sentence fragment. In summary; a complete sentence has a

subject, a verb, and expresses a complete thought which clearly Biraogo did on his

article. It begins with a capital letter, and ends with an appropriate punctuation (i.e.

full stop, question mark or exclamation mark).

➢ Paragraphing Structure

The paragraphs are combination of short and long paragraphs. Paragraphs provide

structure and flow to your text. Bacon (2017) that paragraphs allow you to move from

one thought to another. When you start a new paragraph you are telling your reader
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 123

that the topic is over and you are moving on. Without this structure, your brilliant

ideas and your sound argumentation will be difficult to follow.

“I was outraged by the way del Rosario handled the issue. That was why on

April 4, 2013, I filed a petition for mandamus in the Supreme Court (G.R. No. 206323)

to compel then DFA Secretary del Rosario to pursue the Philippine claim to Sabah

before the International Court of Justice or such other forum available under

International Law.”

The excerpt above is from the article of Biraogo. In the topic sentence (which is

often the introductory sentence), the topic or focus of the paragraph is presented. The

topic sentence serves as a focal point, foregrounding the content of the whole

paragraph. By signalling to the reader what the paragraph deals with, the topic

sentence will thus increase the readability of the text. Although it is possible for the

topic sentence to appear anywhere in a paragraph, it usually appears at the beginning

(Lumind University). The main part of the paragraph consists of supporting sentences:

this is where the argument that explains and/or proves the topic sentence is delivered.

It is presented in the supporting sentences the reasons why the author is outraged by

how del Rosario handled the Sabah problem under President Aquino III

administration. At the end of the paragraph is the concluding sentence (transition

sentence), which sums up the argument of the paragraph, and may create a transition

to the next paragraph. A transition provides the text with a smoother flow between

paragraphs. However, the paragraph did not conclude its argument and it just

continued on the next paragraph structure.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 124

With the paragraphs of Biraogo, some of them deals with one topic but most of

them are interconnected possibly because it’s an opinionated column so there is a big

tendency that he only went on the same direction. The topic and argument are fully

developed and supported. The ideas flowed logically. The information is presented

chronologically. Each paragraph propels with an enticing transition to the next topic.

➢ Figurative Language

“What do del Rosario and Carpio know about war anyway? Each of them

behaves like a backseat driver who does not know how to drive a vehicle but nags the

driver on how to drive one.

This certain part of the article made use of simile. A simile is a comparison

between two unlike things using the words "like," "as" or "than." Often used to

highlight a characteristic of one of the items, similes rely of the comparison and the

audience's ability to create connections and make inferences about the two objects

being discussed and understand the one similarity they share (YourDictionary). Del

Rosario and Antoni Carpio are compared to a backseat driver who does not know how

to drive a vehicle but nags the driver on how to drive one. Dictionary states that when

someone uses this idiom, it means a passenger who gives unwanted and/or unneeded

directions to the driver; also, a person who interferes in affairs without having

knowledge, responsibility, or authority for doing so.

“Today, eight years later, del Rosario is singing an entirely different tune.”

There is also an idiom in that certain sentence. ‘Singing an entirely different tune’

is far from a formal language. Idiomatically speaking, it means to change one's

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 125

opinion, behavior, or attitude, especially suddenly or abruptly. This is because

according to Biraogo’s observance, del Rosario changed his approach in national

sovereignty when Duterte sat down as a President.

➢ Point of View

The author made use of first-person-perspective. Third person point of view has an

external narrator telling the story. With first person point of view, the main character is

telling the story. Readers will see the words "I," "me" or "we" in first person writing. It

is commonly used for narratives and autobiographies. First person POV can be

singular or plural. The singular form uses "I" or "me" and the plural form uses the

word "we." Both are used to give the writer's personal perspective. (YourDictionary).

In the article, the pronoun ‘I’ appeared many times which clearly falls into first person

point of view.

➢ Theme

The article is all about political dissent of Birago to the claims and arguments of

Albert del Rosario and Antonio Carpio most especially to del Rosario in which the

author claimed that the former DFA Secretary has changed his approach in national

sovereignty.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 126

B.3.2. “We need a selfless leader” (SEE Appendix F)

➢ Word Choice

The author made use of precise language. However, there are also figurative words

that are present such as cesspool. This may possibly suggest that Biraogo wanted to

make his article more interesting so that people would be more outraged the same as

he is. Biraogo did not use words that are unfamiliar in this legal basis or reference. The

use of the phrases like " What impressed me with Martin’s request to go back home

was his willingness to face up to a hostile political environment in the Philippines”

impacts the way people read the articles and get the sympathy and arise biased attitude

among readers. This article’s word choice is clearly one-sided as it supports Martin

Romualdez to be the next Vice President of the Philippines.

➢ Style

Narrative style of writing is used in this article. It tells a narration of Martin

Romualdez on what he went through in the UP College of Law, his decision to study

abroad and homecoming in the Philippines. It also narrates how President Duterte is

eyeing Romualdez for Vice President bid.

➢ Diction

The author is economical and efficient/to the point. The first few lines from the

article set an informal scene because it made use of a figure of speech and already

presents his argument as early as the first paragraph. Its long sentences and elevated

vocabulary communicate that the rest of the article will have proper, formal diction in
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 127

the entirety of the article. The diction is also reflected to what the author is trying to

argue. This can be supported by the MiniLessons (2015) which states that diction

refers to the kinds of words and expressions you choose to use in your communication.

The choice is usually based on context, and we all have the ability to express what we

mean using a different diction (colloquial, formal, intimate, etc.) depending on the

situation and audience.

➢ Vocabulary

Contreras is an expert in his field which possibly suggests that his vocabulary is

wide and rich but that does not mean that is already a high-sounding word. The author

made use of complimentary words for Martin Romualdez such as selfless and his

willingness to fight for his country. These words can affect a reader and be swayed on

what the author is trying to point out. A vital part of academic writing is knowing

when to use certain vocabulary and also making judgements for specific vocabulary.

Apart from being expected to know your discipline specific vocabulary, a higher level

of vocabulary knowledge and use is expected. There are different levels of knowing a

word, ranging from the basic meaning to its association (connotation) [Lund

University].

➢ Sentence Structure and Focus

The sentence structure is well-established. There are combinations of compound

and complex sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structure is well-

displayed. The presence of dependent and independent clauses are also present such as

“In due time, Martin became a highly visible figure in the House, and, as I stated
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 128

earlier, is the current majority floor leader of the chamber”. University of

Technology Sydney (2017) states that a sentence is incomplete if it does not express a

complete thought, even if it contains a subject and a verb (see the dependent clauses

above). It is known as a sentence fragment. In summary; a complete sentence has a

subject, a verb, and expresses a complete thought which clearly Biraogo did on his

article. It begins with a capital letter, and ends with an appropriate punctuation (i.e.

full stop, question mark or exclamation mark).

➢ Paragraphing Structure

The paragraphs are combination of short and long paragraphs. Paragraphs provide

structure and flow to your text. Bacon (2017) that paragraphs allow you to move from

one thought to another. When you start a new paragraph you are telling your reader

that the topic is over and you are moving on. Without this structure, your brilliant

ideas and your sound argumentation will be difficult to follow.

“What impressed me with Martin’s request to go back home was his

willingness to face up to a hostile political environment in the Philippines. Martin said

he had nothing to fear as he was just an ordinary law student. For him, a law degree

was necessary for a take at public office someday, and to show the world that, to

borrow from the words of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “he had

nothing to fear but fear itself.”

The excerpt above is from the article of Biraogo. In the topic sentence (which is

often the introductory sentence), the topic or focus of the paragraph is presented. The

topic sentence serves as a focal point, foregrounding the content of the whole
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 129

paragraph. By signalling to the reader what the paragraph deals with, the topic

sentence will thus increase the readability of the text. Although it is possible for the

topic sentence to appear anywhere in a paragraph, it usually appears at the beginning

(Lumind University). The main part of the paragraph consists of supporting sentences:

this is where the argument that explains and/or proves the topic sentence is delivered.

It is presented in the supporting sentences the reasons why Martin Romualdez

deserves to be the Vice President. This certain paragraph connotes a well-structured

paragraph because it only focuses in one idea.

With the paragraphs of Biraogo, some of them deals with one topic but most of

them are interconnected possibly because it’s an opinionated column so there is a big

tendency that he only went on the same direction. The topic and argument are fully

developed and supported. The ideas flowed logically. The information is presented

chronologically. Each paragraph propels with an enticing transition to the next topic.

➢ Figurative Language

“They belong to the bottom of the cesspool of political scumbags..

This certain part of the article made use of simile. Biraogo made use of an

idiomatic expression. Scumbags mean a dirty or despicable person. He associated this

word to ‘political’ to describe other politicians who are greedy in wealth and power.

On the other hand, cesspool was also mentioned. Literally, a cesspool is place

underground where sewage gathers, but figuratively, you might hear anything that's

full of germs or just plain disgusting described as a cesspool. Either way, you'll want

to steer clear (Vocabulary). Think of a cesspool as an underground swimming pool

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 130

full of nastiness, which of course rhymes with cess. But the word cesspool isn't just

used to describe a storage place underground where sewage is held temporarily. It's

also a term you might use to negatively describe something that's swimming in germs

or corruption just like what Biraogo did.

➢ Point of View

The author made use of first-person-perspective. Third person point of view has an

external narrator telling the story. With first person point of view, the main character is

telling the story. Readers will see the words "I," "me" or "we" in first person writing. It

is commonly used for narratives and autobiographies. First person POV can be

singular or plural. The singular form uses "I" or "me" and the plural form uses the

word "we." Both are used to give the writer's personal perspective. (YourDictionary).

In the article, the pronoun ‘I’ appeared many times which clearly falls into first person

point of view.

➢ Theme

The article is all about emotional support and affirmation of Biraogo to his former

colleague, Martin Romualdez to run for Vice President.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 131

C. Political Knowledge and Engagement

This presents the discourse analyses of the Facebook comments, tweets from

Twitter and statements from YouTube which focuses on their own political

standpoints that refute or affirm the current administration.

The following political opinions were selected and picked by the research

proponents from FACEBOOK:

C.1. News Article: FALSE PROMISES | Retired justice criticizes Duterte for
lying about pledge to defend West Philippine Sea (SEE APPENDIX G)

✓ Political Opinion 1

CODING

➢ “you should be compelled to do

your obligation”- Insistence
➢ “hindi po yung nagpi-feeling
pilantropo kayo na kailangan
nyo pang ilihim ang intong deds
and identity”- Surmise

TITLE: Social media user urged President Duterte to do his job seriously

THEME: Insistence of Statement

CAPTION: Social media user expressed his opinion on the recent

exchanges between President Rodrigo Duterte and his staunch critics over
the maritime disputes between the Philippines and China continued with
the retired high court justice (Antonio Carpio)calling the leader a liar.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 132

Narration:
On May 4, 2021, Antonio Carpio, an international maritime law expert and a
former associate justice of the Supreme Court, said the firebrand leader “fooled”
Filipinos when he was campaigning for the presidency in 2016, promising to defend
the country’s sovereign rights in a portion of the South China Sea. Carpio said the
president committed a “grand estafa” for not honoring a campaign promise to plant the
Philippine flag on Scarborough Shoal after riding on a jet ski to assert the country’s
rights over the rocky outcrop.
With this news article uploaded by News5, the comment section on their
Facebook page turned into a chatbox debate where people are arguing about the recent
statements of the president with regards to the West Philippine Sea. The first social
media user expressed his opinion on the President claiming that Duterte has all the
resources to do his obligations to the country and for his people. The social media user
also referred to the President’s power vested on him according to the constitution.
Probably, the commentator referred on the 1987 Constitution which states that Article
VII, Section 1, of the 1987 Constitution vests executive power on the President of the
Philippines. The President is the Head of State and Head of Government, and
functions as the commander-in-chief of the Armed Forces of the Philippines. As chief
executive, the President exercises control over all the executive departments, bureaus,
and offices.
The social media user also referred the President’s statements as an utterly
pathetic. According to Merriam-Webster Dictionary, pathetic means (1) having a
capacity to move one to either compassionate or contemptuous pity; (2) marked by
sorrow or melancholy; and (3) pitifully inferior or inadequate. With this definition, it
means that the President lacks coordination when it comes to his plans and
responsiveness as a leader according to the social media user. The commentator also
said that Duterte should do his job with transparency and sincerity. Nevogt (2021) said
that transparent leadership means leading with openness and honesty. These types of
leaders keep their team in the loop, share information freely, and invite open
communication within their companies. On the other hand, Belsky (2017) said that a
sincere leader will look for opportunities to reward and praise outstanding
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 133

performance but will not shrink from making needed corrections or administering
discipline which will help the team and the individual. The sincere leader promotes the
concept that “we are all in this together”; that the team is truly greater than the sum of
its individual members but that each member, regardless of position or seniority, is a
key to the success of team. The social media user probably said that Duterte must do
his job sincerely and transparently because these two leadership traits are however an
outward demonstration by a leader that he/she treats people the way they would like to
be treated.

Analysis:
The social media user clearly argues on the recent statements of President
Duterte with regards to the territorial right of the country in the West Philippine Sea.
The commentator’s opinion has a biased attitude because the author focuses only on
his backlash against the President. Clearly, the social media user is an anti-government
citizen. Instead of turning to real-life examples and the actual statistics; the author of
the political comment only made assumptions such as (1) accusing the President for
not spending the money right— the taxpayers’ money, the loans, the cash donations
and other resources; (2) hiding his deeds and identity and (3) accusing the President
for being pretentious and acting philanthropic. The assumption number 1 can be
debunked by APPENDIX H. It says here that the President and his administration
were walloped by accusations of corruption in state health insurer Philippine Health
Insurance Corporation. This allegation was immediately dispelled by President
Rodrigo Duterte and promised that there is no hocus-pocus in the spending of COVID-
19 funds. The President explained that all the money spent for the fight against
COVID-19 will be properly accounted for and that he will hold himself accountable
for that sole and solemn duty of answering for and on behalf of the executive
department of all the fund that were spent in the fight against COVID-19. With this
assumption against the President, the concern about optics of PhilHealth anomalies
can be intrinsically linked to the social media user’s opinion to debunk his comment
about President that is accused of not spending the budget right. The President is
determined to restore public confidence in government, concerned that PhilHealth
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 134

anomalies, the subject of several recent congressional hearings, that are affecting trust
in his pandemic response. With this fact, the President is clearly not for corruption.
While majority of complex moral dilemmas are analyzed through the lens of
consequences and the facts, the commentator takes a different approach where the
virtue ethics play a key role in analysis and strategic thinking. In other words, the
author tries to make it clear how President Duterte should act as a leader. The
comment suggests that there is always bias that forces an individual to choose the
factors that should or should not dominate.
The comment provides an additional flexibility and even suggests to the
President to show his deeds because Duterte spends Filipinos’ money. The comment
makes an important call for President to do his job and look beyond usual solutions
used on a daily basis and implement such virtuous personal and professional
characteristics of a leader such as honesty, courage, empathy, integrity, and an ability
to follow one’s obligations and responsibilities in a natural way.

✓ Political Opinion 2

CODING

➢ “hayaan niyo na lang ang

mga hindi naniniwala sa inyo
basta sa puso at isip [niyo],
ginagawa niyo katungkulan
ninyo”- Refutation

TITLE: Magnanimity amid deficiency of responsiveness

THEME: Magnanimity and tolerance

CAPTION: Social media user expressed her opinion and said that no
matter what happens, she will still be in full support for the President.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 135

Narration:
Still on the first article, one social media user strongly and fearlessly expressed
her political opinion saying that no matter what others say— especially the anti-
government citizens, the commentator will still be in full support with the President.
Despite the anomalies, accusations and the President’s weakness, the social media user
vowed to support President Duterte.

Analysis:
The comment suggests a magnanimous theme. The social media user
represents many Filipinos who still believe with the President despite the criticisms
and negative feedbacks he receive especially during the height of the COVID-19
pandemic. This can be supported by the recent news that Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte currently enjoys a 91 percent approval rating, even as his government battles a
series of scandals, continues to astound many observers. Since announcing his intent
to run for president in 2015, and ever since his election victory the following year,
Duterte has consistently enjoyed high ratings. It should therefore not come as a
surprise to get yet another report about Duterte’s popularity. But a 91 percent score
can only be seen as astoundingly high for a presidency that has so far failed to fulfill
its avowed priorities, such as ending the drug menace and adopting a federal form of
government. Duterte’s rating is even higher compared to other Asian leaders whose
governments have been better able to curb the spread of COVID-19 in their respective
countries. Polling firm Pulse Asia conducted the survey in September, at a time when
the Duterte government was hounded by serious allegations of corruption, ineptitude
in handling the COVID-19 crisis, and failure to adequately prepare for the resumption
of classes in public schools. This was a month in which the number of unemployed
soared to a record high. Another survey firm reported that seven million families had
experienced hunger during the pandemic.
Social media users like Lynn Gav Gen are a proof that the president’s
programs are appreciated by the majority of the people. As presidential spokesperson
Harry Roque reminded the opposition, “Filipinos don’t like politicking amid the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 136

pandemic.” Supporters of the president attributed his high trust rating to his decisive
leadership in dealing with the COVID-19 crisis. They mentioned the lockdown
imposition, which has been criticized by human rights advocates for being one of the
longest and harshest in the world, as an effective measure that actually garnered public
approval.
In a society where patronage is often the decisive factor in the distribution of
public goods, the pandemic has reinforced the dependency of citizens on politicians.
Duterte has used the vast resources at his disposal to consolidate power, transform the
bureaucracy into party machinery and win popular support.
The high approval rating for the month of September should not make the
Duterte government complacent. Former President Joseph Estrada also enjoyed
overwhelming public support, but was still ousted from power following a corruption
scandal.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 137

C.2. News Article: LATEST TANTRUM | Duterte deflects West Philippine

Sea issue, says he never promised anything (SEE APPENDIX I)

✓ Political Opinion 3

CODING

➢ Entire statement- Conjecture

TITLE: Claiming opposition’s hidden agenda

THEME: Supposition/Conjecture

CAPTION: Social media user assumed that the opposition is planning for
President Duterte’s downfall— from the “Dilawan” aiming for warfare
against China with regards to the territorial right of the Philippines to the
West Philippine Sea.

Narration:

West Philippine Sea had been an issue for quite a long time already. It all
started on 22 January 2013 when the Philippines initiated international arbitration
against the People's Republic of China (China) regarding its territorial and maritime
dispute in the South China Sea – known as the West Philippine Sea in Manila.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 138

The West Philippine Sea is again centerstage in addition to COVID-19. This

adds up to people’s criticisms and backlash against President Duterte. Others say,
China, despite all praises for Duterte, continually demonstrates its utter disrespect for
him that if the current administration does not realize this by now, the country is truly
in a very serious situation. The lining up of China’s 200 militia boats staring at the
Philippines is just one blatant proof of this. The dispersal of a number of them only to
roam somewhere else dangerously close to the Philippines is another.

Riego Lolis, a social media user, said that the netizens’ and the opposition’s
demand for President Duterte’s urgent action with the West Philippine Sea issue is
only a plan of the “Dilawan” to repudiate the validity of Duterte’s leadership and to
ruin the imminent Presidential candidacy of Sara Duterte, the current mayor of Davao
City. The commentator even accused the Dilawans that once this “plan” succeeds;
they will surely take over the government and rule the Filipino people.

Analysis:

The social media user’s claim focuses more on supposition and not based on
facts. Clearly, in international law, there are four stages in case of international
conflict – short of war – which the Philippines must undertake. Sta. Maria (2021)
stated the four stages which follows; (1) the Philippines should alert the world of the
impending trouble. This is what is called "noisy," but not belligerent, diplomacy; (2) if
nothing happens, a case should be filed with the international tribunal; upon receipt of
the decision, the Philippines must openly urge the losing country to abide immediately
and strictly by the decision, with an admonition that noncompliance will result in
further international recourse; and (4) the political process must come into play. The
Philippine president should start and lead an international consensus with other
countries to compel China to abide by the rule of international law. He must personally
talk with world leaders, meet with them, make joint declarations, and call on China to
obey the decision. International political pressure must be exerted.

The public demand for President Duterte’s immediate response to this issue is
somehow not entirely about opposition or an argument against him. This is the right of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 139

the President to defend the country and claim, in all facts and rights, that West
Philippine Sea is a Philippine territory. And besides, President Duterte would not have
lacked significant support. The United States of America, Great Britain, France,
Canada, Germany, Italy, Australia, New Zealand, Malaysia, Vietnam, Brunei, Taiwan,
and India have opposed China’s illegal movements in the South China Sea. A multi-
state consensus could have easily been achieved, but it was not. This was opportunity
lost. The next step should be to formally endorse the matter to the United Nations
Security Council and the United Nations General Assembly. This must be immediately
done to formally elevate the matter as a global issue that is portentously dangerous.
This has not yet been done by the Duterte administration. This clearly explains that
netizens especially the anti-governments hate President Duterte for many reasons, but
for here, they are urging the President to take the Filipino people’s concerns into
action.

China’s communist officials may have thoroughly studied President Duterte’s

psyche and concluded that he cannot talk tough against China in the same way he talks
tough against his own people; and that he is nothing like Taiwan’s President Tsai-Ing-
wen, Vietnam’s leader Nguyen Phu Throng, and Indonesia’s Joko Widodo, who,
unhesitatingly, will openly warn China against any intrusion. Obviously, to China,
President Duterte is not a David against a Goliath. Despite the many protests lodged
by the Philippines, the bottom line is that the Philippine president can be bullied
anytime, and worse, with less effort.

With that, President Duterte must prove China wrong. He must make a
pronouncement warning China in order to restore Philippine honor and to galvanize
the concerns of many countries into one singular objective: to stop China’s aggression.
He should not leave this matter to his alter-egos. In world affairs, the head of state’s
unilateral statement provides the greatest gravitas relaying the gravest danger of
China's actions against our country, the region, and the world.

In conclusion, the social media user’s claims were just entirely a supposition
and a one-sided political opinion. The commentator assumed that the public demand of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 140

Duterte’s urgency on the West Philippine Sea issue is planned by the opposition to
ruin Duterte’s legacy.

✓ Political Opinion 4

CODING

➢ Mag-resign na lang kayong

dalawa pareho kayong
“makapili”- Inducement

TITLE: Urging the President and Secretary Roque to resign

THEME: Dismay

CAPTION: Social media user expressed his disappointment on President not

taking the risk to defend the Philippines against bullying of China.

Narration:

The social media user expressed his utter dismay of the recent statements of the
President, for not speaking up with the China’s bullying and being “selective” for
defending China instead of Philippines. The commentator even included Presidential
spokesperson Harry Roque and said that he’s as selective as President Duterte when it
comes to defending the territorial right of the Philippines in the West Philippines Sea.

Lawmakers and foreign policy experts have said, warning that the Filipino
leader’s silence is sending the wrong signal as hundreds of Chinese “maritime militia”
vessels continue to congregate within Manila’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the
South China Sea. While several Filipino officials, including the country’s top
diplomat and the defence chief, have openly demanded that the Chinese vessels
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 141

immediately leave the country’s waters, Duterte has kept quiet for weeks. During an
address on Thursday night, Duterte did not mention the South China Sea. Harry Roque
said earlier that the president preferred to pursue his “diplomatic initiatives” in
“private”.

Retired Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, an international law expert,

said unless Duterte speaks and defends the country’s sovereignty, China will not take
the Philippines position seriously.

According to the Aljazeera News, if the “weak approach” of the Duterte

administration in confronting China continues, more features within the Philippines’
EEZ could be taken over by other countries as well in the future, said Liz Derr, co-
founder and CEO of Simularity, a US-based geospatial company that has been
monitoring incursions in the South China Sea. China has already built naval and air
facilities on an artificial island on top of the Mischief Reef, which is also within the
Philippine EEZ. China has also created an island at Scarborough Shoal, which was
controlled by the Philippines until 2012. Unfortunately, the Philippines is weak.

Carpio earlier said Duterte must correct his statements belittling the
Philippines’ legal victory against China and claiming the regional giant is ‘in
possession’ of Philippine waters, adding the issue of asserting Filipino’s rights was
beyond the President.

Analysis:

The social media user said that President Duterte is not taking an action to
defend the country against the China’s bullying and superiority. The commentator is
dismayed saying that the President is incompetent and not taking any moves or plans
against China. The social media user even said that President Duterte and Presidential
Spokesperson Harry Roque are both “mapili” or “selective” in English and accused
both of them that they are defending the China more than they fight for the
Philippines. This claim can be dispelled by the statement of the President in which
Duterte reversed course and called out China for violating international law. He
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 142

criticized it for not honoring a ruling by a United Nations arbitration panel that
invalidated China’s vast territorial claims in the South China Sea. The U.N. ruling,
President Duterte said in his talk, is now part of international law and beyond the reach
of any government “to dilute, diminish, or abandon.” That embrace of agreed
principles in law may be the best defense against the use of brute force by China to
extend its borders.

The social media user is urging the President to speak up for the Filipino
people and show his deeds and plans on the territorial initiatives with regards to the
West Philippine Sea. But then, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque said that
President Duterte would rather talk about this issue privately. This is after the various
speculations of the netizens circulated from the different social media platforms saying
that the President is coward to speak up against the China.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 143

C.3. News Article: President Duterte succeeded in the WPS Issue – Harry
Roque.

See post:

✓ Political Opinion 5

CODING

➢ “Tuso itong China talaga!”-

Anger
➢ “Walang hiya at traydor
itong admin ni [Duterte]”-
Dismay

TITLE: Filipinos have the right in fishing at WPS

THEME: Belligerence of Filipinos’ rights

CAPTION: Social media user expressed her anger towards the ‘favoritism’
of the President when it comes to the territorial right of the Philippines in the
West Philippine Sea including the Filipino fishery.

Narration:

The social media user expressed her disappointment with President Duterte’s
‘favoritism’ with China. The commentator said that Filipino fishers have more rights
than the China with regards to fishing industry.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 144

On the contrary of the social media user’s claim, the Philippines has
encouraged Filipino fishermen to continue their activities in the West Philippine Sea,
as it reiterated that they are not covered by China’s annual fishing ban in the area.

Under the 1982 United Nation Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS),
the Philippines has sovereign rights over features located within its exclusive
economic zone or 12 to 200 nautical miles from the baseline of its territorial waters.
The international law was reaffirmed by the 2016 ruling of the Permanent Court of
Arbitration in The Hague, Netherlands, which favored all the claims of the Philippines
in the West Philippine Sea. Despite this favorable ruling, Chinese vessels and
fishermen have continued to poach in Philippine waters as China refused to recognize
both the arbitration process and the verdict.

With what the commentator said, the fishing ban does not apply to Filipino
fishermen and encouraged them “to go out and fish in our waters” in the West
Philippine Sea, which is the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone. China’s annual
summer fishing ban covers waters down to the 12th parallel of the South China Sea,
which included the Paracel Islands near Vietnam and Panatag (Scarborough) Shoal
near the Philippines, which have become disputed waters because of China’s territory-
grabbing activities. In fact, Manila filed and won a case against Beijing at the
Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2012 after China seized control of Panatag Shoal, a
traditional fishing ground, following a standoff between Chinese and Philippine
navies. With the facts given, it is also impossible for President Duterte to side with
China and favor them more rights in fishery. Obviously, Duterte does not have any
control with the fishing industry that is happening in China which may or may not
benefit from the West Philippine Sea.

With regards to the rights of Filipino in fishery, even Philippine National

Security Adviser Hermogenes Esperon Jr. is encouraging Filipino fishermen to go out
fishing in the resource-rich West Philippine Sea and uphold the country’s rights over
the area. Esperon even assured the Filipino fishermen that government vessels had
been deployed to the area to protect Filipino fishermen. On the others’ claims, reports
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 145

persist about China driving away Filipino fishermen inside the Philippines’ exclusive
economic zone (EEZ), which analysts said was a sign of President Rodrigo Duterte’s
embrace of China harming, instead of benefiting, the Philippines.

Analysis:

The social media user may have traced her claim or opinion with the recent
statements of President Duterte pertaining to the country’s territorial right on the West
Philippine Sea as Duterte have turned mum with this issue which was then dispelled
by Harry Roque that the President want his initiatives to be private. The
commentator’s claim appears to be baseless. There was no evidence presented, but
only an argument.

Contrastingly, the Philippines is even urging Filipinos to continue fishing in

the West Philippine Sea — an apparent move against China’s declaration of a fishing
ban in areas it has claimed in the South China Sea. National Security Adviser
Hermogenes Esperon Jr. on Wednesday said while the National Task Force for the
West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS) took note of the unilateral fishing ban by Beijing,
this does not mean that the Philippines will abide by it. With that fact, it is clear that
President Duterte is practicing the fishing rights of the Filipinos and not favoring
China.

“The fishing ban does not apply to our fishermen and the NTF-WPS opposes
China’s imposition of the same over the areas within the territory and jurisdiction of
the Philippines,” Esperon, also the NTF-WPS chairman, said in a three-page statement
to reporters. Esperon said that the Philippines “maintains the deployment” of several
patrol vessels. Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) and the Bureau of Fisheries and Aquatic
Resources (BFAR) ships conduct maritime exercises on a rotational basis within the
Kalayaan Island Group and the country’s exclusive economic zone (EEZ). Esperon
also said the maritime exercises and patrols were pursuant to exercising the country’s
sovereignty and sovereign rights over the West Philippine Sea, “consistent with the
government’s commitment against illegal unreported and unregulated fishing (IUUF),
and to enforce our laws on maritime security and safety and environmental problem.”
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 146

To dispel the social media user’s claim, according to the House Bill no. 0363
(See full House Bill in APPENDIX J:) which was introduced by Representative Victor
A. Yap, the Philippines exercises sovereign rights to explore and exploit, and to
conserve and manage its natural resources. With this bill, it would be clearly
contradicting if President Duterte favors China in prohibiting the Filipino fishermen. It
is also stated in the bill that the state shall protect the nation’s marine wealth in its
archipelagic waters, territorial sea, and exclusive economic zone, and reserve its use
and enjoyment exclusively to Filipino citizens.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 147

C.4. News Article: Manny Pacquiao is desiderated to run for President

✓ Political Opinion 6
CODING

➢ “Wag [niyo] kaming idamay

sa kapalpakan mo dahil
alam namin na ‘di ka
kwalipikadong maging
pangulo!”- Distrust

TITLE: Social media user slammed Pacquiao’s desire to run for Presidency

THEME: Dissent

CAPTION: Social media user said that Senator Manny Pacquiao is not
qualified for President.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 148

Narration:

The netizens had mixed reactions when Senator Manny Pacquiao announced
that he is interested in running for President in 2022 national elections.

Senate President Vicente Sotto III said Pacquiao talked to him “some time
ago” regarding the world boxing champion’s plans for next year’s national elections.
Senator Panfilo Lacson has also recalled a similar conversation with Pacquiao. Lacson
said Pacquiao approached him several times regarding the matter.

On May 3, 2021, instead of giving reporters a direct answer, the world

champion-turned-senator likened his political career to professional fighting. The
senator quoted, “I didn't become a boxer to fight in 4-rounders or 10-rounders. I boxed
to become a world champion. Any politicians even a barangay chairman dreams of
becoming president.” Pacquiao also added that it is still improper to discuss his
political plans at the moment, as the government battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

With the recent statements of the senator, many social media users like Herman
Montealegre is in utter disagreement of Manny Pacquiao’s plans in running for
Presidency. The commentator also included that Pacquiao’s works are fallacy. Fallacy
is way too much to describe Pacquiao’s contributions to the Filipino people. As stated
on his Facebook page, as of 2019, the senator had passed total of 12 laws— as a
principal author, as one of the principal authors and as a co-author. With his faith and
religiousness, the senator had successfully made the National Bible Day a law
(Republic Act no. 11163). He was also one of the principal authors of the Expanded
Maternity Leave, Department Of Human Settlements And Urban Development (R.A.
11201), Quantitative Import Restrictions On Rice (R.A. 11203), Increase In Monthly
Old-Age Pension Of Senior Veterans (R.A. 11164), Philippine Identification System
Act (R.A. 11055), Free Internet Access Program In Public Places (R.A. 10929) and
many more laws and bills in which he was one of the principal authors. These laws are
only few evidences to dismiss the social media user’s claims.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 149

Analysis:

“Di ka kwalipikadong maging pangulo” (You are not qualified to be a

President). 1987 Constitution of the Republic of the Philippines stated that no person
may be elected President unless he is a natural-born citizen of the Philippines
(Pacquiao was born in Kibawe, Bukidnon province, Mindanao, Philippines), a
registered voter, able to read and write [Pacquiao graduated from University of Makati
with a bachelor's degree in political science; majoring in local government
administration through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and
Accreditation Program (ETEEAP) of the Philippine Councilors League-Legislative
Academy (PCCLA)], at least forty years of age (The senator is 42 years old already.)
on the day of the election, and a resident of the Philippines for at least ten years
immediately preceding such election (He resides in his hometown of General Santos
City, South Cotabato, Philippines. However, as a congressman of the lone district of
Sarangani, he is officially residing in Kiamba, Sarangani, the hometown of his wife.).
Some social media users may in an utter dissent, but Manny Pacquiao clearly meets all
the qualifications of being a President.

✓ Political Opinion 7

CODING

➢ “Kaya mag-isip-isip na
[iyong] mga boboto sa
kanya [kung] sakali man na
tatakbo talaga [siya] sa
pinakamataas na
posisyon.!”- Persuasion
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 150

TITLE: Pacquiao is aiming for popularity, not Presidency.

THEME: Imputation

CAPTION: Social media user said that Senator Manny Pacquiao is only
aiming for popularity all over the world.

Narration:

According to a news report from ABS-CBN, one of the Philippines’ biggest

news outlets, Pacquiao--who is currently a senator--has expressed his intentions to run
for the Philippine presidency in 2022. Pacquiao has successfully used his popularity in
boxing as a springboard into a political career.

Manny Pacquiao is popular for his boxing career. The boxer-turned-senator is

the only eight-division world champion in the history of boxing, having won twelve
major world titles, as well as being the first boxer to win the lineal championship in
five different weight classes. Pacquiao is also the first boxer in history to win major
world titles in four of the eight "glamour divisions" of boxing: flyweight,
featherweight, lightweight and welterweight, and holds the record of being the only
four-decade world champion in boxing history, having held world championships
across four decades (1990s, 2000s, 2010s, and 2020s). He was named “Fighter of the
Decade” for the 2000s by the Boxing Writers Association of America(BWAA), World
Boxing Council (WBC), and World Boxing Organization (WBO). He is also a three-
time Ring magazine and BWAA Fighter of the Year , winning the award in 2006,
2008 and 2009, as well as the winner of the Best Fighter ESPY Award in 2009 and
2011. In 2016, Pacquiao was ranked No. 2 on ESPN's list of top pound for pound
boxers of the past 25 years and currently ranks No. 2 in BoxRec's ranking of the
greatest pound for poundboxers of all time. World-renowned boxing expert and
historian Bert Sugar ranked Pacquiao as the greatest southpaw fighter of all time.

In 2020, Pacquiao topped the Ranker's list of best boxers of the 21st century.
Pacquiao has generated approximately 20 million in pay-per-view buys and $1.2
billion in revenue from his 25 pay-per-view bouts. According to Forbes, he was the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 151

second highest paid athlete in the world as of 2015. These facts only tell that Pacquiao
have gained so much popularity that social media users accused him of running for
Presidency only to gain more vogue or favor all over the world.

Analysis:

The social media user is probably saying the spectre of populism in Philippine
politics— that Filipinos are becoming more hooked with the politicians who seem to
be popular and have brought excellence to the country from the different parts of the
world like Senator Manny Pacquiao who is popularly known for his boxing career.

Hedman (2015) said that it is in the wider context of such social, economic and
institutional change that “public opinion” has gained greater circulation as political
discourse and social fact in Philippine politics and society, with the popularity and poll
ratings of candidates – rather than the construction and maintenance of machines –
viewed as an increasingly effective and decisive mode of voter mobilisation. This
trend is perhaps most evident in the close correspondence between pre-election
surveys and the performance of presidential contenders at the polls in the 2010
elections.

The rise of public opinion has also come to influence the process of election
campaigning itself, as seen in the floating and junking of candidates, the party-
switching of politicians, and the unravelling of coalitions, all developments noted by
informed observers of the presidential elections of May 2010. The issue of public
opinion and whether it plays a role in Philippine elections had been of some interest to
scholars already in the pre-martial law era (Meadows 1963). Surveys on presidential
elections were attempted by Philippine academic researchers and print media in the
1950s and 1960s, but these were comparatively few, isolated and limited in scope.
While election surveys thus date back to the 1950s in the Philippines, they remained
largely confidential and unpublished (Abad and Ramirez 2008). Such surveys were
conducted in some urban areas in the 1953, 1961 and 1965 presidential elections, for
example, by a marketing research company called Robot Statistics, founded by an
American, George Cohen, and identified as the first and, initially, the only, such outfit
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 152

in business in the country. By the 1970s, marketing and opinion research was
expanding in the Philippines, and a number of new such outfits backed the foundation
of MORES, or the Marketing & Opinion Research Society of the Philippines in 1977.

The commentator said that Senator Manny Pacquiao only deserves to be a

renowned phenomenal boxer and stay to his position as a Senator, not to the extent of
becoming a President as he is not ‘qualified’ to be. But, facts and evidences are
presented dispelling the claim of the social media user.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 153

C.5. News article: President said that he’s helping the needy amid
pandemic without publicizing.

Transparency is the best

policy- Alice Gats

TITLE: “Transparency is the best policy”

THEME: Insistence

CAPTION: Social media user said President Duterte has to be transparent

in showing his deeds to the public.

Narration:

Executive Order no. 2, series of 2016 states that the people’s constitutional
right to information and the state policies to full public disclosure and transparency in
the public service and providing guidelines therefor are operationalized in the
executive branch. Whereas, pursuant to Section 28, Article II of the 1987 Constitution,
the State adopts and implements a policy of full public disclosure of all its transactions
involving public interest, subject to reasonable conditions prescribed by law; whereas,
Section 7, Article III of the Constitution guarantees the right of the people to
information on matters of public concern; whereas, the incorporation of this right in
the Constitution is a recognition of the fundamental role of free and open exchange of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 154

information in a democracy, meant to enhance transparency and accountability in

government official acts, transactions, or decisions…

Section 3 of the Executive Order no. 2, series of 2016 states that every Filipino
shall have access to information, official records, public records and to documents and
papers pertaining to official acts, transactions or decisions, as well as to government
research data used as basis for policy development. This may be the basis of those who
claim that the President should be transparent in disclosing his plans and deeds to the
Filipino people.

As opposed to the social media user’s claim, there are many articles in the
Internet which shows President Duterte’s transparency that he even urge the
government agencies to be transparent and accountable. When President Rodrigo Roa
Duterte talks to the people after holding a meeting with the Inter-Agency Task Force
on the Emerging Infectious Diseases (IATF-EID) core members at the Matina
Enclaves in Davao City on October 26, 2020, the President has ordered government
agencies to strictly observe transparency, accountability and good governance in the
procurement of goods and services. The President even added, “The government is
committed to ensure fair, transparent and non-discriminatory competition for
purchases of goods and services, and embraces the broader purpose of promoting good
governance and the efficient and effective management of public resources.”

President Duterte even instructed all agencies including government-owned or

-controlled corporations and financial institutions to post on their respective official
website details on the procurement of their infrastructure projects. This includes the
project title, location, approved budget for the contract, the winning contractor and the
detailed estimates of the bid as awarded. Agencies must also disclose in their website
the start of construction, target date of completion, completion rate, project status and
reasons in case of delay. Further, Duterte said sources of funds, implementing office,
responsible official, contact number and e-mail address must also be made public on
the agencies’ website.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 155

Non-compliance to the order will be grounds for administrative actions against

the erring official or employee. In his previous speech, Duterte said he wants
government officials to publish notice of procurement and even bidders’ addresses in
newspapers. The President said he also wants Cabinet officials to disclose their
agencies’ spending, including its pandemic response, either every 15 days or monthly.

With these facts, it is contradicting if the President is not transparent on the

things and plans he does for the betterment of the Philippines.

Analysis:

Administrative Order no.34 which was signed by President Duterte states

“Directing Strict Compliance by all Agencies and Instrumentalities of Executive
Department with Transparency, Accountability and Good Governance Policies and
Measures in the Procurement Process”. This is one proof that dispels the social media
user’s demand for the President to be transparent. Republic Act no. 9184 or the
“Government Procurement Reform Act” has instituted measures to ensure
transparency in the procurement process and in the implementation of procurement
contracts, as well as accountability of public officials directly or indirectly involved in
the same, and, under warranted circumstances, private parties that deal with the
government (See administrative order in APPENDIX K).

The commentator may have based her opinions with Vice President Leni
Robredo who have, in all ways, shown and disclosed all her plans and deeds in her
social media accounts (Facebook, Instagram and Twitter) especially during this height
of COVID-19 pandemic.

In politics, transparency is used as a means of holding public officials

accountable and fighting corruption. When a government's meetings are open to the
press and the public, its budgets may be reviewed by anyone, and its laws and
decisions are open to discussion, it is seen as transparent. ICMA (2021) explained that
ransparency is the principle of allowing those affected by administrative decisions to
know about the resulting facts and figures (e.g., the city budget) and about the process
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 156

that resulted in those decisions. Transparent governance means that government

officials act openly, with citizens’ knowledge of the decisions the officials are making.
Availability of information on government policies and actions, a clear sense of
organizational responsibility, and an assurance that governments are efficiently
administered and free of systemic corruption are important components of transparent
governance.

Transparency is a fundamental element of abolishing corruption. Transparent

governance is important to local governments and the communities they serve because
corruption threatens good governance, leads to the misallocation of resources, harms
public and private sector development, and distorts public policy. Controlling
corruption is only possible when government, citizens, and the private sector cooperate
to ensure transparency (ICMA 2021).
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 157

The following political opinions were selected and picked by the research
proponents from TWITTER:

C.6. News Article: President Rodrigo Duterte challenged former Supreme

Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio to a debate on the West Philippine
Sea

✓ Political Opinion 9

CODING

➢ “Mumurahin lang ni
#Tang***MoDuterte si Carpio,
then yung mga alagad ni
#Tang***MoDuterte
magpapalakpakan at
magsisigawan na akala mo
panalo sa boxing!”- Prediction

TITLE: Duterte’s cusswords will only be his standpoint on the debate

THEME: Suppostion

CAPTION: A twitter account said that if the debate will push through,
Duterte will only use swear words to twist Carpio’s standpoints
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 158

Narration:

Retired Supreme Court justice Antonio Carpio took the verbal tussle with
President Rodrigo Duterte to a new level – accepting the debate challenge of the
President himself on the thorny issue of the West Philippine Sea.

In his late night address on Monday, May 3, Duterte claimed that during his
first meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping, he was told that Carpio and Del
Rosario “gifted” China with the WPS when he brought up issue on resources.

Duterte also claimed that he never mentioned about retaking the WPS while he
was campaigning for president back in 2016. On the contrary, Duterte, in a
presidential debate in 2016, actually said that he would ride a jet ski to the disputed
parts of the WPS while waiving the Philippine flag, all to assert the country’s
sovereignty. But Duterte later dispelled that this was just a part of his campaign in
which his statements were more of rhetoric. On Carpio’s term, it was a grand estafa or
grand larceny that fooled 16 million votes.

The social media user said that President will only use cusswords with his
debate with Carpio. Ramirez (2017) argued that when it comes to profanities, there is a
fine line between freedom of expression and using it inappropriately. There are some
statements that can be made more impactful but there is a right time and place for
everything. Let’s take Pres. Rodrigo Duterte during the SONA 2017 as an example.
During his speech, he opened up his curse words dictionary and added these words
throughout his address. For something of this magnitude and importance (and with the
general public and the rest of the world as his audience), it would have been nice to
hear him veer away from cursing.

Duterte has been both criticized and idolized for his brazen use of cuss words
to express himself in public speeches, often ignoring requests from television stations
or schools to tone it down. Things came to a head when he “unintentionally” cursed
Pope Francis over the traffic jams the pontiff’s Metro Manila visit had caused. Duterte
said he is more than just his cuss words. Unlike his opponents, he has used more
specific wording when it comes to a platform.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 159

Analysis:

Knowing that the President is not comfortable without saying at least one
cussword when he addresses the nation or talk to different parts of the country, social
media users like the twitter account above already supposed that the debate will only
make Duterte angrier and say swear words to repudiate Carpio’s claims and
standpoints. The commentator also included the ‘alagad ni Duterte’ or popularly
known as the DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporters) who will surely celebrate Duterte’s
victory.

The cusswords of President Duterte have been a massive issue even before he
took his oath as the President. With this relentless use of swear words of the President,
it has been alarming to the Filipino people especially the youth. Recently, Catholics in
the Philippines have praised a 9-year-old boy for writing to Philippine President
Rodrigo Duterte admonishing him for cursing and swearing in televised speeches.
Duterte is known for his use of profanities even in the presence of foreign dignitaries
at international conferences. The President even once said such language was
necessary when telling people in the southern city of Davao, where he served as mayor
before becoming president, to carry out his orders.

✓ Political Opinion 10

CODING

➢ “Nevermind the mismatch.

This is treason of the highest
degree.” -Distrust

TITLE: Social media said, it’s only a treason of the highest degree

THEME: Suppostion

CAPTION: A twitter account said that the President is only willing to be a

lawyer for China, not for the Philippines.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 160

Narration:

The latest issue that Filipinos are closely monitoring is the exchange between
President Rodrigo Duterte and retired Supreme Court senior associate justice Antonio
Carpio over the West Philippine Sea.

In his address on Wednesday, May 5, the President challenged Carpio to a

debate on the West Philippine Sea. He had accused Carpio of having a hand in the
withdrawal of Philippine Navy ships from the West Philippine Sea during the Noynoy
Aquino administration, and said he would resign if he’s proven to be lying.

The next day, Carpio called the President’s bluff and accepted the challenge,
and urged Duterte to resign immediately. Malacañang, in response, said the President
was advised not to participate in the debate – effectively backing out of his own
challenge – and said he would send Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque to debate
with Carpio.

Many netizens used the hashtag #DuterteDuwag and posted memes poking fun
at the President’s sudden withdrawal – from a challenge he initiated himself. Some
users also talked about how Duterte’s decision to back up was symptomatic of his
inability to stand up for the Filipino people.

Analysis:

The social media user strongly accused President Duterte of practicing treason
within the country because according to the perception of the commentator, it seems
like the President is siding China over his own country. According to Merriam-
Webster Dictionary, treason is the offense of attempting to overthrow the government
of one's country or of assisting its enemies in war specifically: the act of levying war
against the United States or adhering to or giving aid and comfort to its enemies by
one who owes it allegiance.

As tensions rise in the South China Sea, Custodio noted, that the Philippines’
traditional ally, the United States, is now trying “a more aggressive” strategy,
including freedom-of-navigation patrols, assistance to allied countries and economic
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 161

pressure on China. The US has made China feel its presence, and if the Philippines
refuses to complain, then it is either a fool for not wanting to defend its own territory,
or a tool of China by trying to belittle the value of multilateral efforts. Duterte has long
maintained that he will not risk going to war with China, by aggressively pressing
Beijing about Manila’s territorial claim. That is, however, a “false choice” intended
“to silence criticism and ensure submission to government decision and policy without
question”, Batongbacal of the University of the Philippines said.

Salvador Panelo, said the Philippines won’t be “hasty” in dealing with the
disputed areas “but instead will do everything legal and feasible”. Presidential
Spokesperson Harry Roque even said that the President would like to do his initiatives
with the WPS issue privately.

The social media user even argued that Carpio is the one who really cares and
represents the West Philippine Sea and its people. However, regarding on this issue,
senators have said that the debate is not necessary and the country won’t benefit from
it. Sen. Aquilino Pimentel, chairman of the Senate foreign relations committee, was
more expressive, saying that it was not necessary because it will not settle anything.
The senator said that such a debate will only give the entire world the impression that
Filipinos are divided on the issue. Sen. Panfilo Lacson, chairman of the Senate defense
and security committee, even said that a public debate is always healthy in a
democratic environment as long as it is limited to the issue at hand and does not go
down to gutter level.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 162

C.7. News Article: President Duterte once again reiterated that he was just
joking and only showing bravado when he made the controversial Jet Ski remark
in 2016

✓ Political Opinion 11

CODING

➢ “…but calling them stupid if

they believed, it is
unacceptable…”- Assertion

TITLE: Pure campaign joke

THEME: Dissent

CAPTION: A twitter account said that the President’s statements calling

those who once believed with his statements as stupid is unacceptable

Narration:

President Rodrigo Duterte said that his 2016 remark to go to the West
Philippine Sea on a jet ski to assert the country’s rights in the disputed waters was a
pure campaign joke. “Panahon sa kampanya iyan, at tsaka iyong biro na iyon, we call
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 163

it bravado. Iyong bravado ko was just a pure campaign joke,” he said during his
weekly address, even calling those who believed “stupid.”

For the past months, Philippine maritime authorities have been spotting the
presence of Chinese vessels in the disputed waters that led to increasing tensions
between the two sides. The Department of Foreign Affairs has also fired several
diplomatic protests regarding this and on the illegal activities Chinese boats are
conducting in the area.

These incursions also go against the Philippines’ 2016 arbitral victory

against Beijing’s maritime claims that covered some areas in the West Philippine Sea
and within the country's 200-nautical mile exclusive economic zone, a ruling that the
latter has consistently refused to recognize. Recently, Duterte also called the ruling a
mere piece of paper that he can throw away in a trash bin. The remark immediately
drew flak from his critics.

According to CNN Philippines, the country's chief executive has also

repeatedly blamed officials from the previous administration regarding developments
in the West Philippine Sea, even challenging former Supreme Court Associate Justice
Antonio Carpio to a debate, a dare which he later withdrew.

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte derided those who literally believed in

his 2016 campaign promise to ride a jet ski to the West Philippine Sea by expanding
his "joke" during a public address again devoted to criticisms of his China policy. This
is what made the social media user expressed his/her opinion and saying that the
‘stupid’ was way too much and extremely intolerable.

Analysis:

The twitter account (@desert_scorpiun) expressed his/her utter disagreement

with what President Duterte said to those who believed in his statements during his
Presidential campaign. The President said that those who understood his statements in
the most literal sense is stupid as those were all just rhetorical statements and a form of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 164

bravado. According to the Collins Dictionary, bravado is an appearance of courage or

confidence that someone shows in order to impress other people. The President’s
statement was more of like a hyperbole which can be likened to a man who would do
everything to give her girlfriend/wife the starts and the moon. Even Maharlika, a
famous ‘DDS’ YouTube vlogger explained on her channel that people should have not
taken the President’s statements literally. The vlogger even added that it would be
unimaginable if Duterte will literally ride a Jet Ski and invade China to defend the
Philippines. Maharlika also likened Duterte to former President Benigno Aquino III
who once said in jest that he was ready to be run over by a train if the LRT (Light Rail
Transit) Line 1 project from Baclaran to Bacoor will not be completed in two years.
President Benigno Aquino III promised again in 2015 that they would have himself
and Transportation Secretary Joseph Emilio Abaya run over by a train because the
project was still far from completion as opposed to what he said that the project would
already be done in 2015. The vlogger also said that Aquino’s project was way more
achievable and doable than a President who would ride a Jet Ski and defend the
Philippines.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 165

C.8. News Article: President Duterte has asked Filipinos to think about
what the opposition has done for the country during the COVID-19 pandemic.

✓ Political Opinion 12

CODING

➢ “Resign ka na lang please.

Pabigat ka sa
mamamayan.” -Appeal

TITLE: ‘Duterte’s fallacy’

CAPTION: A twitter account said that Vice President Leni Robredo had
done so much more than the government.

Narration:

The social media user argued that the opposition especially Vice President Leni
Robredo has done so much in this country. The commentator also included the
‘various initiatives’ that Robredo has contributed to the country especially at the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 166

height of COVID-19 pandemic. This includes free job hunting site for the unemployed
Filipino citizens, free technical-vocational skills and employability training for over
1,000 unemployed and out-of-school Filipino youth, launched a donation drive to
solicit funds to buy the missing equipment, provided P5.3 million worth of test kits to
the Research Institute for Tropical Medicine, etc. With the Vice President Leni
Robredo’s ‘efforts’, it seems even the President – the man who has repeatedly belittled
Robredo's ability to lead the country – can see how crucial the Vice President's role
has been in augmenting the national government's assistance to frontliners against
COVID-19. President Duterte even fired Presidential Anti-Corruption Commission
(PACC) Commissioner Manuelito Luna when he pushed to investigate Robredo's
COVID-19 relief efforts. However, with the social media user’s claim that the
President seems not working and has an inadequate response to the pandemic, it can be
refuted by the Duterte administration’s 4-pillar socioeconomic strategy according to
the Department of Finance— (1) emergency support for vulnerable groups; (2)
marshalling resources to fight COVID-19; (3) monetary actions and other financing
support and (4) an economic recovery program to create jobs and sustain growth.

On 28 December, 2020, Malacañang has released at least 33 coronavirus-

related issuances, including Proclamation 922, which President Rodrigo Duterte
signed on March 8 to declare a State of Public Health Emergency to mobilize
government and non-government agencies to respond to the impending health crisis.

"The declaration of a State of Public Health Emergency would capacitate

government agencies and (local government units) to immediately act to prevent loss
of life, utilize appropriate resources to implement urgent and critical measures to
contain or prevent the spread of Covid-19, mitigate its effects and impact to the
community, and prevent serious disruption of the functioning of the government and
the community," the proclamation read.

On March 16, Duterte placed the entire Luzon under enhanced community
quarantine (ECQ) until April 12. On the same day, he signed Proclamation 929
declaring a state of calamity throughout the country after health authorities confirmed
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 167

that community-based transmission of Covid-19 has already occurred. "Such

declaration will, among others, afford the national government, as well as LGUs ample
latitude to utilize appropriate funds, including the Quick Response Fund, in their
disaster preparedness and response efforts to contain the spread of Covid-19 and to
continue to provide basic services to the affected population,” it read.

Duterte’s efforts in leading the fight against Covid-19 earned him a 91 percent
performance and trust rating in a survey conducted by Pulse Asia from September 14
to 20. Only 5 percent disapproved of Duterte’s performance while 5 percent were
undecided. As for trust, 6 percent were undecided while 3 percent had small or no
trust. In another Pulse Asia survey conducted on the same dates, 84 percent of
Filipinos were said to have a "positive opinion" on the efforts of Duterte and his
government to control the spread of Covid-19 and provide assistance to those who lost
their livelihood due to the pandemic. Only 6 percent registered disapproval of the
government’s response, while 10 percent expressed ambivalence. Meanwhile, only 7
percent expressed disapproval in providing assistance, while 9 percent registered
ambivalence.

President Duterte, to mitigate the impact of the pandemic, signed Republic Act
(RA) 11469, also known as the Bayanihan to Heal As One Act of 2020 (Bayanihan 1),
a day after Congress passed the bill on March 24. Philippine News Agency (2020)
explained that under the law, Duterte, for a limited time, was given special powers,
including reallocation of government funds to address the prevailing health crisis.
With the law in effect, the government was given the authority to expedite and
streamline the accreditation of testing kits to facilitate prompt testing and immediate
isolation and treatment of patients. Health care workers, considered as among the
front-liners in the fight against Covid-19, had to be provided with Covid-19 special
risk allowances in addition to their hazard pay. Their Covid-19-related medical
expenses were also shouldered by the government. Banks and other financial
institutions were ordered to implement grace periods for the payment of loans without
incurring interests, penalties, fees, or other charges.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 168

In September, President Duterte signed RA 11494 or the Bayanihan to Recover

as One Act (Bayanihan 2), which extended Duterte’s special powers for handling the
pandemic and provide a PHP165.5-billion fund to address the health crisis. The largest
chunk of the budget was allotted to loans for sectors hit by the pandemic, such as
micro, small, and medium-scale enterprises, transport, tourism, and agriculture. It also
provided for the government's Covid-19 health-related response. Results of a Social
Weather Stations (SWS) survey, conducted from September 17 to 20, found that the
majority considered government actions to be adequate on three out of four areas of
concern: ensuring the public has enough information on how to fight Covid-19 (71
percent), ensuring there would be extensive contact tracing (67 percent), and ensuring
affordable Covid-19 testing nationwide (54 percent). However, only 44 percent
believed government actions were adequate on ensuring the provision of adequate help
for people who lost their jobs/livelihood. The government was also given the authority
to provide compensation of PHP100,000 to health care workers who contracted severe
Covid-19 infection while in the line of duty while PHP1 million may be provided to
health care workers who die while fighting the pandemic.

Among the most salient features of the Bayanihan 1 law was the allocation of
PHP200 billion worth of emergency subsidies to fund the government’s Social
Amelioration Program (SAP), which granted a PHP5,000 to PHP8,000 monthly cash
aid to about 18 million low-income Filipino families affected by the pandemic.

The data mentioned above are only few of the contributions of the President in
response to the COVID-19 pandemic. President Duterte does not need to present or
post his initiatives to the public because it is posted in various ‘trusted’ and unbiased
media networks and webpages from online platforms.

Analysis:

The twitter account strongly defended Vice President Leni Robredo for her
COVID-19 pandemic initiatives that are always shown and posted in all of her social
media accounts. The critics of the government, when arguing with the pro-government
netizens, often get their references on what is posted in the Facebook page,
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 169

Twitter/Instagram account of Robredo and continue to disregard the unexposed and

seemingly left out articles that present the Duterte administration’s initiatives during
this pandemic. These include when the government started its mass testing initiatives
following the accreditation of several hospitals for Covid-19 testing. The government
had also started purchasing more rapid antibody test kits, aiming to test 1.5 percent to
2 percent of the country’s 110 million population to get a clear picture of Covid-19
infections in the Philippines. On May 6, Duterte also inked Executive Order (EO) 114
institutionalizing the “Balik Probinsya, Bagong Pag-Asa” program designed to help
low-income families in Metro Manila resettle in their home provinces by assisting
their transition with support and incentives on transportation, subsistence, and
education, among others. But according to the Philippine News Agency, “Balik
Probinsya” was temporarily suspended to prioritize the short-term “Hatid Probinsya”
or the provision of transportation assistance to locally stranded individuals and
overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) stranded in Manila due to travel restrictions
imposed under community quarantine. To ensure the health and safety of students, the
President on July 17 signed RA 11480, which reschedules the start of the school year
in case of a state of emergency or state of calamity. The opening of classes for School
Year 2020-2021 kicked off on October 5. He also stood by his decision not to allow
face-to-face (F2F) classes until a vaccine for Covid-19 is available in the country.
Although he initially approved pilot F2F classes in areas with low risk of Covid-19 on
December 14, he withdrew this plan a week after a new strain of severe acute
respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 or SARS-COV-2, the virus that causes Covid-19,
emerged in the UK. In his fifth and penultimate State of the Nation Address on July
27, Duterte admitted that there were “lessons to be learned” from the Covid-19
pandemic.

On September 23, Duterte, for the first time, participated in the United Nations
(UN) General Assembly, where he stressed the importance of ensuring universal
access to anti-Covid-19 technologies and products, including a safe and effective
vaccine. “When the world finds that vaccine, access to it must not be denied nor
withheld. It should be made available to all, rich and poor nations alike, as a matter of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 170

policy. The Philippines joins our partners in the Asean and the Non-Aligned
Movement in raising our collective voice: the Covid-19 vaccine must be considered a
global public good. Let us be clear on this,” he said.

The initiatives that are mentioned are only a few of the contributions of
President Duterte that is not shown in various articles, not even on his Facebook page.
The social media user’s claim represents Filipinos who are easily blinded with what
they see in their social media accounts, even from biased media and broadcast
networks. People like the commentator are the ones that only express their opinions
but with no enough evidence at hand. The social media user’s claims and opinion is an
example of argument from ignorance (from Latin: argumentum ad ignorantiam), also
known as appeal to ignorance (in which ignorance represents "a lack of contrary
evidence"), is a fallacy in informal logic. In general, it is an argument from a single
premise which states that there is a lack of knowledge, proof or evidence.

✓ Political Opinion 13

CODING

➢ “Dahil sa oposisyon kaya

buhay ang demokrasya!”-
Assertion

TITLE: Opposition as the government’s countercheck shadow

CAPTION: Social media user said that Duterte administration needs

opposition as their “fiscalizer”.

Narration:

The social media user argued that it is the opposition’s mandate to be the
countercheck shadow of the Duterte administration or any government ruled by a non-
opposition politician.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 171

According to the Wikipedia, the Liberal Party of the Philippines (Filipino:

Partido Liberal ng Pilipinas), abbreviated as the LP, is a liberal political party in the
Philippines. Founded on January 19, 1946 by Senate President Manuel Roxas, Senate
President Pro-Tempore Elpidio Quirino, and former 9th Senatorial District Senator
José Avelino from the breakaway liberal wing of the old Nacionalista Party, the
Liberal Party remains the second-oldest active political party in the Philippines after
the Nacionalistas, and the oldest continually-active party. The Liberals served as the
governing party of four Philippine presidents: Manuel Roxas, Elpidio Quirino,
Diosdado Macapagal, and Benigno Aquino III. As a vocal opposition party against the
regime of Ferdinand Marcos, the party reemerged as a major political party after
Marcos's overthrow in the People Power Revolution and the establishment of the Fifth
Republic. It subsequently served as a senior member of President Corazón Aquino's
UNIDO coalition. Upon Corazón Aquino's death in 2009, the party regained
popularity, winning the 2010 Philippine presidential election under Benigno Aquino
III. The Liberal Party returned to government, serving from 2010 to 2016. The party
lost control of the presidency to Rodrigo Duterte of PDP–Laban in the 2016
presidential election and became the leading opposition party; however its vice
presidential candidate Leni Robredo won, narrowly beating Nacionalista candidate
Ferdinand Marcos Jr .

In 2016 presidential elections, Liberal Party nominated Mar Roxas, former

DOTC and DILG secretary and Leni Robredo, a Representative from Naga City and
widow of former DILG secretary Jessie Robredo. Leni Robredo won, while Mar
Roxas lost. Most of their members either switched allegiance to PDP–Laban. joined a
supermajority alliance but retained LP membership (with some defecting later), joined
minority, or created an opposition bloc called "Magnificent 7".

As early as February 2017, the leaders of the Liberal Party chose to focus on
rebuilding the party by inviting sectoral membership of non-politicians. The party has
been inducting new members who are non-politicians since then, some of whom
applied online through the party's website, Liberal.ph. Before the scheduled 2019
general elections, the LP formed the Oposisyon Koalisyon (Opposition Coalition or
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 172

OK), an electoral coalition led by the party that also comprises members of the
Magdalo Party-List, Akbayan Citizens Action Party, and Aksyon Demokratiko along
with independent candidates. The coalition hopes to drive a new political culture based
on political leaders practicing "makiking, matuto, kumilos" (listen, learn, take action),
each candidate emphasizing the need for government to listen to its citizens. As part of
the Liberal Party's efforts to instill this new political culture, it launched Project
Makining in October 2018, a modern, nationwide listening campaign using technology
and driven by volunteers.

The truth is that the opposition in the Philippines, having failed to make any
impact on Duterte’s continued popularity, is in disarray and having trouble with
coherence, let alone planning for the future. But behind the scenes, the group
acknowledges that even if the result lacks integrity, the tide of support for Duterte is
undeniable, and there seems to be no clear way forward for those seeking to peg it
back. The opposition, even how much they criticize the current administration, Duterte
is still gaining a high rating of approval and excellence as President. With that being
said, Opposition groups in the Philippines have joined forces in a bid to defeat the
party or anointed successor of President Rodrigo Duterte. The opposition coalition is
named 1Sambayan (One Nation/One People), which highlights the call for unity to
defeat Duterte, who continues to enjoy high public trust ratings amid allegations that
his government bungled its pandemic response. Leading the opposition is retired
Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, who, in launching the coalition on March 18,
said that “the Filipino people deserve a better government.” He emphasized the need
for anti-Duterte forces to unite ahead of the 2022 polls. Joining him are former
Ombudsman Conchita Carpio Morales and former Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert
Del Rosario. They are not traditional politicians but prominent public servants who
have long been critical of the Duterte government. 1Sambayan also includes
representatives from the political left, a group of former junior military officers, civil
society, sectoral party list formations, provincial politicians, and the Liberal Party, the
country’s ruling party from 2010 to 2016.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 173

With the height of COVID-19 pandemic, the opposition have been so active in
pinpointing the President’s ‘poor’ response and performance but President Rodrigo
Duterte has asked Filipinos to think about what the opposition has done for the country
during the COVID-19 pandemic, as he claimed that what all of his critics had done
was complain and blame his administration. For him, the opposition should just find
ways to augment the COVID-19 response and help alleviate the people’s suffering
than admonish his management of the health crisis. Duterte was also reacting to
remarks of his chief legal counsel, Salvador Panelo, who claimed that the opposition
members have only aired grievances and failed to note how the government has tried
to make the situation gradually return to normalcy. According to the President, the
opposition chose to create issues on matters which they supposedly did not solve
during their term – such as the maritime dispute in the West Philippine Sea.

Analysis:

“Dahil sa oposisyon, buhay ang demokrasya sa Pilipinas” (Democracy is viable

in the country because of the opposition). The social media user strongly asserted that
democracy in the Philippines is still alive and viable up to this day because of the
‘opposition’.

In a democratic country particularly the Philippines, voters see their power to

choose their leaders as their strongest check on the behaviour of the government, their
one chance to exact accountability. More significantly, while the Philippines has
embraced the democratic traditions of participation and the freedom of choice and
expression, the longer-term challenge remains to deepen the quality of its democracy.
Building political parties on ideology and merit rather than personality, strengthening
accountability mechanisms within government, creating alternative sources of reliable
information, and enabling the electorate to make informed choices – there is clearly
much more work that needs to be done, despite the progress that has been made. The
next step, however, has to be taken by the electorate itself. We have seen how a strong
mandate for change has made change happen – now we just need to sustain it by
demanding continuity.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 174

Umali (2018) said that opposition to a government official or to a policy is far

from obstructing government. It is, in fact, one of the most democratic acts a citizen
can do. People often forget that government officials are elected to advance the
people’s interest and are instead caught up in personality politics or shades of
ideology. Events in history like the Philippine Revolution and EDSA weren’t fought
and won by individual personalities, but by the collective action of the people. Umali
even added that if we are to have true and lasting change in our country, we have to
remember that opposition is just if what we’re fighting against is unjust; and that the
people are the ones who can make this change happen.

✓ Political Opinion 14

CODING

➢ “Corrupt. Bastos. Inutil.

Traydor. Duwag. Yan ka!”-
Negative Labeling

TITLE: Duterte only knows to blame the former administration

CAPTION: Social media user said that Duterte is corrupt, nasty, impotent,
traitor and coward.

Narration

The netizens always have mixed reactions when it comes to the statements of
President Duterte to the opposition. Just like the social media user, @kikorustia, who
have seemingly vented out his extreme anger and disappointment with the President
calling him corrupt, nasty, and impotent, traitor and coward.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 175

Analysis

The social media user said that President Duterte is corrupt, nasty, impotent,
traitor and coward which can either be supported or refuted with the following
analyses:

(1) CORRUPT;

It is very likely that Duterte have a lot of assets and money in the bank. After
all, many political analysts say that it is a good quality of a successful person, not a
corrupt one. How can a person who can't manage his own finances manage a nation
anyway? But having assets and cash in the bank does not automatically make you
guilty of corruption. They need to prove that he use his office or publics funds in
acquiring them. But with President Duterte’s sincere hateful of the evils that makes the
Filipinos suffer which includes corruption makes sense that he is not a corrupt one.
Davao City became one of the most progressive cities all over the Philippines. It
would be impossible for the City of Davao to reach such excellence if President
Duterte was a corrupt politician. As his predecessor’s campaign theme says if there is
no corrupt, there will be no poor. President Duterte is not corrupt. It is nearer to say
that he is bloodthirsty politician, but the Filipino majority does not care if the ones he
kills are liabilities of the society and could result for bringing them safety on the
streets.

Contrastingly, some political commentators argue that President Duterte is a

corrupt politician but fails to give evidence and clear argument that would back up
their ‘opinions’. Most of the claims are opinionated. Just like Lawrence Celestino’s
claims which goes this way, “Not just possible. His corruption is fairly blatant and in-
your-face. It's tragic that in the face of such open corruption, he enjoys so much
support from so many citizens. This really brings home the point that many normal
Pinoy citizens - millions - are themselves corrupt.” The opinion of Celestino seems
like it is bounded with emotions and personal disagreement but lacks with proof or
evidence. The government will be relentless in its fight against corruption, President
Rodrigo Roa Duterte even said on November 2, 2020, as he disclosed the names of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 176

officials and personnel of Philippine Health Insurance Corp. (PhilHealth) and Bureau
of Immigration (BI) who were suspended and being investigated. The President even
ordered a national corruption probe. Duterte said that he had pledged to “concentrate
the last remaining years of his term fighting corruption. Duterte has made the fight
against corruption and drug use in the Philippines a lynchpin of his presidency.
However his suggested solutions, such as extrajudicial killings, have been widely
panned by human rights organizations as far worse than the problems they are
attempting to address. Duterte's opponents, such as Senator Anthony Trillanes, have
questioned whether Duterte himself is free from corruption. In response, Trillanes was
arrested, and an anti-corruption official investigating Duterte over millions of dollars
in unexplained wealth was fired. Duterte denied the claim. "What are my sins? Did I
steal money? Even just one peso?” he asked. “My only sin is extrajudicial killings.”

(2) NASTY;

In various articles from the Internet, Duterte is often described as the most
disgusting and insensitive President of all time. President Duterte, with all high ratings
of approval and excellence, is also known for his outrageous statements.

President Duterte, the outspoken and polarizing populist president of the

Philippines, as claimed by various articles, is best known for his aggressive war on
drugs, which, according to human rights groups, has resulted in the extrajudicial
killings of tens of thousands of people in his country. Duterte has stated publicly,
multiple times, that the lives of both drug dealers and users are essentially expendable
and that he would gladly exterminate them himself if he could. With his blessing;
police on the street act as judge, jury and executioner.

In the article of CBS News, some instances, both before and during his
presidency, where his words went far over the line was stated one by one;

1. "Just because you're a journalist you are not exempted from

assassination, if you're a son of a bitch."

- Comment made in June 2016 after learning of a journalist's death in Manila.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 177

2. "Son of a whore, I will curse you in that forum."

- Duterte made this remark about then-President Barack Obama, in advance of

a planned summit meeting in Laos in 2016, leading Mr. Obama to cancel the trip. He
also said Mr. Obama coud "go to hell." Duterte has since apologized for the statement.

3. "I was angry because she was raped, that's one thing. But she was so
beautiful, the mayor should have been first. What a waste."

- Before becoming president, Duterte was mayor of Davao City. He made this
comment during a campaign rally in April 2016, in reference to an Australian
missionary who was assaulted and killed in 1989.

4. "I wanted to call him: 'Pope, son of a whore, go home. Do not visit us
again.'"

- In May 2016, Duterte made this comment after Pope Francis' visit to Manila
caused heavy traffic jams.

5. "Do the lives of 10 of these criminals really matter? If I am the one

facing all this grief, would 100 lives of these idiots mean anything to me?"

- Duterte's aggressive drug war drew international condemnation, with

estimates of casualties in the tens of thousands. Duterte has defended the campaign as
necessary, and said the above in August 2016 about the casualties.

6. "Tell the soldiers. There's a new order coming from the mayor. We
won't kill you. We will just shoot your vagina so that ... if there is no vagina, it
would be useless."

- In February 2018, Duterte made this comment about women fighting with
insurgent forces. Human rights groups condemned him for encouraging sexual
violence and war crimes.

7. "I believe in women's competence, but not in all aspects."

- Said during a speech on May 24, 2018.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 178

8. “Church leaders are full of s_ _ _”

- In January, the outspoken president lashed out at Philippine leaders of the

Catholic Church in response to their concerns of alleged extrajudicial killings in
Manila's drug war. In a speech on Jan. 21, Durterte said church leaders were "full of
s___" and that they "all smell bad, corruption and all," accusing priests of
homosexuality and abusing children. His criticism came shortly after Pope Francis
offered a blessing to Durterte.

The eight mentioned ‘inflammatory’ statements of the President have made

him one of Asia's most controversial leaders. His most incendiary comments have
been one of the most used backlashes by opposition against him. However, even with
numerous critics of the President saying that his remarks sometimes is crossing the
line, Duterte has defended his colourful language, saying he cannot help being rude to
those who insult him and that it was "too late" for him to change his behaviour. The
president has been known to curse and berate those who criticize him and his
government, including those who raise concerns about extra-judicial killings in his war
on drugs. President Duterte said there were times when he did not act like a statesman
because "the mindset that I have, that of a mayor, I brought it to the presidency... And
I realized that being President, you cannot say 'son of a whore'". The president said the
people should just accept him for what he was as it was "too late" for him to change.
Aside from cursing in public, Duterte is known to often crack jokes and even make
sexist remarks. He was particularly criticised for catcalling a television reporter during
a live press conference in May 2016. Several female administration officials defended
the president last year (2017), saying women should be more forgiving about his
catcalling and sexist remarks. One said what matters is that Mr Duterte has a "heart
that cares" for the people.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 179

(3) IMPOTENT;

Impotent, or ‘inutil’ in Tagalog, is what the social media user described the
President. #DuterteInutil became a trending topic on the micro-blogging site, Twitter
after several posts wherein President Rodrigo Duterte can be seen jogging surfaced.
Recently, Senator Bong Go took to social media wherein he posted some photos and
videos of the president while running around the Malacañang Park to show the people
that he is in good shape. Duterte can be seen wearing a facemask and face shield.
However, his supposed-to-be-way to vent out stress amid the country’s battle with
pandemic has been criticized. On Twitter, #DuterteInutil trended with some netizens
calling for his resignation. As of posting, the #DuterteInutil has earned more than
4,000 tweets.

The word ‘inutil’ came into rise when it was integrated with the #Duterte. This
was not the first time that the President’s name is associated with negative hashtags.
People who use this hashtag often demand accountability, responsibility and
competence of President Duterte with regards to the handling of COVID-19 pandemic
and the issues on the West Philippine Sea.

(4) TRAITOR;

The commentator’s claim possibly said Duterte as a traitor to the Filipino

nation by ‘allowing’ China to gain military and economic control of the West
Philippine Sea, especially the marine resources within the country’s exclusive
economic zone. In his recorded message, Duterte admitted, in his own words, of
having an “agreement” with China that has been kept secret from the Filipino people.
But it is vague if it is about him allowing the China to take control of the West
Philippine Sea, even if with all the pertinent documents and papers, the sea belongs to
the Philippines.

According to the National Demographic Front of the Philippines (NDFO), he

practically confessed that he has allowed China to plunder Philippine marine resources
and deploy hundreds of militia vessels by saying he is “not so much interested now in
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 180

fishing.” That e has turned a blind eye to the fact that Filipino fishermen could not fish
in the country’s own waters. NDFP also coined that the Presidentignored how Chinese
industrial fishing has caused massive depletion of resources in the area which has
made it extra difficult for small fishermen to harvest enough catch. His latest
declaration that he will send naval ships if China starts digging for oil—since this “is
not part of our agreement”—is a false assertion of the country’s sovereignty and
patrimony.

Some articles say that President Duterte misleads the people by justifying his
failure to put into a place a more comprehensive plan to defend Philippine sovereignty
by claiming that not even the United Nations can order China to withdraw its forces
from the West Philippine Sea. He seems to be ‘covering up’ the fact that he has
refused to carry out a more aggressive international diplomatic and political campaign,
as well as military preparations, to actually defend Philippine sovereignty.

(5) COWARD

#DuterteDuwag started with the recent statements of the President when it

comes to the West Philippines Sea. And it arose again when he dared retired Supreme
Court justice Antonio Carpio to face-off about Manila and Beijing's maritime row,
which the latter accepted. The President, however, backed out of the debate and tapped
his spokesman Harry Roque as his proxy, which drew accusations of cowardice from
various netizens in social media platforms. Addressing the hashtag #DuterteDuwag
(coward) that trended after, Roque pointed out the Chief Executive debated at least 5
times with his rivals for the presidency in 2016.

"He has nothing to prove," Roque said in a press briefing. "Tapos na siya d'yan
(he is done with that)," he added. He urged the public to study the legal reasons behind
Duterte's withdrawal from the debate.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 181

The following political opinions were selected and picked by the research
proponents from YOUTUBE:

C.8. On the Rappler’s YouTube channel, supporters and critics of

President Rodrigo Duterte discuss the 2019 elections.

Narration

On the Rappler’s YouTube channel, critics and supporters of President Duterte

had an open and friendly discussion about his strength and weaknesses. One topic that
was discussed is about the 2019 leading senatorial candidates who have been accused
of graft and corruption and yet have top notched numerous surveys prior to the 2019
senatorial election.

Analysis:
“What do we think of senatorial candidates who have been
accused in the past or have been tried for graft, corruption
QUESTION 1 and plunder who are now ranking highly in senatorial
surveys?”

Answer extract:
Critic 1: 1“I feel like the biggest problem with the Philippine politics as a
system is that it primes the government to be corrupt.2 How does my favorite
boxer make his way to the senate? Like that’s ridiculous. Like how is it possible
that Mr. Bong Revilla who would not be able to qualify in any kind of
corporate job finds his way leading the senatorial race? Right?

Critic 2:3 It’s very personality politics.

Critic 1: Personality politics. 4And I’d like to think at one point the correction
should be made even before these guys enter the political arena. Because when
they enter the political arena, it’s pageantry.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 182

Codes:

• 1
Opinion
• 2
Dissent of current
Philippine Political
system
• 3Assertion
• 4Suggestion

The critic 1 asserted his opinion with regards to the current Philippine political
system which seems like it has become ‘personality politics’ which was then backed
up by critic 2. Personality politics is the name given to a grouping of political
ideologies where the focus is promoting the thoughts and values that exist in one's
personality. The term was coined by Raina Surinder, a political scientist at Gaius
University in 1973, commenting on the rise of "counter cultures" that dominated
politics worldwide in the 1960s. The term has gained new prominence in the 2010s
with the rise of the alt-left political movement and its various opposition movements.
Personality politics has been an issue in the Philippine political landscape. Just like
phenomenal boxer-turned-senator Manny Pacquiao and actor-turned-senator Bong
Revilla Jr., that both were mentioned by critic 1 as a ‘personality politician’. These
two has set the bar high in their own fields— boxing and acting. With the fame they
both gained, it seems like it has become the reason why they led the various senatorial
surveys back in 2019.

Moreover, with the emergence of the ‘personality politics’, critic 2 seems to be in

an utter disagreement. The critic argued that these personalities should not enter the
political arena especially Mr. Bong Revilla ‘who would not qualify in any corporate
jobs’. The critic even asserted that this ‘personality politics’ should be prevented now
because according to him, they prime the government to be corrupt.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 183

By a show of hands, who believes the current drug war is

QUESTION 2 working?

Answer extract:
Critic 3: First of all, Duterte’s anti-drug campaign is anti-poor campaign. For
the last three years, more than 20,000 Filipinos killed. 1But I guess no one drug
lord has been caught and jailed. If we check the data, we can see it in everyday
news. The victims of this EJK [Extra Judicial Killings], Oplan Tokhang, are the
ones in the margins, communities, outskirts of the city. 2But has there ever been
a raid, someone jailed, or someone killed in BGC, Makati or exclusive
villages? 3I don’t think so. 4Now we must see the drug problem or the addict as
a health problem

Codes:

• 1
Conjecture
• 2
Interrogation
• 3
Opinion
• 4
Inducement

Narration

The host asks the participants if the ‘war on drugs’ of the current administration is
working. Critic 3 argued that Duterte’s war on drugs is an anti-poor campaign. The
commentator even claimed that only those who are in the margins, communities and
outskirts of the city who are killed, but not those drug lords. However, this claim can
be refuted by Rappler’s news article. Rappler lists alleged drug lords killed – during
legitimate operations or otherwise – under the Duterte administration starting 1 July
2016. This list was constantly updated as the war on drugs continues:

1. Businessman Melvin “Boyet” Odicta Sr and his wife Merriam Regalado

Odicta were killed by an unidentified gunman after disembarking from a
passenger ship in Barangay Caticlan, Malay, Aklan on August 29.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 184

2. A suspected drug lord in Iloilo City involved in drug trafficking, Odicta Sr

is part of the watch list of drug personalities of the Philippine Drug
Enforcement Agency (PDEA)

3. Tagged as a leader of a big group of illegal drugs syndicate, Li Lan Yan

(alias Jackson Dy) was first arrested during a search and seizure operation in
Parañaque City in 2003. He and his wife, Wang Li Na, faced drug-related
cases in Parañaque City, Cavite, and Quezon City where they operated shabu
laboratories. The couple was convicted in May 2009 by a Parañaque court, but
in February 2013, Li Lan Yan and Wang Li Na escaped from custody after
more than 10 men intercepted their convoy while on their way to a court
hearing in Cavite. The two were recaptured in July 2013 in San Juan City.

4. Chu Kin Tong (alias Tony Lim) and Wong Men Ping (alias Wang Ming
Ping), meanwhile, were arrested in January 2010 for operating a shabu
laboratory inside a posh village in Parañaque City. They were both convicted
and sentenced to a double life sentence in 2014 with their Filipina househelp
serving as government witness.

5. Meco Tan, an alleged high-value drug lord, was killed by authorities after
he attempted to escape, following the serving of an arrest warrant in
Valenzuela City. According to the police, Tan operated shabu laboratories in
Cavite and in Quezon City, among others.

6. Alleged drug lord Sherwin Bautista was killed by unidentified men in

Tagbilaran City, Bohol on July 7, 2016.

7. Lito Belandres, alleged top drug lord in Negros Occidental, was shot dead
after resisting arrest and trying to shoot police on July 1, 2016. According to
police, a raid at the suspect’s house yielded 50 grams of shabu worth P50,000
($1056), .38 caliber, and drug paraphernalia, among others. Belandres,
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 185

according to Senior Inspector Ryan Jay Orapa of the Provincial Anti-Illegal

Drugs Operations Task Group, was a bigtime drug supplier who has been
under surveillance since 2003. He is also considered a “level 2 pusher.” He
added that Belandres was part of the group of Cebu City drug lord Jeffrey
"Jaguar" Diaz, who was killed in a police operation in Metro Manila on June
18.

The seven drug lords mentioned are only few of those who are arrested under
Duterte administration. These facts are enough to at least refute the critic 3’s claim that
only those poor ones that were killed during the ‘war on drugs’.

Analysis:

Based from the critic’s claims and statements, it is clear that he is in an utter
dissent on President Duterte’s war on drugs.

The Philippine drug war is the anti-drug policy and actions of the Philippine
government under President Rodrigo Duterte, who assumed office on June 30, 2016.
According to former Philippine National Police Chief and future senator Ronald dela
Rosa, the policy is aimed at "the neutralization of illegal drug personalities
nationwide". Since taking office on June 30, 2016, Philippine President Rodrigo
Duterte has carried out a “war on drugs” that has led to the deaths of over 12,000
Filipinos to date, mostly urban poor. At least 2,555 of the killings have been attributed
to the Philippine National Police. Duterte and other senior officials have instigated and
incited the killings in a campaign that could amount to crimes against humanity.

The critic even asserted that the government should see the drug problem or the
addict as a health problem. It is supported by the World Psychiatry. In one of their
articles, it was stated that the Outcome Document of the 2016 United Nations General
Assembly Special Session on drugs (UNGASS 2016), unanimously approved by the
193 Member States, has recognized “drug addiction as a complex multifactorial health
disorder characterized by chronic and relapsing nature” that is preventable and
treatable and not the result of moral failure or a criminal behavior. Historically, most
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 186

nations’ strategies for addressing substance use disorders have centered on

punishment, and thus recognition of the need to shift from a criminal justice to a
public health approach represents a major shift in mentality by United Nations
Member States. This achievement was the result of a continuous dialogue between
policy makers and the scientific community during recent sessions of the United
Nations Commission on Narcotic Drugs. In 2015, the United Nations Office of Drugs
and Crime and the World Health Organization created an Informal International
Scientific Network, consisting of experts in addiction sciences, to advise the
Commission. Network members were appointed by Member States and represented
widely diverse geographical regions, political systems, and cultures. Even the CAP
(Center for American Progress) argued that substance use disorder is a public health
issue, not a criminal justice issue.

The drug problem in the Philippines has primarily been viewed as an issue of law
enforcement and criminality, and the government has focused on implementing a
policy of criminalization and punishment. This is evidenced by the fact that since the
start of the “war on drugs,” the Duterte government has utilized punitive measures and
has mobilized the Philippine National Police (PNP) and local government units
nationwide. With orders from the President, law enforcement agents have engaged in
extensive door-to-door operations. One such operation in Manila in August 2017
aimed to “shock and awe” drug dealers and resulted in the killing of 32 people by
police in one night.

Human Rights organizations, such as Human Rights Watch and Amnesty

International, have said that Duterte’s instigation of unlawful police violence and the
incitement of vigilante killings may amount to crimes against humanity, violating
international law. The European Union found that human rights have deteriorated
significantly since Duterte assumed power, saying “The Philippine government needs
to ensure that the fight against drug crimes is conducted within the law, including the
right to due process and safeguarding of the basic human rights of citizens of the
Philippines, including the right to life, and that it respects the proportionality
principle.” Despite the fact that, in October 2017, Duterte ordered the police to end all
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 187

operations in the war on drugs, doubts remain as to whether the state-sanctioned

killings will stop. Duterte assigned the Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA)
to be the sole anti-drug enforcement agency.

What is one word to describe President Duterte?

QUESTION 3

Answer extract:
Supporter 1: Realistic. I actually am one of the 16 million who actually voted
for him. He’s far from a perfect President, but he gets the job done. One thing
that irks me the most, that’s why I don’t normally share my political posts, or
whatever, things are related to politics on my Facebook wall is I respect
everyone’s wall, it’s just that, 1I find it weird that I’m losing a lot of friends or
friends losing other friends just because of a political stand. Well, I think that
doesn’t make sense for me to lose friends because of political issues or
whatnot. 2You know, the President may have done wrong, but we also have to
point out and give credit where credit is due. Especially the fact that the
previous administration’s problems were carried over to the President and he
has to basically shoulder the burden as well.

Codes:

• 1
Dismay
• 2
Acknowledgement of
Others’ mistakes

Narration

The host asks the participants what the one word that describes the President is.
Supporter 1 said that President is realistic. According to the Merriam-Webster
Dictionary, realistic is a person who recognizes what is real or possible in a particular
situation: one who accepts and deals with things as they really are a political realist.
Political realists are often characterized as a-moralists, that any means should be used
to uphold the national interest, but a poignant criticism is that the definition of
morality is being twisted to assume that acting in one’s own or one’s nation’s interests
is immoral or amoral at best. This is an unfair claim against serving one’s national
interest, just as claiming that any self-serving action is necessarily immoral on the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 188

personal level. The discussion invokes the ethics of impartiality; those who believe in
a universal code of ethics argue that a self-serving action that cannot be universalized
is immoral. The supporter even said that President is a diligent leader who always gets
the job done.

Analysis

Based from the supporter 1’s answer, he clearly sides with President Duterte and
even asserted that he should not only be the one whom should be blamed. The
participant also added that through posting political posts in his Facebook wall
resulted to him losing his own friends. With the social media platforms, where
everyone has the right to share their own thoughts, especially political, it is always
possible that there will be arguments with those who have other political stands.
Although political ideology has been examined extensively as a predictor of individual
differences, it has been absent in the interpersonal relationships literature. Political
ideology may have strong effects on friendship patterns because of its polarizing
nature. Findings among actual friendship groups indicated a degree of similarity in
peers’ political ideology alignments, but also suggested that liberals and conservatives
were comfortable with some level of bipartisanship among their friends. Poteat et al
(2011), had an experimental condition with hypothetical peers, individuals’ political
ideology predicted their reported friendship potential (perceived similarity and desire
for friendship) with gay-affirming and gay-disapproving peers whose ideologies were
not explicitly indicated. This effect of political ideology on friendship potential was
significant over and above the effect predicted by individuals’ similarity or
dissimilarity on sexual minority attitudes with these peers. Findings highlight the
overarching relevance of political ideology as a factor that contributes to friendship
patterns.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 189

C.9. Maharlika, a certified DDS (Diehard Duterte Supporter) shared

her outrage towards Vice President Leni Robredo on her YouTube channel
regarding her statements on the West Philippine Sea.

Statement extract 1:
Maharlika: Sinabi ng bruh*, sabi niya may dalawang sinabi si Presidente na sa
tingin ko ito yung show niya. Show niya tuwing Linggo, 1yung (mocks VP Leni
Robredo)“sa akin lamang, kung mamarapatin, ang sa akin lamang” puro ang
sa akin lamang. Wala ka na bang ibang salita kung ‘di sa’kin lamang? 2Hindi
ka ba pwede magsalita nang may sense, yung may utak abogada? Well, ano pa
ba i-eexpect namin? Lugaw ang laman mo eh.

Codes:

• 1
Mockery
• 2
Insult

Narration

On BISErbisyong Leni, Robredo’s radio program, she discussed President

Duterte’s statements regarding on the West Philippine Sea. The vice president strongly
asserted that Duterte’s statements are serious, in a way that it is wrong and misleading.
However, Maharlika defended President Duterte, mocking Robredo’s discussions on
her radio program.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 190

Analysis

Maharlika, who is known to be a vulgar Duterte supporter, once again mocked

and insulted Robredo on her YouTube channel. But despite of her inflammatory
statements, the certified DDS vlogger have presented and referred to a lot of facts to at
least refute Robredo and defend the President.

Based on Maharlika’s statements, she always seems in an utter disagreement

with Robredo which leads her to always say cusswords to the vice president, not just
in this particular video, but even to her previous videos as well. With that being stated,
the vlogger is clearly using profanity in presenting ‘facts’, sharing opinions, refuting
claims and defense. Profanity is a socially offensive use of language, which may also
be called cursing, cussing or swearing, cuss words (American English vernacular),
curse words, and swear words, bad words, dirty words, or expletives. Accordingly,
profanity is language use that is sometimes deemed impolite, rude, or culturally
offensive. It can show a debasement of someone or something, or be considered an
expression of strong feeling towards something. Some words may also be used as
intensifiers.

However, according to the NBC News, cursing is ‘actually good’ for health. It
says that it can be an effective emotional release, especially for anger and frustration
which clearly explains Maharlika’s way of venting her devastation out. It also says
that it makes you appear more honest and authentic. Clinical therapist Amy Deacon,
explains that cursing can make you appear more genuine within your social circles.
"Cursing in a positive scenario makes us come across as honest, authentic and
assertive because swearing is such a raw form of expression," she says. "You are
getting an uncensored, raw, unfiltered response that is a gut reaction and reflective of
what the person is really feeling of thinking." A recent study found that profanity is
correlated with genuine feelings and emotions in social interactions, which indicated
that those who curse may also be more likely to be truthful.

It is also ironic how Maharlika confidently say cusswords where it is vividly

prohibited by the YouTube Community Guidelines. She may have felt extremely
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 191

devastated with Vice President Robredo’s claims to swear that much. The reasons that
made Maharlika vent her anger out like that are (1) Robredo’s pronunciation of the
word “sovereignty”, (2) her repetitive use of “iyong” [your] and “ang sa akin lamang”
[for me] in her radio program, (3) alleged tolerance of former President Benigno
Simeon Aquino in the Scarborough Shoal

Statement extract 2:
Maharlika: 1 Hindi [iyon] totoo. Ang sinasabi ni Duterte kay Robredo, alam
mo naman yung totoo pero nagmamaang-maangan kang bruha ka! 2Dahil nga,
gusto niyo nga palabasin na inaagaw, inagawan na tayo ng karagatan ng China.
3
Ulitin natin, panahon ni Noynoy Abnoy, kayo, at ang mga demonyo niyang
kasamahan at gabinete, demonyo ninyo na tauhan ang nagpaubaya na makuha
sa atin yung Scarborough Shoal. Ngayon mabalik dito sa arbitral award na ito,
paulit-ulit na lang natin na 4gusto niyo na makipagiyera? Na magdanak ng
dugo? Bakit hindi kayo ang mag-umpisa ng giyera kung matapang ka Robredo?

Codes:

• Contention
• Conjecture
• Reproach
• Dare

Narration

Maharlika strongly claimed that former president Benigno Aquino III and his
cabinet were the one who let Scarborough Shoal obtained by China. Scarborough
Shoal or Scarborough Reef, also known as Huangyan Island or Panatag Shoal is
located between the Macclesfield Bank and Luzon Island of the Philippines in the
South China Sea or West Philippine Sea. It is a group of rocks or very small islands
plus reefs in an atoll shape.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 192

Analysis

Maharlika is a fearless vlogger who does not care if she uses cusswords to point
out a certain politician. The way she speaks, the way she pinpoints government
officials’ fraud or trickery is somehow in an intrepid manner which may be the reason
why she has gained almost 300,000 subscribers in her YouTube channel.

Maharlika, in an utter dismay, strongly debunked Robredo’s statements that

President Duterte should be a little more aggressive and assertive as well in fighting
for the West Philippine Sea. The vlogger asserted that this might cause an
unprecedented war. Enrile, who was invited in Duterte’s Talk to the People, actually
asserted that he is in full support to the President when it comes to his approach in this
issue— that it should be friendly. Enrile, during the meeting, advised Duterte to
“befriend” China without surrendering the Philippines’ rights over WPS. Duterte
heeded Enrile’s recommendation and decided to ignore those criticizing his way of
handling the Philippines’ sea row with China. Panelo said Enrile was “right” in telling
Duterte to ignore critics. With that being stated, Maharlika’s point is somehow well-
taken. Friendly approach could really resolve the issue a whole lot easier and not
bound with emotions and intense assertiveness.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 193

C.10. Banat By, a certified DDS and Marcos loyalist vlogger shared his
reaction when Former Senator Antonio Trillanes IV has formally declared his
intention to run for president in the 2022 elections.

Statement extract 3:
Banat By: 1Itong Panggulo na ito ay gusto pa niyang maging pangulo na
sinegundahan naman nitong kanyang ‘amuyong’ (referring to Gary Alejano).
Isipin mo, ang kanila pang hinahamon at sinasabing hindi totoo ang
pinagsasasabi ay dalawang matalinong opisyal at tsaka masasabi nating
makasaysayang mga opisyal sa ating gobyerno. [Iyan] po ay si Pangulong
Duterte at Enrile. 2Tanong ng tambyolo, sino ang mas kapani-paniwala,
Trillanes-Alejano? O Duterte-Enrile? Sa accomplishments na lang na
nakatulong sa atin sa Pilipinas, si Trillanes, Alejano o Pangulong Duterte at
Enrile? Oh diba? Alama naman natin kung anong contribution ng dating
president ng senado na si Enrile sa ating bayan. 3Lalung-lalo na ang Pangulong
Duterte. Ikukumpara mo naman dito kay Trillanes at Alejano, mismatch eh.

Codes:

• 1
Insult
• 2
Assertion
• 3
Incongruous
Comparison

Narration

With Vice President Leni Robredo apparently preparing to run for governor of
Camarines Sur, former senator Antonio Trillanes IV declared Wednesday, May 12, his
intention to run for president in the 2022 elections.

In a Facebook post, Trillanes said that he and the Magdalo Group have decided to
convey to the 1Sambayan Coalition to change his status from being an “alternate
candidate” to being the group’s “principal candidate” for president in next year’s
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 194

elections. This, he said, is “in view of Vice President Leni Robredo’s preparations to
run for governor of Camarines Sur in 2022.” Robredo has been considered the
coalition’s principal candidate for president in next year’s elections. Her camp has not
issued yet a statement on Trillanes’ announcement as of this posting Wednesday, May
12. “This move is necessary for my name to be included in 1Sambayan’s selection
process,” said Trillanes. He clarified that he does not intend to divide the opposition,
stressing “there will only be one unified slate to be nominated by 1Sambayan, and
both VP Leni and myself have committed to support and campaign for its nominees.”
He also said that in the event that Robredo decides to run for the land’s highest post
before the coalition picks its nominees in July, “I would wholeheartedly step aside and
withdraw my own candidacy in her favor.”

With this announcement of Trillanes, netizens had mixed reactions, but for Banat
By, he’s just in an utter disgust and dissent. The vlogger believed that Trillanes may
have contributed to this country, but not as many contributions as President Duterte
has. The vlogger even said that Trillanes is and will only be a troublemaker if he
makes his way to the highest position. Banat By probably said that because Trillanes
has been an active critic of Duterte— that whatever the President does for the country,
he always seems to have something to say against it. The statements of the former
senator are always formulated as a backlash against the Duterte administration. There
are many government officials also who have shared their disagreement including
Chief Presidential Legal Counsel Salvador Panelo and said that Former senator
Antonio Trillanes IV is in for “nightmares” once he pursues the presidency in 2022.

Analysis

Banat By is a certified DDS and Marcos loyalist which clearly explains why he is
in full dissent with the announcement of Trillanes to run for Presidency. With his
YouTube video, the vlogger seems to be critical and analytical as well. Before he
comes into a conclusion, he always watches videos as his reference before sharing his
political statements against or in support with the politicians and/or government
officials that he gives comments to.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 195

The reaction of Banat By makes sense. Trillanes either found it unnecessary to

discuss things with Robredo before he made his announcement, or he simply assumed
that Robredo will not run for the presidency on account of what he sees as the sure
defeat of Robredo at the ballot box. If Robredo were a very viable bet for president in
2022, it is doubtful if Trillanes would have had the audacity to push her around.
Trillanes was probably expecting all anti-administration personalities to rally behind
him as the presidential candidate of the political opposition. It turned out that nobody
took him seriously, as shown by lack of public and media enthusiasm about him. Thus,
Robredo can take solace from the knowledge that nobody in his right mind will take
Trillanes’ announcement seriously.

The vlogger even said that instead of making false announcements which
underscore his penchant for lying, Trillanes should focus on explaining his role in
compromising Philippine interests in the on-going maritime dispute between the
Philippines and China in the West Philippine Sea. During the term of President
Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III, when China was still trying to secure a firm hold of
shoals in the West Philippine Sea, Philippine and Chinese naval vessels reached a
standoff over the Philippine-held Scarborough Shoal. For that reason, Aquino secretly
sent Trillanes to China to engage in backdoor negotiations. Those negotiations
supposedly resulted in an agreement that the two countries will withdraw their vessels
from the disputed shoal. It was reported that upon the advice of Trillanes, Aquino
ordered Philippine ships to withdraw from the disputed shoal without even waiting for
China to do the same. China, however, double-crossed the Philippines and retained its
ships in the shoal. Thereafter, China began constructing artificial islands and garrisons
in the area.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 196

Table 13. Summary of the codes of the Political Opinions, Answers and
Statements extract

Meaning Unit/Transcription Code

Political Opinion 1

“You should be compelled to do your obligation.” Insistence

“Hindi po ‘yung nagpi-feeling pilantropo kayo na Surmise

kailangan ninyo pang ilihim ang inyong deeds and
identity” (Not that you’re acting philanthropic
wherein you need to hide your deeds and identity.)

Political Opinion 2

“Hayaan niyo na lang ang mga hindi naniniwala sa Magnanimity and

inyo basta sa puso at isip [ninyo], ginagawa niyo Tolerance
ang katungkulan ninyo.” (Don’t mind those who do
not believe in you as long as, in your heart and
mind, you are doing your duties)

Political Opinion 3

“Alam niyo ba [kung] bakit gusto ng mga dilawan Conjecture

na magkaroon ng gulo sa West Philippine Sea?
Dahil alam nila na wala tayong laban sa China.
Maraming mamamatay sa ating mga sundalo,
maraming maiiwang mga pamilya, magagalit ang
[taumbayan] kay Duterte at yun ang magiging
dahilan para matalo si Sara Duterte sa 2022
elections at makuha na naman ng mga Dilawan
ang gobyerno. Oh diba? Matalino sila pero mas
wise si Duterte at kaming mga DDS.” (Do you
know why the ‘dilawans’ want that there is a
conflict in the West Philippine Sea? Because they
know that we cannot go against the China. Many
will die among our soldiers and their families will
be left in grievance, people will get mad at Duterte
and that will be the reason why Sara Duterte won’t
win the 2022 national elections and the ‘dilawans’
will get the government again. Right? They are
smart but Duterte and DDS are wiser.)

Political Opinion 4
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 197

“Mag-resign na lang kayong dalawa, pareho Inducement

kayong ‘makapili.’” (Both of you, please just
resign.)

Political Opinion 5

“Tuso itong China talaga!” (China is indeed Anger

cunning!)

“Walang hiya at traydor itong admin ni Duterte!” Dismay

(Duterte administration is derogatory and a traitor!)

Political Opinion 6

“Wag [niyo] kaming idamay sa kapalpakan mo Distrust

dahil alam naming na ‘di ka kwalipikadong maging
Pangulo” (Don’t include us in your fallacy because
we know that you are not qualified to be a
President)

Political Opinion 7

“Kaya magisip-isip na iyong mga boboto sa kaniya Persuasion

[kung] sakali man na tatakbo talaga [siya] sa
pinakamataas na posisyon.” (People who opt to
vote for him if he will really run for the highest
position should start thinking now.)

Political Opinion 8

“Transparency is the best policy” Insistence

Political Opinion 9

“Mumurahin lang ni #Tang***MoDuterte si Prediction

Carpio, then yung mga alagad ni
#Tang***MoDuterte, magpapalakpakan at
magsisigawan na akala mo panalo sa boxing!”
(Duterte will just throw swear words to Carpio and
the Duterte supporters will just clap and scream as
if they won in boxing!)

Political Opinion 10

“Nevermind the mismatch. This is treason of the Distrust

highest degree.”

Political Opinion 11
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 198

“…but calling them stupid if they believed, it is Assertion

unacceptable.”

Political Opinion 12

“Resign ka na lang please. Pabigat ka sa Appeal

mamamayan.” (Just resign please. You’re such a
burden to the citizens.)

Political Opinion 13

“Dahil sa oposisyon kaya buhay ang demokrasya” Assertion

(Democracy is alive because of the opposition.)

Political Opinion 14

“Corrupt. Bastos. Inutil. Traydor. Duwag. ‘Yan Negative Labeling

ka!” (Corrupt. Nasty. Impotent. Traitor. Coward.
That’s you!)

Critic 1 and 2 answer extract

“I feel like…” Opinion

“I feel like the biggest problem with the Philippine Dissent of current
politics as a system is that it primes the government Philippine Political
to be corrupt. How does my favorite boxer make his System
way to the senate? Like that’s ridiculous. Like how
is it possible that Mr. Bong Revilla who would not
be able to qualify in any kind of corporate job finds
his way leading the senatorial race? Right?”

“It’s very personality politics.” Assertion

“Personality politics. And I’d like to think at one Suggestion

point the correction should be made even before
these guys enter the political arena. Because when
they enter the political arena, it’s pageantry.”

Critic 3 answer extract

“But I guess no one drug lord has been caught and jailed. Conjecture
”.. But has there ever been a raid, someone jailed, or Interrogation
someone killed in BGC, Makati or exclusive villages?”

“I don’t think so.” Opinion

Now we must see the drug problem or the addict as a Inducement
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 199

health problem

Supporter 1 answer extract

“I find it weird that I’m losing a lot of friends or friends Dismay
losing other friends just because of a political stand.”

“… the President may have done wrong, but we also have Acknowledgement
to point out and give credit where credit is due. Especially of other’s mistakes
the fact that the previous administration’s problems were
carried over to the President and he has to basically
shoulder the burden as well.”

Maharlika’s statement extract 1

“…yung (mocks VP Leni Robredo)“sa akin lamang, kung Mockery
mamarapatin, ang sa akin lamang” puro ang sa akin
lamang.” (…for me, if deigned, “for me”, all “for me”)

“Hindi ka ba pwede magsalita nang may sense, yung may Insult

utak abogada? Well, ano pa ba i-eexpect namin? Lugaw
ang laman mo eh.” (Can you speak with sense, like a
lawyer? Well, what can we expect? You have porridge
inside you.)

Maharlika’s statement extract 2

“Hindi [iyon] totoo. Ang sinasabi ni Duterte kay Robredo, Contention
alam mo naman yung totoo pero nagmamaang-maangan
kang bruha ka!” (That’s not true. What Duterte is saying to
Robredo is that, she knows the truth but acting like she
does not.)

“Dahil nga, gusto niyo nga palabasin na inaagaw, Conjecture

inagawan na tayo ng karagatan ng China” (Because you
want to )

Ulitin natin, panahon ni Noynoy Abnoy, kayo, at ang mga Reproach

demonyo niyang kasamahan at gabinete, demonyo ninyo
na tauhan ang nagpaubaya na makuha sa atin yung
Scarborough Shoal

gusto niyo na makipagiyera? Na magdanak ng dugo? Bakit Dare

hindi kayo ang mag-umpisa ng giyera kung matapang ka
Robredo?

Banat By’s statement extract

Itong Panggulo na ito ay gusto pa niyang maging pangulo Insult
na sinegundahan naman nitong kanyang ‘amuyong’
(referring to Gary Alejano). (This nuisance wants to be a
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 200

President which is agreed by Gary Alejano.)

Tanong ng tambyolo, sino ang mas kapani-paniwala, Assertion

Trillanes-Alejano? O Duterte-Enrile? Sa accomplishments
na lang na nakatulong sa atin sa Pilipinas, si Trillanes,
Alejano o Pangulong Duterte at Enrile? Oh diba? Alama
naman natin kung anong contribution ng dating president
ng senado na si Enrile sa ating bayan. (The tambiolo’s
question, who is more believable? Trillanes-Alejano? Or
Duterte-Enrile? With the accomplishments, who actually
helped the Philippines? Trillanes-Alejano? Or Duterte
Enrile? Right? We all know the contributions of the former
senate President Enrile. )

Lalung-lalo na ang Pangulong Duterte. Ikukumpara mo Incongruous

naman dito kay Trillanes at Alejano, mismatch eh. Comparison
(Especially President Duterte. He is incomparable to
Trillanes; it’s a mismatch.)

The table presents various codes from the political opinions and statements of the
selected social media users which clearly suggest that people have their own political
standpoints. This is a proof that political polarization exists in the Philippines. Oxford
(2021) said that the formal definition of polarization is derived from that of polarity,
which is the “state of having two opposite or contradictory tendencies, opinions, and
aspects.” There are usages of polarization that span almost all possible political
“tendencies, opinions, and aspects.” The public has variously been described as
polarized over cultural norms and practices, religion, attitudes toward subgroups,
policy preferences, and partisan attachments. In some cases, the definition is stretched
to encompass social and political divisions involving more than two groups—such as
when polarization is used to describe conflicts among social, ethnic, and racial
identities.

In the Philippine Politics, people either belong to a “Dilaw” [Yellow] camp or to

a DDS [Diehard Duterte Supporter] camp. “Dilaw” is the disparaging term for the
critics of the country’s leading opposition party, the Liberal Party (LP). While “DDS”
is associated with the supporters of Partido Demokratiko Pilipino–Lakas ng Bayan
(PDP-Laban) and of the current president, Rodrigo “Digong” Duterte, with red as its
party color. The predecessor of Rodrigo Duterte, Benigno Simeon Aquino III of the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 201

Liberal Party promised to follow a “matuwid na daan” [straight path] in an effort to

continue his late mother, former president Corazon Aquino’s legacy as a leader of
integrity in contrast with the administration of his predecessor, Gloria Macapagal
Arroyo’s ubiquitous corruption allegations. There were notable reforms made during
his term as president but there are also unresolved problems that continued to
precipitate even until this day. The Macroeconomic growth was lagging behind in
reducing poverty, improvements of infrastructures were slow, and it did little to
address concerns regarding agriculture, food and other basic needs.

In the Philippines, the polarization among two parties continues to widen as

more issues remain unresolved. It is easy to play the blame game and pinpoint who
really are at fault. It is easy to identify yourself with a party you think upholds your
virtues. However, many Filipinos believe that not choosing which side of coin they
should be would automatically put their duties as citizens in question. One must bear
in mind that the goal of political parties should be to achieve a common democratic
national interest in the end. The opposition party should not only focus on criticizing
the ruling government but offer alternative solutions and work with the ruling
government on nonpartisan issues. The citizens on the other hand, should be more
vigilant by calling out any actions or decisions they perceive undemocratic regardless
of political partisanship. As what the former president, Manuel Quezon said, “My
loyalty to my party ends where my loyalty to my country begins.”
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 202

D. Political Needs and Political Efficacy

This presents the coding, theme formation, categorization and formulating

thematic framework of the answers of the selected six social media users which leads
to the variable A (Grounded Theory) for the research proponents to establish their own
theory in political attitudes of social media users.

Table 14. Question 1: When did you first engage in political participation in
social media platforms?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 2019 First-time Experience

in Political
Engagements
1 1
2 The first time I engaged in political First-time Experience
participation in social media platforms was in Political
during the killing of Kian delos Santos last Engagements
2017.
1 1
3 I first used social media in 2010, since then, I First-time Experience
used these platforms to communicate my in Political
insights about the politics in and out of the Engagements
country.
1 1
4 Since the pandemic started, it was the time First-time Experience
where I became more open, vocal and in Political
transparent to my political standing. Engagements
1
5 I started to join in political engagements when First-time Experience
the critics of President Duterte and the in Political
opposition started to pinpoint the ‘weaknesses’ Engagements
of this government when it comes to their
COVID-19 pandemic response. It seems unfair
for me that people only put the blame on him.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 203

6 It all started when I couldn’t believe that 1

First-time Experience
Robredo won against BBM. Until now, it’s not in Political
solved as opposed to the OVP team is stating Engagements
publicly. I still can’t get over with it and it’s
like a nightmare for me having Leni Robredo
as a Vice President. Such a cringe.

Table 15. Question 2: What was it like? What triggered you back then to join in
political engagements?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1Engaging 1
1 in some political discussions in Taking the risk in
social media is a risk that I have to take political participation
especially that I am affiliated to different
organizations both from government and [non-
government] institutions.
2But I firmly believe that in these trying times, 2
Belief in the
our voices matters. importance of voicing
3 out opinions
I've been expressing my political dissents
before in my essays, portfolios, position papers
and in any academic papers that I make, I
3
never dared to use social media to discuss and Sensitivity in using
say something political because I think it is too social media as a tool
sensitive and some people might use my words for expressing
against me and my family, as well as the political dissent
organization that I lead (SSG).
4
Year 2019 when I had the courage to speak up 4
Political Courage
and I finally decided to use my social media
platforms to campaign for the causes that I
support and also to open the eyes of many
people in what is really happening to our
society.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 204

5 5
I was not able [to] contain my Rage on the
disappointments on how our leaders handle the Philippine leaders
COVID situation.
6
Within a year, a lot of things happened, we 6
Politically Outspoken
saw how the duality of our laws take its effects with societal issues
on people's lives, many social injustices
occurred, killings everywhere, people were
starving, poor were left behind, and those who
are in power keep on oppressing the weak
ones- these are some of the things that
triggered me to become more outspoken and
brave at the same time.
1 1
2 When I saw the news about the killing, all I Anger and Rage for
could ever feel was anger and rage for the the government
government.
2
It was a transparent propaganda on their 2
Conjecture of
killings hidden in their oplan tokhang. Political Knowledge
3
What triggered me was that there was no clear 3
Supplemental Proof
evidence of Kian being a drug addict and a life for Political Dissent
so innocent like his was taken by slaughtering
officials just to satisfy their desires.
1 1
3 The imperfections and poor managerial and Outspoken with Bad
leadership skills of politicians triggered me to leadership of
be active with such discussions. politicians

1 1
4 As a newly registered voter for this coming Incompetence of
election, I can really see the incompetence on current administration
how the present administration runs the
county especially now that we’re in the midst
of crisis.
2
No concrete plans in combating the virus,
shutting down the largest media network in
2
the country knowing that most Filipinos are Pinpointing
relying to it for information and updates, government’s failures
useless projects like the dolomite in Manila
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 205

bay, no action in the alleged 15-billion peso

corruption in some officials on PhilHealth,
jokes on rape and health protocol issues, the
issue on West Philippine sea, and others
made me raise my voice and made me aware
on what’s happening around me.
1 1
5 The opposition and the critics who started to Triggered by the
put stain on President’s reputation and opposition
continue to dismantle his leadership amid
pandemic.
1 1
6 The result of 2016 Vice President elections. I Disbelief
just can’t believe it.

2
This current ‘vice president’ is too 2
pretentious. Pretentious Vice
President

Table 16. Question 3: What are your online references in the structure of your
political opinions?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 I use a lot of references when it comes to Inquisitiveness
strengthening my political views.
2
We have these online news sources such as 2
Investigative in terms
rappler, GMA News, ABS CBN news, of political news
Philstar, CNN Philippines, etc. These are some references
of my "go-to" sites if I want to verify the
factuality of a certain news, however, I also
believe that sometimes news are filtered and
bias that is why I don't just stick to a single
reference.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 206

3 3
They say, we get the most authentic answers Dependent to
from people who [were] able to experience a people’s stories
certain scenario first hand, [which] is why
something I am dependent to people who
shares the stories courageously.
4 4
Especially those victims of this system that Social media
we have. Facebook and twitter are my "virtual engagement
reality" because it allows me to connect with
people, to know their stories, and to learn from
them.
1 1
2 I always take time to read news and articles Investigative in terms
from reliable sources like Rappler and of political news
Inquirer.net, then I also read opinions from references
influential personalities on social media, may it
be a positive or negative one to take all points
and angles from an issue or problem.
1 2
3 I use valid online references such as Investigative in terms
legitimate news sites as my sources to create of political news
strong points in my political opinions. references

1 1
4 I usually read news updates on reliable online Inquisitiveness
sources like CNN Philippines, Inquirer.net,
GMA and ABS-CBN online news.
1 1
5 I use credible and non-biased media outlets Inquisitiveness
such as The Manila Times, Manila Standard,
News5 and sometimes GMA News.
1 1
6 My references? Well, I patiently watch Watching for
Duterte’s speeches especially his “Talk to the references
people” and not just merely relying in one
headline and article.
2
Some people out there just base their opinions
on the news headlines and what’s worst? They 2
Unsystematic
don’t even have the time to read the whole reasoning
article.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 207

3
When it comes to news articles, I go to GMA
News or News5 websites. These two media 3
outlets are non-biased so that explains it all. Visiting websites for
references

Table 17. Question 4: Who/What influenced you in joining political engagements

in social media?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 To be honest, this decision is mine. No one Self-influence
influenced me to do so.
2
I used my social media platforms to speak up 2
Self-proclaimed
against social injustice because I think I have a assertion
big following, and if I can influence my
followers to do the same thing- it would be
easier for us to make a resounding impact of
our causes.
3
Social Media is a universal tool, and we
3
should use this to make a change- a change Encouragement in
using social media for
that would benefit humanity.
change

4 4
We must use our influence in the right way. Encouragement

2 1
I think it was because of my former practice
1
Influenced by others’
teacher who I respect the most because he political views
always gives reasonable and fair opinion with
every political discourse happening.
2
I was also influenced to speak up and join
2-3
political engagements because of my position Influenced by
in our campus journalism. 3I was a reporter in position in campus
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 208

our TV Broadcasting and it made an impact to journalism

me to be one resilient and woke journalist to
speak about my stand in politics.
1 1
3 The onslaught of COVID 19 pandemic and Outspoken by the
how poorly the government responds to it has poor management of
greatly influenced me to join political government
engagements in social media.
1
4 To be honest, no one within my family is
open and vocal to their political thoughts the
way I do.
2
I think the one who influenced me is my
childhood best friend who is taking Political 2
Influenced by others’
Science at the moment. political views

3
Whenever there are issues circulating online, 3
Political Discourse
we always share our own thoughts and among peers
opinions.
1 1
5 I think what influenced me is that the duality Influenced by media
of media outlets. duality
2 2
It is very clear that some of them are twisting Captious reasoning
facts just to ruin the President.
3
How can I keep mum when I see some of 3
them seem to have ‘favorites’? Unfair treatment of
media outlets

4
Rappler, for example always put emojis in
their news caption in their Facebook page.
4-6
5
An emoji that depicts doubt most especially Unfair treatment of
when the article is about our President. media outlets

6
It is quite insulting and vividly unfair.
3
6 The duality of Supreme Court and COMELEC. Unfair media outlets
Let’s add the biased media outlets also. They
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 209

can never turn down BBM or even the current

President. How come Duterte got 91% of
approval? The hidden agenda of the opposition
will never succeed.

Table 18. Question 5: Tell me about how you came into that certain political
opinion on your social media account. What were your references?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 It is very evident that I am against the Dissent
leadership of our current President.

2
I have my own life [principles that guide] me 2
Life principles as
in making my life decisions. guide for decision-
making

3
3 Advocate
I am an advocate of human rights and social
welfare.
4
In his "war on drugs", cases of killed innocent 4
Dissent on Duterte’s
people are all over the news; I am also not war on drugs
okay with how he render [in] speeches during
his SONA.
5
5 Hatred
I hate how ungrateful he is.
6
Dissent of Duterte’s
6
I don't like how he makes joke about some caustic humor
serious matters.
7
I am angry because he took the pandemic for
7
granted. Anger
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 210

8 8
I hate his lies, I hate everything about him. Anger

1 1
2 That certain political opinion on my social Outspoken with Bad
media account was the fruit of a year-long leadership of
patience for the government and a year-long politicians.
mismanagement of the pandemic.
2
As seen from my tweet, I emphasized on the 2
Emphasis of
government’s “kapabayaan”. Government’s
negligence

3
The references of my tweet were the long list
of how the administration failed to contain and 3
Outspoken with Bad
mitigate the effects of the pandemic in the leadership of
country. politicians

4 4
Since March 2020, there was no concrete plan Dismay of
and action on how to flatten the curve of the government’s
cases. pandemic response
5
Other countries are handling the pandemic
better than our country and it made me realize 5
Comparison
that with all the budget this administration
have, why can’t we go to the level of
fulfillment neighboring countries have?
1 1
3 Data and statistics doesn’t lie when it [comes] Assertion
to how bad our situation is in this country,
when it comes to COVID 19 response such as
concrete plans on vaccine rollouts.
2
Legitimate news agencies were my references
in concluding that the government action
towards this pandemic is very poor.
1 1-2
4 When there is someone online especially Engaging in
when I know the person, posting or Political arguments
commenting baseless and unreliable
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 211

statements, I can’t avoid to associate myself on

them, I usually contradict their opinion but
with utmost respect to what I know based on
what I’ve read.
2
Usually, I provide them links of articles that
could prove that their statements are not
reliable.
1 1
5 I shared my opinion because some netizens Brainwashed by
especially the youth and non-voters seem to media outlets
have been brainwashed with what they see in
social media platforms especially from biased
media outlets.
2
I want to tell them that they should be more
analytical when it comes to favoring any
politicians because they are the backbone of
the future society.
4
6 I wanted people to be more mindful. Clearly, Referring to credible
most of the political opinions are just pure rage media outlets
and anger. How about giving facts? How about
reading some CREDIBLE news articles from
CREDIBLE media outlets? This social media
should not be books of Joma Sison. You know
what I mean? This platform should not be
manipulative and we should not let ourselves
to be manipulated.

Table 19. Question 6: Are you joining political groups and pages in social media
platforms? If yes, how would you describe the political engagement in that
particular group or page? If not, just share your thoughts about the significance
of various pages and groups of people who share similar political standpoints.

ANSWERS CODING
Participant
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 212

1 1
1 No, but I think talking to people whose beliefs Political sentiments
are similar to mine gives me fresh knowledge
and it also allows me to express my
sentiments.
2 2
On the other hand, it is also nice to discuss a Diversity of political
certain issue to someone whose political belief opinions
is opposite to mine, in that way I would be able
to understand where they are coming from.
1 1
2 I am not a part of any political group and Inducement of
pages in social media platforms but as I voicing out political
encounter them everyday in my timeline, I opinions
personally think that it is high time people
open their eyes and realize that there is really
something wrong in our system.
2 2
These groups and pages bring change to the Conjecture
opinion of many in a positive way.
3
Not only that, they also become a refuge for 3
Advantage of
those who are in need of help as genuine and
political groups and
unconditional fund raisings and events are
pages
done to help the general public.
1 1
3 I am a loyal MDS fan and I engaged myself Enthusiasm for a
with her ideologies through different social politician
media accounts in memory of her,
administered by fans.
2
The political engagement of MDS fans clearly
show how Filipino people should respond to
issues surrounding our society.

4 I don’t join political groups but what I can

1 1-2
Showing support
only say is that, I support them, I stan and for pages and groups
rooting for them. that voice out political
2
opinions
They should never stop raising their thoughts
and never let anyone silenced their voice.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 213

5 1
No. I don’t have any groups or pages.
2
And If I have to join, it should be a friendly-
group or page. 3
friendly political
3
The political discourse must be bounded with discourse
facts and evidences, not just based on emotions
or personal vendetta.

6 No. I don’t support it at all because I firmly

1

believe that when someone’s opinion differs 3-4

from me, then we can discuss it immediately. Private political
discussion
2
Why is there a need for me to join this
stressful groups and pages? I don’t want it.
3
It’s not engaging. It just yields more of strife
and hatred.
4
Let’s just discuss it privately and we’re done.

Table 20. Question 7: How would you describe your own political standpoint?
Why do you think you’re right on your own political stance?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 I think my political standpoint favors Assertiveness of
humanity, social equality, social justice and political standpoint
morality, and I think these things make my
political standpoint right.
2
Politics is not about the leader but it’s about
2
the leadership, an excellent leadership doesn't Definition of a real
allow human beings to suffer, but it helps them leader
to flourish.
1 1
2 I wouldn’t say that I am a “know-it-all” Accountability of
person with the political standpoint that I have own political
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 214

but I would describe it as a firm and flexible standpoint

because I will always be responsible for my
standpoint.
2
If I am right, I will not let anyone shake me
and if I am wrong, I am willing to be educated. 2
Teachable

3 3
I think that I am right with my own political Assertion
stance because I choose to be aware and
educated, and I stand not for myself or for the
government, but for the Filipino people.
1 1
3 My political standpoint is to support when Transparency in
programs are relevant to the Filipino people political standpoint
and uplifts social, economic and political
systems in our country, but to speak when
needed to disapprove of unnecessary
government action by weak leaders.

4 1
I can’t say I’m always right but I can say that 1
Assertion
my political standpoint is valid.
2
Standing with the oppressed will always be
valid.
3
Not allowing the government deprived me
from my rights will always be valid.

5 1
It doesn’t make me right but it makes me
responsible as a social media user.
2
This virtual reality is bounded with duality
and inequality of rights distribution.
3
3
The media outlets seem to have been betting Unfair treatment of
their favorite politicians. media outlets

4
Rappler, for example, their YouTube channel
is a huge platform but what I’ve noticed is that, 4-5
Biased attitude
their videos get more of dislikes than likes and towards political
when there is news about President Duterte, discourse
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 215

they always turn off their comment section.

5
Now, if they are really for freedom of
expression, then why are they hindering what
people have to say? I don’t get it. Clearly,
there is bias but sadly, people are not that
aware of it.
1 1-4
6 I am not right but I am valid. Dissent on
opposition’s hidden
2
I am not for the opposition’s hidden agenda. agenda
3
I am not for CPP-NPA that is being
glamorized now.
4
Seriously? They are like the rotten tomatoes
in this beautiful garden! Wake up people!

Table 21. Question 8: How do you handle political arguments with your friends
on Facebook or followers/followings in Twitter?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 Most of the time I settle my discussions with Private political
them privately to prevent social clout and argument
attention.
1 1
2 I always want to have a healthy Composure during
argument/discourse with my friends/followers political argument
on Facebook and Twitter and I try my best to
have composure when conversing, without
attacking the person.

3 1
I debate/comment with people whose Raising others’
1

standpoint is different from mine in a manner standard with own

that would raise their standard of leadership, political standpoint
and share useful and reliable information to
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 216

public.
1 1-5
4 Honestly, expressing my political opinions Disadvantages of
online was never been easy. political engagement
2
I was misinterpreted.
3
I was judged.
4
People would attack me ad hominem
statements saying, “Wala ka pa namang
napapatunayan at ambag sa bansa, ang dami
mo nang reklamo.”
5
And they usually came from people who
know me personally.
6
But this never stopped me from what I do.
6-7
Firm in political
standpoint
7
I never stop contradicting them if there’s
something I know isn’t right but still with
utmost respect.
1 1
5 As much as possible, I want to keep a healthy healthy political
argument. argument
2
We have different political ideologies and that
make us believe what we want to believe. 2-3
Private political
3
Social media is a powerful platform so I discussion
would love to discuss or debate to anyone my
own political stance privately.

6 1
I provide them facts and I cite information. Dispelling others’
1-2

2
political opinions by
Sometimes, I fearlessly dispel their opinions facts
which are just based on their emotions.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 217

Table 22. Question 9: Tell me about your thoughts about the current
government? What are their strengths and weaknesses?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 I think our current administration is strategic Acknowledgement of
when it comes to securing their power. the government’s
strength

2
Imagine they increased the salary of the
2
military to gain their loyalty which allow them Sarcasm
to manipulate the law in a way that would
favor them.
3
However, their weakness is very evident.
3
Leadership is our government's weakness, it Pointing out
reflects to our current situation right now. government’s
weakness
1 1
2 The government is composed of good and bad Conjectural Sureness
people.
2
There will always be problems faced but I 2
Pointing out
think that with the current situation, the government’s
government has become incompetent. incompetence
3
The strength of this government is that they 3
Twisted
can have all the means to fight for their acknowledgement of
territories and for their people, but their one the government’s
weakness that leads to a downfall is how they strength
become a coward to a country and becomes
one’s puppet.
1 1
3 The current administration is weak at all Assertion
aspects.
2
It’s like the PH government is being led by 2
Negative Labeling to
people with no sense of urgency and
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 218

accountability, and are therefore useless the government

especially in this time of pandemic.
1 1
4 I am still happy to think that despite of the Acknowledging other
incompetency of the present administration, we politicians
still have honest and hardworking senators and
mayors like Mayor Vicco Sitto that we can all
count to and I think that is the weakness of
today’s government.
2-3
Incompetence of
However their weaknesses, words aren’t
2
Government
enough to state them but I think that the
President doesn’t have competent and effective
subordinates that could influence him in his
political decisions.

There’s no people at his side that is honest

3

and wise enough to awaken the president on

what’s truly happening.
1 1-3
5 This government is very realistic, and Acknowledgement
strategic. I believe that Duterte has no hidden of the government’s
agenda. approach

It’s just that people who dislike him share

2

misinformation that they know would ruin his

reputation.
3
There are a lot of projects that he has done
which was not addressed properly by some
media outlets.
4
What infuriates me also is that, oppositions
4
have the guts to put the blame on Duterte Complaint of
without recognizing Aquino’s highfaluting opposition
performance as a President which made
millions of Filipinos stuck in hardship and
unemployment.

1 1
6 The current government is the best Acknowledgement of
government next to late President Marcos. The the government’s
President is authentic. He has no hidden approach
agenda. He may not post his contributions
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 219

unlike the ‘vice president’; I know that he has

done so many in this country.
2
I’ve read about his projects and they are all in 2-3
work as promised. Unfair treatment of
media outlets

Sadly, biased media outlets don’t have the

3

interest to share it on their websites and social

media accounts.

Table 23. Question 10: How, if at all, have your thoughts about the government
changed since you engaged into political participation in social media platforms
(Facebook, Twitter and YouTube)?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
At some point yes.
2
I used to be a supporter of Marcoses when I
was in High School, but when I start to engage 2
Change of Political
in some political discussions in social media, I standpoint
had the chance to have an access to different
references that tackles about history and
politics.
3
My readings [allow] me to investigate further
which eventually made me reconsider my
beliefs.

2 1
Before engaging in political participation in
social media platforms, I was just a citizen
who watched her government do what they do
within giving my opinion.
2 2
However things turned differently and I Change of Political
learned how to fight for the people’s rights and
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 220

speak up for those who are silenced by this standpoint

government.
1 2
3 I have supported this administration since Change of political
Duterte sat as president, but as time went by standpoint
and his incapacity to lead this country went
uncontrollable and have divided the society, I
have participated to be a voice of millions of
Filipinos whose voices were unheard to
campaign to be politically critical and be
vigilant about this inutile leader under China’s
puppetry.
1 2
4 I think I became more empowered and Change of political
relieved. standpoint and
2
attitude towards issues
I became more vocal to my feelings and
thoughts.
3
I became more aware on what’s happening
around me.
1 1-3
5 Since the announcement that Duterte will run Support for Duterte
for Presidency, I have been eyeing and rooting
for this strongman.
2
His statements and platforms during the
presidential debate were on point and his
charisma always gets me.
3
His performance in Davao City is so evident
that he’s comparable to the late President
Ferdinand E. Marcos.
1 1-2
6 My thoughts for me are becoming more valid. Change of Political
2
Expression
I will never let opposition brainwash citizens
just to achieve their hidden agenda.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 221

Table 24. Question 11: Would you tell me how you would describe the person you are
now? What were the differences before you engage into political participation in social
media platforms? What have you learned and what is the political knowledge you’ve
encountered along the way?

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1
1 Today I am more vigilant than before, I am Influence of political
more skeptical and critical especially when it participation in
comes to things that seem to be uncertain. personal life

2
Along the way, I've was able to realize how
important it is to become socially aware, and
socially engage for it will not only allow us to
grow but it will also open another opportunity
for us to learn.
3
As I study the dynamics of our society today, 3
Pinpointing lack of
I saw how lack of leadership impacts the
leadership
world, and having these unable leaders who are
also conceited and greedy made our situation
even worse.
4
With that being said, I want to highlight that 4
Inducement of
the most important mission that we have for
choosing the best
the next generation is to make them realize the
leaders
importance of choosing the right people to lead
our country, and we must start training the
children of today to be the best leader of
themselves.
5
People who [lead] themselves well are those
people who are worth following.
6 6
If we turn this vision into reality, the future Conjecture
generation will not suffer like us.
1 1
2 I would describe me as a person who is not Firm Political
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 222

afraid to be shaken by the judgement of people behavior

with my beliefs and practices.
2
If before I was silent, I am now ready to voice 2
Influence of political
out for those who need me.
participation in
personal life

3-4
3
I learned that knowing what is right and just is Inducement of
one thing, but speaking up and walking your participating in
talk is another thing— which I highly political discourse
recommend to everyone.

4
Participate in political discourses and learn
the pros and cons of your beliefs to be
educated.
1 1-2
3 I can say that I have developed my personality Influence of
as a politically critical and vigilant voter and political participation
member of the community. in personal life

2
I have learned to be socially responsible with
others by voicing out what’s lacking of the
government actions especially those that would
directly affect lives of ordinary people.
1 1-6
4 The person who I was before was focused on Influence of
the things that she only likes but now, I am political participation
more focused on what is only needed. in personal life
2
Being aware on whats happening around me
makes me more knowledgeable about life in
general.
3
Because of it, I was enlightened what my
rights are.
4
As a first time voter to the upcoming election,
I learned who is being needed and what
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 223

characteristics I should consider on the

candidates.
5
I learned that raising my voice and my one
vote can make a big difference.
6
Being aware on political issues makes me
empowered and that no one can deprive me
raising my voice and my human rights.
1 1-2
5 I am more firm now when it comes to my Willingness to be
political standpoint. corrected in political
2
standpoint
If someone dispels or debunks my statements,
I am willing to be corrected only if they can
present me data and information that would
invalidate my claims.
3
6 I became more mindful on the things that I Change of Attitude
share especially my political opinions. towards political
expression

Table 25. Question 12: Please tell your own significance of voicing out political
opinions especially on social media.

ANSWERS CODING
Participant

1 1-5
1 Social Media is a powerful tool to be used if Social media as a
we want to raise something. 2We saw how powerful tool in
vital social media is in some cases like black addressing societal
lives matter, stop asian hate, pray for issues
myanmar, pulis ang terorista, and the like.
3
These cries will not be heard if not because of
social media. 4It collects our voices and bind it
into one impactful sound that when it
explodes, it screams for change. 5It urges the
authorities to make action, it somehow gives
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 224

justice to the victims and it opens the eyes of

many.

1 1-3
2 It is important to let people know how I think Social media as a
and feel about my political opinions. 2In this powerful tool in
way, they will know that I am aware and I am giving voice to the
voiceless
against all twisted systems in our society. 3As
powerful as social media can be, I will use it in
my advantage to give my voice a microphone
to echo to those who are close minded and
those who refuse to know the truth.
1 1
3 Being active on social media in voicing out Social media as a
my political opinions is very significant powerful tool in
nowadays especially if we use hashtags that impacting government
would make an issue trending and be talked with the societal
about by more people, it would impact issues
government officials to make better decisions
and legislations, and would eventually improve
the lives of people directly affected by issues at
hand.
1 1-3
4 Raising my political thoughts on social media Social media as a
allow other people especially the youth powerful tool for the
understand and be aware on what’s happening youth
around us.
2
We’re gonna be the next leaders that would
lead the country and I would want it to be a
world that deserves to be lived by the next
generation.
3
Our future sons and daughters rely on our
hands so I hope that people out there especially
the youth will be awakened and know the
importance in involving ourselves on political
issues and never let anybody silenced their
voice.
1
5 Social media is a complex platform.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 225

2 2
We are often provided with biased Biased political
information and it immediately affects our own information
political ideologies.
3
What scares me is that the CPP-NPA has 3-4
obviously made their way to social media CPP-NPA
platforms. recruitment in social
media
4
This is very alarming for me especially there
are reports that students are the target in
recruitments.

5
I don’t want that to happen so we should use 3
Social media as a
this platform to voice out political standpoints powerful tool of being
that would not ruin any politician but to wake analytical in political
up and inform people especially the youth that information
they should be more observant and not easily
swayed by others’ opinions.
1 1-3
6 Social media is a beautiful platform but what Social media as a
made it dirty is when politics started to rise. tool for political
2
mindfulness
We open our Facebook, we see news articles,
and we look at comment section only to see a
rude political discourse among netizens.
3
It is a great platform to voice out our opinions
but let’s be mindful and sensitive also.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 226

This presents the categorization of codes and themes as perceived from table
14 to table 25.

Table 26. Condensation of Codes

LEGEND:
1. First-Time Experience in Political Engagements
2. Attitudes towards political references
3. Political Attitudes of Social Media Users
4. Factors affecting Political Engagements
5. Strengths and Weaknesses of Government as Perceived by Social Media Users
6. Advantages of political groups and pages
7. Treatment on Political Arguments
8. Roles of Social Media in Shaping Public Opinion

First-time Inquisitiveness Dissent Assertiveness of Change of

Experience in political standpoint Political
Political standpoint
Engagements Investigative in Dissent on
First-time terms of political Duterte's war on Accountability of
Experience in news references drugs own political Change of
Political standpoint Political
Engagements standpoint
Dependent to Hatred
First-time people’s stories Teachable
Experience in Change of
Political political
Dissent of
Engagements standpoint
Investigative in Duterte's caustic Assertion
First-time terms of political humor
Experience in news references
Political Transparency in Change of
Engagements Anger political standpoint political
Investigative in standpoint
First-time and attitude
terms of political
Experience in towards
news references Anger Assertion
Political issues
Engagements

First-time
Outspoken with Unfair treatment of
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 227

Experience in Inquisitiveness Bad leadership media outlets Change of

Political of politicians Political
Engagements Expression

Taking the risk in Inquisitiveness Dissent on

political Outspoken with opposition's hidden
participation Bad leadership agenda Pinpointing
Watching for of politicians lack of
Belief in the references leadership
importance of Private Political
voicing out Dismay of argument
opinions government's Conjecture
Unsystematic
Sensitivity in reasoning pandemic
response Influence of
using social Composure during political
media as a tool argument participation
for expressing Visiting websites in personal
political dissent for references Comparison life
'Raising others'
Political Courage
standard with own
Rage on the Self-influence Assertion political standpoint Influence of
Philippine political
leaders participation
Influenced by Referring to Firm in political in personal
Politically
others’ political credible media standpoint life
Outspoken with
views outlets
societal issues

Anger and Rage Healthy political Change of

for the Conjecture argument Attitude
Influenced by
government towards
position in campus
Conjecture of journalism political
Political Enthusiasm for a 'Dispelling others' expression
Knowledge politician political opinions by
Outspoken by the facts
Supplemental
poor management Sarcasm
Proof for Political
of government Showing support
Dissent Social
for pages and
media as a
Outspoken with groups that voice
Conjectural powerful
Bad leadership Influenced by out political
Sureness tool in
others’ political
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 228

of politician views opinions addressing

societal
Incompetence of Pointing out issues
current government’s
administration Political Discourse Friendly political incompetence
among peers discourse
Pinpointing Social
government’s media as a
failures Assertion powerful
Influenced by
media duality tool in
Triggered by the giving voice
opposition Negative Labeling to the
Disbelief to the government voiceless
Captious
Pretentious Vice reasoning Social
President media as a
Incompetence of
powerful
Government
Unfair treatment of tool in
media outlets impacting
government
Acknowledgement with the
of the government’s societal
Unfair treatment of approach issues
media outlets

Unfair treatment of Social

Unfair media media outlets. media as a
outlets
powerful
tool for the
youth

CPP-NPA
recruitment
in social
media

Social
media as a
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 229

powerful
tool of
being
analytical in
political
information

Social
media as a
tool for
political
mindfulness

Table 27. Categorization of codes

THEMES CODES Occurrences

Political Discourse in
Social Media World

1. First-Time
Experience in
Political
Engagements
(6)

2. Attitudes Inquisitive and 6

towards Investigative
political
references
Dependent to 1
people’s stories

Watching news 1

Visiting websites
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 230

for references

Referring to 1
credible media
outlets

3. Political Political Courage 1

Attitudes of
Social Media Anger and Rage to 5
Users the Government

Politically 4
Outspoken to the
government

Conjecture of
3
Political
Knowledge

Triggered by the 2
opposition

Disbelief 1

4
Dissent

Dismay of 1
government's
pandemic response

Comparison 1

Assertiveness of 4
political standpoint

Accountability of 1
own political
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 231

standpoint

Teachable 1

Transparency in 1
political standpoint

Sarcasm 1

4. Factors Self-influence 1
affecting Political 2
Engagements Influenced by 2
others’ political
views

Influenced by
position in campus 1
journalism

Political Discourse 1
among peers

Unfair treatment
of media outlets 7
and their duality

Strength:
5. Strengths and Approach on West 1
Weaknesses of Philippine Sea
Government as
Perceived by Weaknesses:
Social Media
lack of leadership 1
Users
incompetence 3

poor management 2
of government
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 232

6. Advantages Enthusiasm for a 1

of political politician
groups and
pages Showing support
for pages and 1
groups that voice
out political
opinions

Friendly political
discourse 1

Private Political 1
argument
7. Treatment on
Political Composure during 1
Arguments argument

'Raising others'
standard with own 1
political standpoint

Firm in political
1
standpoint

Healthy political
argument 2

'Dispelling others'
political opinions 1
by facts

Changes Political 6
standpoint
8. Roles of Social
Media in Shaping Social media as a 2
Public Opinion powerful tool in
addressing societal
issues
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 233

Social media as a
powerful tool in
giving voice to the 1
voiceless

Social media as a
powerful tool for
1
the youth

Social media as a
powerful tool of
being analytical in 1
political
information

Social media as a
tool for political 1
mindfulness

Table 28. Themes and Categories as transcribed from Table 27

THEMES CATEGORIES

Political Discourse
and Attitudes in
Social Media World

1. First-Time
Experience in
Political
Engagements
(6)

2. Attitudes 2.1. Inquisitive and Investigative

towards 2.2. Dependent to people’s stories
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 234

political 2.3. Referring to credible media outlets

references 2.4. Visiting websites for references
2.5. Watching news

3. Political 3.1. Anger and Rage to the Government

Attitudes of 3.2. Assertiveness
Social Media 3.3. Dissent
Users 3.4. Politically Outspoken
3.5. Conjecture of Political Knowledge
3.6. Triggered by opposition
3.7.Accountability of political standpoint
3.8. Comparison to other politicians
3.9. Disbelief
3.10. Dismay
3.11. Sarcasm
3.12. Transparency
3.13. Willingness to be taught/teachable

4. Factors 4.1. Unfair treatment of media outlets

affecting Political and their duality
Engagements 4.2. Influenced by others’ political views
4.3. Self-influence
4.4. Influenced by position in campus
journalism
4.5. Political Discourse among peers

5.1. Strength:
5. Strengths and 5.1.1. Approach on West Philippine Sea
Weaknesses of
Government as 5.2. Weaknesses:
Perceived by
5.2.1. incompetence
Social Media
5.2.2. Poor management
Users 5.2.3. lack of leadership

6. Advantages 6.1. Enthusiasm for a politician

of political 6.2. Friendly political discourse
groups and 6.3. Place to voice out the same political
pages opinions
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 235

7.1. Healthy political argument

7. Treatment on 7.2. Composure during argument

Political
Arguments 7.3. 'Dispelling others' political opinions
by facts

7.4. Firm in political standpoint

7.5. Private Political argument

7.6. 'Raising others' standard with own

political standpoint

8.1. Changes Political standpoint

8. Roles of Social
Media in 8.2. Social media as a powerful tool in
Shaping Public addressing societal issues
Opinion
8.3. Social media as a powerful tool in
giving voice to the voiceless

8.4. Social media as a powerful tool for

the youth

8.5. Social media as a powerful tool of

being analytical in political information

8.6. Social media as a tool for political

mindfulness
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 236

Table 29. Definitions of categories

THEMES CATEGORIES

Political Discourse
and Attitudes in
Social Media World

1. First-Time 1.1. Every social media user who has joined political
Experience engagements has always that first-time experience where
in Political they take the risk of being criticized and corrected. Political
Engagement participation includes a broad range of activities through
s (6) which people develop and express their opinions on the
world and how it is governed, and try to take part in and
shape the decisions that affect their lives but when people
want to engage in it, they have to be ready on what other
people have to say and stand firm of what they believe in.

2. Attitudes 2.1. Inquisitive and Investigative- These are the

towards social media users who explore information
political resources and news stories by formulating curiosity
references driven comments and questions. They do not just
rely on the caption or the headline alone of any
political news, but they dig deeper in it to establish
well-structured political opinions.

-These kind of social media users really assess the

reliability and validity of that source by asking
questions such as: What is the perspective of the
source? How do you know that the information is
reliable? Can it be verified elsewhere? Does the
source contain bias? This can help them to
determine what’s right from wrong, and biased
from non-biased information.

2.2. Dependent on people’s stories- This is an

attitude of a social media user who share their
political opinions based on what other people have
to say. This can be confusing and may even create
misconception as the person whom you’ve
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 237

received that political information might have

wrongly interpreted his/her source or references
also. On the other hand, the sender of the
information may be right but the receiver was not
listening attentively to really comprehend and
decipher what the sender is trying to convey. These
overheard conversations and news commentary;
people are exposed to a lot of information about
politics but are not necessarily making sense of
what they are hearing. In any campaign, there is a
great deal of information put out there—some true,
some not true and everything else along that
continuum.

2.3. Referring to credible media outlets- Ravi

(2017) said that media credibility refers to the
perceived believability of media content "beyond
any proof of its contentions. “ Media credibility
research has shifted the focus from characteristics
of individual, personal sources to characteristics of
media behavior such as objectivity, accuracy,
fairness, and lack of bias. There are numerous
media outlets but only few are credible enough to
be a reference when it comes to political
information.

-This means that people are investigative and

critical enough to rely on the credibility of non-
biased media outlets.

2.4. Visiting websites for references- There are a

lot of websites in the Philippines such as
News5.com, ABS-CBNNews.com,
ManilaStandard, etc. that can be people’s source
when finding for political information that can help
them establish their public opinions.

2.5. Watching news

These are the critical viewers and how analytical
they can be of advertising and propaganda by
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 238

exposing them to the elements of propaganda and

how it uses specific strategies to put forth a point
of view.

The political news environment has changed

dramatically in recent years. Long gone are the
days when political information was confined to a
few network news channels and major national
newspapers or magazines. Today, newspapers and
network TV compete with 24-hour cable channels
and a host of online news services—from online
efforts by traditional publishers to user-generated
content on blogs, personal webpages, social
networking sites and elsewhere (Smith 2009).

Social media users who watch television as their

source of political information are the people who
want to understand the data easier as the medium
of language and the word choice of the TV media
outlets are more understandable and people can
comprehend from it. StudyModeResarch (2011)
even said that watching the news on TV is a lot
easier for people to understand and is more
convenient than reading it on paper. For the people
who are always in a rush in the morning, it’s more
convenient to turn on the TV and listen to what’s
going on rather than trying to read a paper because
it will only slow your task down. Also, for the
people who don’t know how to read and for elders
whose eyes don’t function properly, the TV is a
better source of finding out the news. Not only can
they watch, if their eyes are messed up, they can
also listen. It doesn’t require any thinking or
straining the eyes trying to read. It may actually be
seen as very much relaxing.

3. Political 3.1. Anger and Rage to the Government- These

Attitudes are the common emotions or attitudes of social
and media users with a certain government,
Emotions of administration or politicians. These emotions are
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 239

Social often noticed when social media users see

Media Users injustices, inequality, corruption, duality of law and
any other issues that the government may fail to
accomplish. However, Holmes (2004) stated in her
study that anger matters politically because it both
motivates and continues to fuel activity and
conflict. The findings in the study even added that
the analysis of anger can also assist in the
exploration of the supposed personalization of
politics.

-This can also be complex and open. Broadly,

anger, sometimes, is recognized as a response to
perceived justice. This assumes that anger is
relational something we do (or do not do) as part of
our interaction to others.

3.2. Assertiveness- Something declared or stated

positively, often with no support or attempt at
proof. Unlike opinion journalism, which
emphasizes evidence-based conclusions, mere
assertion is a cluster of assumptions in search of
validation. Belief and Emotion trumps evidence in
this sphere (Stony Brook University 2017).

-Mere assertion is the result of a search for ways to

validate a niche audience’s political agenda. It
tends to emphasize beliefs and emotions over
evidence and facts. And the quality of the
arguments can be quite low.

3.3. Dissent- It is a dissatisfaction with or

opposition to the policies of a governing body.
Expressions of dissent may take forms from vocal
disagreement to civil disobedience to the use of
violence (WikiPedia). However, there are also a lot
of articles that claim that dissent is good for a
certain country because according to them, it
allows for a proliferation of views on the good life.
It sparks conversation and ignites change to better
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 240

align practices and policies with the wishes and

needs of the people. It keeps democracy vibrant.

-Dissent, an unwillingness to cooperate with an

established source of authority, which can be
social, cultural, or governmental. In political
theory, dissent has been studied mainly in relation
to governmental power, inquiring into how and to
what extent dissent should be promoted, tolerated,
and controlled by a state. Dissent is often related to
two other concepts, critical thinking and toleration.
Both play into the problem of political legitimacy
(Britannica).

3.4. Politically Outspoken- These are frank in

stating one's opinions, especially if they are critical
or controversial. This may fall to those who
habitually criticize the government. In the
Philippines, with the presence of all social media
platforms, netizens seem to have added political
discourse as their daily routine. Everywhere, there
is a political debate and divisiveness and people
seem to have been using unethical words or
languages as a backlash against their most-hated
politicians.

3.5. Conjecture of Political Knowledge-

Originally proposed by John Rawls, the idea of
reasoning from conjecture is popular among the
proponents of political liberalism in normative
political theory. Reasoning from conjecture
consists in discussing with fellow citizens who are
attracted to illiberal and antidemocratic ideas by
focusing on their religious or otherwise
comprehensive doctrines, attempting to convince
them that such doctrines actually call for loyalty to
liberal democracy. These are common to social
media users. They often predict what they think
will happen.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 241

3.6. Triggered by opposition- Opposition in the

Philippines are known to be the consistent and ever
active critics of President Duterte. It can be seem
from the various comment sections in social media
platforms how the Duterte supporters are outraged
by Vice President Leni Robredo’s statements.

-The Liberal Party remains an ‘influential’

organization in contemporary Philippine politics. A
center-left party on social issues and centrist on
economic issues, it is commonly associated with
the post-revolution, liberal-democratic status quo
of the Philippines in contrast to authoritarianism,
neo-conservatism, and populism. Aside from
presidents, the party has been led by liberal
thinkers and politicians including Benigno Aquino
Jr., Jovito Salonga, Raul Daza, Florencio B. Abad
Jr., Franklin Drilon, and Mar Roxas.

3.7. Accountability of political standpoint-

Accountability and responsibility are related ideas
that are central to political, constitutional, and
institutional arrangements in Western liberal
democracies. However, political elites in non-
democratic systems are generally not held
accountable by citizens through such arrangements,
and accountability is primarily a means of securing
the compliance of state functionaries to the will of
these elites. In liberal democracies the terms
“accountability” and “responsibility” are often used
in common discourse as if they were synonyms,
but they are not.

-From the answers of the participants, it says that

whatever they post in their social media accounts,
they are for sure in accountability and
responsibility when it comes to their political
opinions because it may contain biased approach,
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 242

sensitive words or misinterpreted article that lead

them to that political standpoint.

-The quest for accountability is inherently a

political process, in which “holding to account”
may often depend much less on any forensic
determination of specific culpability and much
more on evidential and political disputation, where
the search for the “truth” is highly—and
increasingly—contestable.

3.8. Comparative politics- Comparative politics is

a field in political science characterized either by
the use of the comparative method or other
empirical methods to explore politics within
countries (WikiPedia). Comparison started to be
used often when the cases of COVID-19 in the
Philippines had increased rapidly and people would
compare the country to other countries most
especially in Asia.

- Peters (2017) said that comparative politics is

central to the development of political theory. For
most sciences, experimentation is the way to test
theory, but for political science, comparison is the
principal method. Political science can be an
experimental science only rarely, and then almost
always in highly contrived circumstances.
Researchers are sometimes able to have students or
other more or less willing subjects participate in
games or experiments, but those exercises tend to
be far removed from most real questions about
governing. Therefore, comparing what happens
when different countries, for their own reasons,
modify constitutions, or party systems, or
whatever, provides useful information about the
probable consequences of different political orders.

3.9. Disbelief- It is the inability or refusal to accept

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 243

that something is true or real. This attitude may rise

if a social media user sees a certain politician
shares his/her statements intended to the public.
This is somehow a poor political attitude as it
majorly base on emotions and not on facts from
credible sources. In the Philippines, if a citizen
hates a politician, he/she includes everything about
the politician. Even when their intention is good
and platforms are effective, they only see it in a
negative way because they are already blinded with
their political bets.

3.10. Dismay- This is a common reaction of the

social media users in the Philippines most
especially when the pandemic took place and
continued to rule over the country. Social media
users, in full dissent and frustration, always blame
the President for the poor pandemic response of the
government that has led to thousands of COVID-19
cases already.

3.11. Sarcasm- Political satire is satire that

specializes in gaining entertainment from politics;
it has also been used with subversive intent where
political speech and dissent are forbidden by a
regime, as a method of advancing political
arguments where such arguments are expressly
forbidden.

Political satire is usually distinguished from

political protest or political dissent, as it does not
necessarily carry an agenda nor seek to influence
the political process. While occasionally it may, it
more commonly aims simply to provide
entertainment. By its very nature, it rarely offers a
constructive view in itself; when it is used as part
of protest or dissent, it tends to simply establish the
error of matters rather than provide solutions.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 244

3.12. Transparency- In politics, transparency is

used as a means of holding public officials
accountable and fighting corruption. When a
government's meetings are open to the press and
the public, its budgets may be reviewed by anyone,
and its laws and decisions are open to discussion, it
is seen as transparent. However, on the part of a
social media user, you are transparent when you
invite trust by revealing that you have nothing to
hide. You establish yourself as an honest, credible
person in the eyes of others. The prospect of being
open and vulnerable may make you nervous, but
the digital revolution has made transparency a
matter of survival.

3.13. Willingness to be taught/teachable- It is a

person who is apt and willing to learn. There are
political opinions circulating in different social
media platforms which tend to be misleading and
wrong. Others, when corrected, still assert what
they think is right. When a person is willing to be
taught from things he/she is not familiar with, it’s a
sign for growth and development. As long as the
criticisms or the corrections are presented
constructively, not destructively, people who are
being corrected would willingly accept corrections
to improve their sentence structures and thinking
before engaging into political discourse.

4. Factors 4.1. Unfair treatment of media outlets and their

affecting duality- Media bias is the bias of journalists and
Political news producers within the mass media in the
selection of many events and stories that are
Engagements
reported and how they are covered. The term
"media bias" implies a pervasive or widespread
bias contravening the standards of journalism,
rather than the perspective of an individual
journalist or article. The direction and degree of
media bias in various countries is widely disputed.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 245

Practical limitations to media neutrality include the

inability of journalists to report all available stories
and facts, and the requirement that selected facts be
linked into a coherent narrative. Government
influence, including overt and covert censorship,
biases the media in some countries, for example
China, North Korea and Myanmar. Market forces
that result in a biased presentation include the
ownership of the news source, concentration of
media ownership, the subjective selection of staff,
or the preferences of an intended audience.

With the rise of biased media outlets, many citizens

from Philippines fearlessly make backlash against
them for trying to twisting facts and manipulating
readers. Vloggers for example such as Maharlika
and Banat By, have discussed the duality of some
media outlets in the Philippines.

The media is supposed to be performing an

important and critical role in a democracy not as
critic, but as a shaper of critical thinking. However,
the way most journalists have interpreted this is
simply to pump up the contentious optics, and not
to deepen the understanding of people about issues.
There is a tendency to sensationalize, and to isolate
events and facts from their contexts. Thus, while it
is already fairly established that it is in the nature
of politics that political leaders always suffer a
decline in their ratings as their terms progress, this
important lesson in understanding politics not as
spectacle but as process is conveniently rendered
invisible by the fixation on screaming headlines
rendered by print journalism and sing-song,
dramatic, as if in a perpetual state of heightened
alarm, intonation by broadcast journalists.

4.2. Influenced by others’ political views- This is

a very complex influence. When we say others, it
can be a friend, a mother or a father, a sibling, a
relative, a public figure or even teachers. People
often base their political ideologies with the people
who they are close with. And because they are
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 246

close or they look up to that certain individual, they

base or liken their political standpoints on theirs.
This kind of influence can also be intrinsically
linked to political socialization. Political
socialization is the "process by which individuals
learn and frequently internalize a political lens
framing their perceptions of how power is arranged
and how the world around them is (and should be)
organized; those perceptions, in turn, shape and
define individuals' definitions of who they are and
how they should behave in the political and
economic institutions in which they live." Political
socialization also encompasses the way in which
people acquire values and opinions that shape their
political stance and ideology: it is a "study of the
developmental processes by which people of all
ages and adolescents acquire political cognition,
attitudes, and behaviors." It refers to a learning
process by which norms and behaviors acceptable
to a well running political system are transmitted
from one generation to another. It is through the
performance of this function that individuals are
inducted into the political culture and their
orientations towards political objects are formed.
Schools, media, and the state have a major
influence in this process.

4.3. Self-influence- This is very rare but it

appeared on the coding of the participants’
answers. This may fall onto own decision.
However, it is hard to be influenced by self when it
comes to political opinions as there are various
forces help socialize us into our respective social,
political and cultural groups and play a powerful
role in presenting us with options about who we
can be. While we may like to think that our self-
perception starts with a blank canvas, our
perceptions are limited by our experiences and
various social, political and cultural contexts.

4.4. Political Discourse among peers- There is a

large literature on peer effects in politics.3 The
specific evidence on peer effects on political
identification is mixed. Some studies find evidence
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 247

consistent with the claim that people follow their

peer’s political affiliations (Kenny, 1994; Beck,
2002; Sinclair, 2009), others find no association
(MacKuen and Brown, 1987). But much of this is
based on correlations that are subject to selection
biases: that is, the correlations could arise from
people with shared prior commonalities naturally
being drawn together. We address this difficulty in
the natural experiment by exploiting the fact that
our data consists of freshman students who have
been randomly divided between different class
groups for the introductory courses in their chosen
major subject. This means that the characteristics
of the peers in a person’s class group should be
independent of his or her own characteristics. We
interview students twice in an election year (before
the presidential campaign and after the election).
To test for peer effects, we examine how and
whether their identification and engagement in the
second survey correlates with their classmates’
initial political orientations and engagement.

5.1. Strength
5. Strengths 5.1.1. Approach on West Philippine Sea- Though
and many of the critics of President Duterte do not
Weaknesses of agree to the President’s approach in handling the
Government as West Philippine Issue, former Sen. Enrile backed
Perceived by up the President. Philippines should resolve
Social Media everything about the WPS in a friendly manner. If
Users the President takes it aggressively, then, as some
political analysts say, it would result to war and no
one wants it.

5.2. Weaknesses:

5.2.1. Incompetence – According to Oxford

Languages, it means inability to do something
successfully; ineptitude. This may possibly refer to
the incompetence of President Duterte as the
COVID-19 cases continue to strike the country.

5.2.2. Poor management- It is the relationship

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 248

between those who govern and those who are

governed as a consequence of decision-making.
This unfavourable relationship is created as a
consequence of external factors or decisions such
as violation of central or acceptable norms, such as
those of liberal democracy, and bad economic
policy: Bad governance collectively encompasses
governance in government and corporate settings It
is the opposite of good governance. Bad
governance addresses governance in a government
setting but bad governance and bad government are
different concepts. Bad governance encompasses a
variety of situations from corruption, deceit and to
passing of unfair policy. From this, it can be noted
that different manifestations of bad governance can
vary in severity and the potential impact in their
respective setting. The World Bank has identified
key indicators of governance which are used as a
method to measure bad governance.

Bad governance is centralised around the idea of

not only corruption within a system but a lack of
transparency and accountability, arbitrary policy
making and the cheating of those who are
governed.

Poor management of government officials may

result into poor economic growth, corruption and
any other issues or problems.

5.2.3. Lack of leadership- Leadership is both a

research area, and a practical skill encompassing
the ability of an individual, group or organization
to "lead", influence or guide other individuals,
teams, or entire organizations. Often viewed as a
contested term, specialist literature debates various
viewpoints, contrasting Eastern and Western
approaches to leadership and also (within the West)
North American versus European approaches
(Wikipedia).

The notion that poor-quality leadership has

negative effects for individuals is not new (Day &
Hamblin, 1964), and the research that has been
conducted on the link between leadership and
mental health has invariably focused on the
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 249

potentially negative effects of poor-quality

leadership.

6. 6.1. Enthusiasm for a politician – Political groups

Advantages and pages are often created to support a certain
of political politician. Enthusiasm has long been perceived as a
groups and fundamental danger to democratic politics. Many
pages have regarded it as a source of threatening
instabilities, hoping instead for a more sober and
moderate democratic politics.

Many view the use of political emotions generally -

and enthusiasm in particular - as perilous to
democracy, preferring instead to encourage the
rationalization of interests because of its
predictability. Such concern for emotions that
motivate political closure seems salient, especially
in the context of new and developing democracies,
where allegiance formations have proved
vulnerable to hyper-nationalism (Poe, 2010).

6.2. Friendly political discourse- Though many

people say that political groups and pages only
create divisiveness, some are also in a healthy
political discourse. Political discourse is the formal
exchange of reasoned views as to which of several
alternative courses of action should be taken to
solve a societal problem.

The research proponents have visited some pages

also in Facebook and found out that the political
engagements are pure sharing of opinions but no
extreme arguments.

6.3. Place to voice out the same political

opinions- Facebook groups or pages are created to
unite or gather people who have the same
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 250

preferences, opinions and political standpoint

wherein they can discuss a certain issue, share their
own thoughts and ideas about it, and engage about
their politican stances.

7.1. Healthy political argument- Politics

represents our personal beliefs, morals, and ideals
7. Treatment on — meaning that we tend to see our ideology as a
Political part of our identity.
Arguments
“When political views are challenged, the brain
becomes active in regions associated with personal
identity, threat response, and emotions,” explains
Kristi Phillips, a licensed psychologist in
Minnesota. “[That] can make people feel like the
core of who they are as an individual is being
attacked.”

Having a healthy political argument would make

you more critical as a citizen and not just merely
relying on emotions or personal rage on that certain
politician and personal attack to whom you are
having political arguments with.

7.2. Composure during argument- Instead of

automatically taking everything personally, try to
figure out what the other person is really trying to
say or argue. It can be easy to get lost in the slew
of accusations or curse words, but stepping back
and seeing the bigger picture might help you gain a
better understanding of the other person’s point of
view. This will help you respond in a more
reasonable manner instead of lashing back with
accusations and angry words of your own. This
even makes you a great arguer

7.3. 'Dispelling others' political opinions by

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 251

facts- Presenting or providing facts in a political

argument can really establish a well-structured
standpoint especially when others’ political
opinions are just solely based on their emotions.

7.4. Firm in political standpoint- An opinion that

is definite and unlikely to change just like a
political standpoint. There are many social media
users who seem to be irrefutable when it comes to
their political opinions. They stand firm on what
they believe in even when facts are in front of
them. Maybe obsessive enthusiasm is applicable
here wherein people are too idolizing the
politicians they want, not acknowledging their
mistakes and shortcomings.

7.5. Private Political argument – Since social

media is a powerful tool and has no age
restrictions, people can always see political
arguments. This treatment of political argument
focuses or suggests on a private discussion to
prevent

7.6. 'Raising others' standard with own political

standpoint- It means understanding what your
current political standards or expectations of
quality are and deciding what you want them to be
instead.

8.1. Changes Political standpoint- The political

8. Roles of landscape has changed quite a bit in the last couple
Social Media in of decades. The internet has played a large role in
Shaping Public this transformation. Social media, in particular, is
Opinion now a serious factor in political campaigns and in
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 252

the way people think about issues. Social media

use affects young users’ political views and
involvement in other ways like exposing users to
certain views or determining their understanding of
current events. The increased reliance on social
media could stimulate more political discussions
both online and offline, but it also might limit the
political views and information users are exposed
to. “To stay politically informed, it’s important to
expand our sources. We should rely on more than
the news that’s pushed to us. We should also
actively seek to be informed.”

8.2. Social media as a powerful tool in

addressing societal issues- Social media,
especially news that is spread through social media
sites, plays into the idea of the attention economy.
It is found that news use leads to political
persuasion, therefore the more that people use
social media platforms for news sources; the more
their political opinions will be affected. It provides
political issues, may it be the strength or the
weaknesses of the certain government. It also gives
the readers or the social media users a set of
societal issues that may be intrinsically linked to
politics or the government itself.

8.3. Social media as a powerful tool in giving

voice to the voiceless- There are a lot of social
media users who share their political views that
they do it because they want to give voice to the
voiceless. Somehow, it has been effective because
these social media users address issues that demand
the government’s accountability.

8.4. Social media as a powerful tool for the

youth- Amidst concern about declining youth
political engagement, it is often suggested that
social media can provide a solution to this
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 253

challenge. In these debates, social media are seen

to serve two functions. First, social media can
provide a new medium of communication through
which established political institutions and actors
can reach out to young citizens. Alternatively,
young citizens are using social media to redefine
political engagement by finding new ways to
express their political preferences outside of the
confines of traditional political engagement (e.g.
voting or joining a political party).

Recent research on youth political participation has

been a microcosm for a larger debate about the
evolution of political engagement in the post-
industrial era. It is clear that public participation in
the traditional forms of democratic engagement
(such as voting, joining political parties, and trade
unions) has declined in many developed countries,
but the consequences of this are contested. On the
one hand, some have expressed deep concern that
these developments constitute a devastating blow
to our democratic institutions (see, for example,
Putnam, 2000). Yet others take a more positive
view and argue that rather than declining,
democracy is being transformed, and that citizens
are looking beyond the established political
institutions to find new and creative ways to
express their political preferences and to achieve
their civic and political goals (Dalton, 2008;
Norris, 2002)

8.5. Social media as a powerful tool of being

analytical in political information- Social media
contains information that may be misleading
among its users. Especially now, there have been
so many groups and pages in Facebook who share
fake news and people support these groups and
pages. However, it can also be seen how social
media users can be analytical when it comes to
trusting unbiased and reliable media outlets that
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 254

they could get political information from.

Social media also has this concept of “junk news,”

which refers to sources that deliberately publish
misleading, deceptive, or incorrect information
packaged as real news to manipulate social media
users and be swayed by what the biased media
outlets are trying to convey. This is should be the
primary reason why social media users have to be
analytical and really decipher the news that they
get to read in their everyday lives.

8.6. Social media as a tool for political

mindfulness- Literally, mindfulness means the
quality or state of being conscious or aware of
something. It is a mental state achieved by focusing
one's awareness on the present moment, while
calmly acknowledging and accepting one's
feelings, thoughts, and bodily sensations, used as a
therapeutic technique. Political mindfulness, on the
other hand means being consciously aware of what
is happening in social media platforms and
comprehend from reading political articles and
making an adequate time to search related
information to it.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 255

E. Political Attitudes
Grounded analysis’ main feature is the development of new theory through the
collection and analysis of data about a phenomenon. It is phenomenological but it goes
beyond phenomenology because the explanations that emerge are used to develop new
theories. This presents the development of new theory based on the themes in variable
D (Political Knowledge and Efficacies) that are transcribed from the answers of the
selected participants.

Fig. 1. Theory of Political Discourse and Attitudes in Social Media World

First-Time Experience
in Political
Engagements

Political
Factors affecting Discourse/Attitudes in Strengths and
Social
political Weaknesses of
Media
engagements Government as
Perceived by Social
Media Users

Roles of Social
Media in shaping
Treatment on
Public opinions
Political
Arguments

The figure shows the concepts of political discourse and attitudes and even
political approaches of social media users to their own political opinions that are
formed through coding and categorization from the thematic analysis of the
participants’ answers with the self-administered questions of the research proponents.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 256

Political discourse is the formal exchange of reasoned views as to which of

several alternative courses of action should be taken to solve a societal problem.
Crystal (2006) defines discourse as “continuous stretch of (especially spoken)
language larger than a sentence,” “it is a set of utterances which constitute any
recognizable speech event”. Discourse is a socially determined entity and specific
principles of a speech system according to which the reality is being classified and
represented during certain periods of time. It is, according to Foucault (1972), a
historically given material practice by means of which power relations are exercised. It
is a communication realized in discursive “practices”. The term ‘discourse’ depicts the
formal way of thinking that is expressed through and by means of language. It also
represents a specific type of a social boundary that determines what can be said
regarding certain issues. There exist many types of discourses in any particular
society. Opposing discourses struggle for domination against each other. Finally, one
particular discourse holds a dominating position. Political discourse can be defined as
a communicative act participants of which try to give specific meanings to facts and
influence / persuade others. In other terms, political discourse can be defined as a
manipulative linguistic strategy which serves concrete (ideological) goals. Political
discourse may involve the formal debates, speeches, and hearings and the informal
talk on politics among family members (Liebes & Ribak, 1991).

Political discourses are being produced and operated within certain (ideological)
frames. Thus, discourses reflect particular ideological frameworks using specific
linguistic strategies. Political discourse can be identified as an intentional act which in
every individual case is meant to reach certain objectives and those objectives as a rule
are of a material character; in other words: production of a particular (political)
discourse serves a purpose of articulating, protecting/preserving,
challenging/deconstructing certain interests. It is essential to know the type of political
discourse and its characteristic in order to be effectively involved in it. Political
discourse can be classified according to the ideologies it tries to promote (socialist,
liberal / democratic, conservative & totalitarian) or sub-genres (LGBT, feminist,
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 257

green, religious, nationalistic). It may be dominant (primary) or subordinated

(secondary) according to the presence/absence of the power / hierarchy.
The term "political attitude" refers to the mental or emotional set with which an
individual approaches a political problem and which determines hid line of conduct
towards that problem. The sum total of the political attitudes of an individual reveals
that person's outlook on the political aspect of social living. It could be learned, for
example, whether the person was radical, progressive, liberal, conservative, or
reactionary. That which can be said of the individual can likewise be applied to a
group or community. The total of the political attitudes and outlooks of the various
individuals will reveal the political bent of the group.
All individuals have political attitudes. All are affected by the acts of government
units, with resulting thoughts, opinions, and attitudes. For some people it is enough to
have their own way of thinking and believing. For others this is not enough; they must
seek to persuade everyone else to believe that their particular points of view are the
best, or the most expedient, or the least expensive, or possibly, those they will benefit
the majority. Many people are even willing to die, if necessary, for their political
attitudes and beliefs.
Where do these political attitudes come from? What is it that determines the kinds
of political attitudes an individual will possess? Why is one individual an extreme
radical, while another individual is a stubborn reactionary? How do people “decide”
on questions of tariff, government benefits, government ownership, prohibition,
taxation, conscription, third term of President and all the thousand and one other day-
to-day questions and problems of politics.
There are many causes and influences that determine political attitudes. In fact
these relate to almost every aspect of an individual’s life, from his physical body to his
religious and philosophical conception to the universe. For example, is it so far-
fetched or inconceivable that a person may have some physical defect, and this defect
is the cause of frustration, and this frustration lead the individual to join with other
dissatisfied and frustrated individuals in directing their energies to the political field?
Or is it so far-fetched that an individual may not believe in a hereafter, and decide to
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 258

get all that he can in this world, and thus strive after economic and political power?
These are but single examples which might be easily multiplied.
While many things have an effect on the political attitudes of an individual, certain
particular influences are apparently more directly significant. Of these we may
mention the following: environment, formal schooling, tradition, social interest,
economic, standing, political experience, the influence of personalities, stereotypes,
political parties, special pressure groups and organizations, books newspapers, radio,
and motion pictures.
The concepts or the themes that are attached to the theory of political discourse
and attitudes are solely based and grounded on the thematic analyses of the answers of
participants during the interview part of the study. This includes:

1. First-time experience in political engagements- Every social media user

who has joined political engagements has always that first-time experience
where they take the risk of being criticized and corrected. Political
participation includes a broad range of activities through which people
develop and express their opinions on the world and how it is governed, and
try to take part in and shape the decisions that affect their lives but when
people want to engage in it, they have to be ready on what other people have
to say and stand firm of what they believe in.

2. Attitudes towards political references- Reference sources are authoritative

works that you can refer to for quick information. They may contain specific
information or introductory articles. However, political references are defined
as a source of political information and how the readers or viewers take this
information. Some are analytical and some are not. Their approach on political
information also reflects their political opinions and political engagement.
Attitudes towards politics are often established and structured through political
information so it is really important how social media users or readers analyze
such information.
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3. Political emotions of social media users- Demertzis (2015) stated that in

the background of a contemporary emotionology, ‘political emotions’ have
been employed as a means to designate the crucial role affectivity plays in
politics. Notwithstanding the novelty of its use in political psychology and
sociological literature, the concept stands largely unclear and under-theorised.
These political emotions often rise when people react to unjust and therefore
affectively charged political events, resentment and dissent. An ‘emotional’ or
‘affective turn’ (Clough and Halley, 2007; Hopkins et al., 2009; Turner and
Stets, 2005) has been taking place since the mid-1990s, first on the western
and later on the eastern side of the Atlantic. This turn seems to engulf almost
all major disciplines and sub-disciplines in the humanities and the social and
political sciences. It is likely to succeed the ‘linguistic turn’ of the late 1970s,
1980s and the early 1990s (Sheehan, 2004; Yeatman, 1994). The linguistic
turn was a postmodern challenge to the structural-functionalist paradigm in
social and political science. In the wane of postmodernism and within a
thoroughly pluralistic theoretical milieu, the emotional turn directs theoretical
attention to neglected areas of research bridging modern and postmodern
social theorising. This turn has fundamentally altered the way the academic
community conveys political analysis (Thompson and Hoggett, 2012); for
many decades, political analysts had to choose between two theoretically
divergent paths: either the rational choice or the political cultural approach
rooted in the ‘behavioural revolution’ (Almond, 1996; Eckstein, 1988; Lane,
1992; Offe, 1996). Notwithstanding the multiplicity of either approach, the
‘rationalist’ theorising of political affairs (be it political change, voting,
opinionation, decision-making and so on) draws heavily from the Western
ideal of reason vis- á-vis passion, according to which individuals and
humanity alike will progress to a better world if they rely on reason and
interest rationality (Marcus, 2003; Marcus and MacKuen, 2001).

4. Factors affecting political engagements- Political participation is recently

one of the important political topics, as it shows the citizens' interest in
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 260

political issues within their society. This interest might take various forms
such as support, rejection, protest or demonstration, etc. Meanwhile, the
political participation of youth, particularly in developing countries, plays a
vital role in bringing political change. Although the youth represent the largest
number in these countries, their voting in elections is very poor. Political
participation is the knowledge and behavior involved in political activities
(Bernstein, 2005, p. 299). In addition, political participation is voluntary
activities, in which the individual participates in the selection of rulers, and
formulates public policies, directly or indirectly. This means that the
engagement of the individual at the different levels of the political system is a
must. Moreover, political participation is a legitimate right for all citizens,
their choice of the members of the government and the decision makers would
influence their actions (Verba and Nie, 1978, p. 1). Homana (2018), Pyeatt and
Yanus (2018), Solt (2008), Atkeson (2003), Lawless and Fox (2001), Koch
(1997), Brady et al. (1995), Cohen and Dawson (1993) discussed the factors
affecting political participation. They concluded that the social and economic
factors such as (gender, age, education, place of residence, family, tribal
affiliation, unemployment, income, poverty, economic growth, social
relationships, and regional affiliation) affected political participation,
especially voting in elections. In addition, they pointed out that there were
some political factors affected voting in elections, such as the constitutional
right to vote, performance of the elected councils and candidates, political
trust, party activities, etc. However, as revealed on the thematic analyses of the
participants’ answers, factors include self-influence, others’ political
standpoint, political discussion among peers and unfair treatment of media
outlets. The factors focus more on the social context of a certain individual.

5. Strengths and weakness of government as perceived by social media

users- This concept is solely based on the Philippine context which may or
may not be viable to other countries. From the participants’ answers, there is
only one strength found— the government’s friendly approach on the West
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 261

Philippine Sea issue. The critics of Duterte have been putting the blame on the
President with the seemingly weakened approach of the government with
regards to the national sovereignty. Former Senate President Juan Ponce
Enrile, however, backed up the approach of the President so that it would not
create a tension between the two countries. Contrastingly, there are also
weaknesses found including lack of leadership, incompetence and poor
management and governance. This can be referred to the COVID-19 pandemic
response of the Duterte administration.

6. Political groups and pages- A political group exists when people assemble
together in order to promote a common ideology and achieve particular
objectives in the public, governmental sphere. Political parties and trade
unions are political groups. These days the existence of an opposition party is
usually regarded as the characteristic of a democracy itself, as the strength of
democracy is to allow political dissent.
There are a lot of political groups and pages in social media platforms
especially in Facebook. The research proponents even searched for it and it
includes uncountable pages of President Duterte supporters and even his
critics. The Robredo-Trillanes and Duterte-Marcos pages also appeared
especially now that election is coming. The researchers tried to sneak into
these political groups and pages and it was all a political discourse. Some are
harsh political engagements and dissents but mostly, engaging.

7. Treatment towards political arguments- Some of the treatments that the

participants of this research revealed are healthy political argument, private
discussion, firm in political standpoint, etc. A political argument is an instance
of a logical argument applied to politics. Political arguments are used by
academics, media pundits, and candidates for political office and government
officials. Political arguments are also used by citizens in ordinary interactions
to comment about and understand political events (Wikipedia).
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 262

The purpose of argument is usually to sway belief. Political argument

can occur in the context of political theory; for instance Machiavelli's The
Prince can be regarded as advice to rulers based on various kinds of
arguments. Political argument though is not generally a purely intellectual
activity, since it may also serve the strategic goal of promoting a political
agenda. One usually thinks of political argument as exclusive to democracies,
but in fact some kinds of political argument may occur in undemocratic
regimes as well, for example, to encourage greater sacrifice from the
population, although it is more likely in such cases that propaganda will take
the place of argument. In a democracy, though, political argument is
particularly important, since there is a direct relation between the beliefs of
citizens and the structure of power. Moreover, the institutions of a democracy
in part define the relationships between beliefs and power. In this case,
political argument is an important element of political strategy. It is also
possible that in a democracy, propaganda may also replace argument; indeed,
much political advertisement has no discernible logical structure, and in our
definition falls under propaganda.
Any argument claims to prove something. In the case of arguments used
in politics, this something is an assertion about an element of the public
sphere, such as economic policy, the environment, decisions about war and
peace, abortion etc. An argument cannot start from purely logical principles.
An argument is based on premises and some methods for reasoning from
premises to conclusions. The validity of an argument in politics can be
evaluated in at least two ways: in purely semantic terms or in terms of
adherence to certain rules of argument (which we can consider rules of
fairness).
Semantically, one should note that some of the premises used in an
argument and the relationships between the assertions in the argument, are
associated to specific models of economic or political processes. Other
premises are moral assumptions: whether a particular action is good or
desirable. For example, arguments concerning war against and must consider
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 263

questions about specific threats that the adversary poses, the likelihood of
success, the cost of war and so on. In practice, purely semantical evaluations
of argument validity are extremely difficult to formulate in a politically neutral
way, since political positions usually involve commitment to some model of
social and economic processes.

8. Roles of social media in shaping public opinions- Social media is a

powerful vehicle for shaping public opinion, and is one reason why there is
concern about the role it can play during electoral processes, says Virginia
Tech expert Mike Horning.

Mass media and social media can also affirm latent attitudes and
“activate” them, prompting people to take action. Just before an election, for
example, voters who earlier had only a mild preference for one party or
candidate may be inspired by media coverage not only to take the trouble to
vote but perhaps also to contribute money or to help a party organization in
some other way (Britannica).

Social media has an effect on many aspects of human life, which can
include voting a certain way, individual views and beliefs, or skewing a
person's knowledge of a specific topic due to being provided false information.
The overall influence of mass media has increased drastically over the years,
and will continue to do so as the media improves. As mass media evolve,
media criticism also often evolve – and grow in strength – during times of
media change with new forms of journalism, new media formats, new media
markets, new ways of addressing media markets and new media technologies.
Media influence is the actual force exerted by a media message, resulting in
either a change or reinforcement in audience or individual beliefs. Media
effects are measurable effects that result from media influence or a media
message. Whether a media message has an effect on any of its audience
members is contingent on many factors, including audience demographics and
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 264

psychological characteristics. These effects can be positive or negative, abrupt

or gradual, short-term or long-lasting. Not all effects result in change; some
media messages reinforce an existing belief. Researchers examine an audience
after media exposure for changes in cognition, belief systems, and attitudes, as
well as emotional, physiological and behavioral effects.
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Chapter III
SUMMARY, CONCLUSIONS AND RECOMMENDATIONS
This chapter presents the summary of the study, the salient findings,
conclusions, and recommendations.

Summary
The study aimed to analyze the social media contents in forming the political
attitudes of social media users. It includes political contents such as published articles,
Facebook comments, tweets, YouTube contents, and the selected participants’ answers
in the self-administered open-ended questions of the research proponents.
The analyses of the social media contents were limited to five variables
namely: (a) content; (b) style analysis; (c) political knowledge and political
engagement; (d) political needs and political efficacy and (e) political attitudes. The
participants of the study were selected from the researchers’ Facebook friends, and
followers and followings on Twitter which has posted their political opinions.
The study made use of the content, discourse, thematic and grounded analysis
to analyze the collected social media contents. The relevant data gathered in the study
were measured by the interview questions that are self-made by the research
proponents. The questions were imported in GoogleForms and sent to the participants
through personal messenger chat.

Findings
Based on the data generated and analyzed, the following are the salient
findings of the study:
A. On Content;
A.1. Antonio Contreras
A.1.1. “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us”- The title means
urging the President to show himself amidst the crises that are happening in the
country. The article’s thesis statement shows that the two ideas are related—
President Duterte’s charisma and the ‘uniqueness’ he possess from the other Presidents
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 266

and the author’s claim that the President is not doing his duty to appear and talk about
crises. Overall, Antonio Contreras argued that the President should present concrete
plans with regards to the COVID-19 pandemic response.

A.1.2. “Blame the President”- The title itself speaks for what the article is
all about that the President should be blamed for everything that is happening in the
country. The thesis statement discusses or provides the DDS and their ‘consequences’
if they continue to support President Duterte. Contreras' article consist no axioms or
set of assumptions as it appears to be bounded with claims and supported with facts.

A.2. Rigoberto Tiglao

A.2.1. “Duterte: Our boldest president ever”- The title made use of
colon which emphasizes Duterte— on what kind of President he is. The thesis
statement provides a conclusion based on insufficient or biased evidence. The
statement is also too specific that it has given everything already. Tiglao's article
consist no axioms or set of assumptions as it appears to be bounded with evidential
claims and supported with facts.

A.2.2. “Duterte makes history”- The title seems incomplete which makes
a reader to know more about it. It is indispensable to clarify the content of titles.
Rigoberto Tiglao, the arguer of the article has stated his column bounded with facts.
There are no such axioms or set of assumptions.

A.3. Louis “Barok” Biraogo

A.3.1. “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President

Duterte”- The title seems too complete which makes a reader lose its interest to read it
further. It is indispensable to clarify the content ("what to say") and wording ("how to
say"). Biraogo, the arguer of the article has stated his column bounded with facts.

A.3.2. “We need a selfless leader”- The title itself already gives a glimpse
on what the article is all about— characteristics of the next President. The title of a
document or an article has two roles, to give a compact summary and to lead the
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 267

reader to read the document. The article provides a strong claim and support of Louis
“Barok” Biraogo to the other politicians who see public office as a means of getting
wealthy, which is also a gauge of political power under existing Philippine social
norms.

B. On Style Analysis

B.1. Antonio Contreras

B.1.1. “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us”- The style is
argumentative. The author made use of precise language. The author is economical
and efficient/to the point. Contreras made us of metaphor and hyperbole in his article
such as saying that President Duterte is gallivanting and comparing him to a loving
father. The sentence structure is well-established. With the paragraphs of Contreras,
each of them deals with one topic. The topic and argument are fully developed and
supported. The author made use of third-person-perspective. The article tackled the
political dissent of Contreras most particularly to the photos of President Duterte
posted by Senator Bong Go amid national crises.

B.1.2. “Blame the President”- Contreras made use of expository style of

writing. Contreras impacts the way people read the articles and get the sympathy and
arise biased attitude among readers by using such phrases. The author made use of
wide and rich vocabulary. The sentence structures are well-established. The topic and
argument are fully developed and supported. The ideas flowed logically. The
information is presented chronologically. Each paragraph propels with an enticing
transition to the next topic. The author made use of first-person-perspective. The
article tackled the political dissent of Contreras most particularly to the Diehard
Duterte Supporters (DDS).

B.2. Rigoberto Tiglao

B.2.1. “Duterte: Our boldest president ever”- The author madeuse of
arfumentative writing style also claiming Duterte as the boldest president ever. Tiglao
did not use high-sounding words in this legal basis or reference. There is no any
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 268

figurative language used in the article. It is formally written that it made no space for
double-meaning words. The author made use of third-person-perspective. The article
tackled about the dissent of CPP-NPA. Tiglao is clearly not for this so the author
explained on the boldness of President Duterte in taking time to defeat them.

B.2.2. “Duterte makes history”- Tiglao used expository writing style. The
author made use of precise language. The words are properly selected and it can be
understandable to people. There are combinations of compound and complex
sentences in the article but all in all, the sentence structure is well-displayed. There is
no any figurative language used in the article. The author made use of third-person-
perspective. The article is all about approval rating of President Duterte with a total of
91%.

B.3. Louis “Barok” Biraogo

B.3.1. “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President

Duterte”- The author made use of expository writing style. Biraogo did not use words
that are unfamiliar in this legal basis or reference. The author is economical and
efficient/to the point. The author made use of simpler yet impactful words such as
battlefront and suicidal. The sentence structure is well-established. The author made
use of simile also saying that del Rosario and Antonio Carpio are like backseat drivers.

B.3.2. “We need a selfless leader”- This is a narrative article as it mainly

focused on the narration of Martin Romualdez. This article’s word choice is clearly
one-sided as it supports Martin Romualdez to be the next Vice President of the
Philippines. Biraogo made use of impactful words that can affect a reader and be
swayed on what the author is trying to point out. The author made use of first-person-
perspective. The article is all about emotional support and affirmation of Biraogo to
his former colleague, Martin Romualdez to run for Vice President.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 269

C. On Political Knowledge and Engagement

It is revealed that there are various codes from the political opinions and
statements of the selected social media users which clearly suggest that people have
their own political standpoints. The codes include: Insistence, Surmise, Magnanimity
and Tolerance, Conjecture, Inducement, Anger, Dismay, Distrust, Persuasion,
Insistence, Prediction, Distrust, Assertion, Appeal, Negative Labeling, Dissent of
current Philippine Political System, Suggestion, Interrogation, Inducement,
Acknowledgement of other’s mistakes, Mockery, Insult, Contention, Reproach, Dare
and Incongruous Comparison.

D. Political Needs and Political Efficacy

The table shows the categories that are revealed from the study through the
answers of selected participants/social media users:

CATEGORIES

1. First-time experience in Political Engagements

2.1. Inquisitive and Investigative

2.2. Dependent to people’s stories

2.3. Referring to credible media outlets

2.4. Visiting websites for references

2.5. Watching news

3.1. Anger and Rage to the Government

3.2. Assertiveness

3.3. Dissent

3.4. Politically Outspoken

3.5. Conjecture of Political Knowledge

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 270

3.6. Triggered by opposition

3.7.Accountability of political standpoint

3.8. Comparison to other politicians

3.9. Disbelief

3.10. Dismay

3.11. Sarcasm

3.12. Transparency

3.13. Willingness to be taught/teachable

4.1. Unfair treatment of media outlets and their duality

4.2. Influenced by others’ political views

4.3. Self-influence

4.4. Influenced by position in campus journalism

4.5. Political Discourse among peers

5.1. Strength:

5.1.1. Approach on West Philippine Sea

5.2. Weaknesses:

5.2.1. incompetence

5.2.2. Poor management

5.2.3. lack of leadership

6.1. Enthusiasm for a politician

6.2. Friendly political discourse

6.3. Place to voice out the same political opinions

7.1. Healthy political argument

7.2. Composure during argument

7.3. 'Dispelling others' political opinions by facts

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 271

7.4. Firm in political standpoint

7.5. Private Political argument

7.6. 'Raising others' standard with own political standpoint

8.1. Changes Political standpoint

8.2. Social media as a powerful tool in addressing societal issues

8.3. Social media as a powerful tool in giving voice to the voiceless

8.4. Social media as a powerful tool for the youth

8.5. Social media as a powerful tool of being analytical in political

information

8.6. Social media as a tool for political mindfulness

Moreover, the themes of the categories include: First-Time Experience in

Political Engagements (6), attitudes towards political references, political Attitudes of
Social Media Users, Factors affecting Political Engagements, Strengths and
Weaknesses of Government as Perceived by Social Media Users, Advantages of
political groups and pages, Treatment on Political Arguments and Roles of Social
Media in Shaping Public Opinion.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 272

E. Political Attitudes

Fig. 2. Theory of Political Discourse and Attitudes in Social Media World

First-Time Experience
in Political
Engagements

Political
Factors affecting Discourse/Attitudes in Strengths and
Social
political Weaknesses of
Media
engagements Government as
Perceived by Social
Media Users

Roles of Social
Media in shaping
Treatment on
Public opinions
Political
Arguments

The theoretical model consists of the themes extracted by the categorization

and coding of the participants’ answers. This explains the political context of social
media users inside the world of social media platforms.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 273

Conclusion

After cautious analysis and interpretation of data, the following conclusions are
hereby presented:

A. Content

A.1. Antonio Contreras

A.1.1. “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us”- The title means
urging the President to show himself amidst the crises that are happening. Antonio
Contreras argued that the President should present concrete plans with regards to the
COVID-19 pandemic response.
A.1.2. “Blame the President”- The title itself speaks for what the article is
all about that the President should be blamed for everything that is happening in the
country. Contreras' article consists argued that the President should be blamed for the
crises that are happening in the country.

A.2. Rigoberto Tiglao

A.2.1. “Duterte: Our boldest president ever”- Antonio Contreras'
argument centered on the President's boldness when it comes to his approach on the
52-year old terror brought by CPP-NPA.

A.2.2. “Duterte makes history”- The title appears to be incomplete,

causing the reader to want to learn more about it. It argues about the current approval
rating of President Duterte.

A.3. Louis “Barok” Biraogo

A.3.1. “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President

Duterte”- The title seems too complete which makes a reader lose its interest to read it
further. This article argued that del Rosario has no right to criticize the President when
it comes to his approach in the West Philippine Issue.

A.3.2. “We need a selfless leader”- The title alone gives a hint as to the
topic of the article: qualities of the next President. A document's or article's title serves
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 274

two purposes: to provide a concise summary and to entice the reader to read the
document. The article makes a solid case for Louis "Barok" Biraogo against other
politicians who regard public office as a way to get rich, which is understandable.

B. Style Analysis

B.1. Antonio Contreras

B.1.1. “Presidential duty to appear and talk to us”- It is an argumentative
article. The author used exact terminology in his writing. The author's writing is
concise and to the point. In his piece, Contreras used metaphor and hyperbole,
equating President Duterte to a loving parent and suggesting that he is gallivanting.
The structure of the sentences is well-established. Each of Contreras' paragraphs
focuses on a single subject. The argument and topic have been fully developed.

B.1.2. “Blame the President”- The article is expository. Contreras' use of

such language has an impact on how people read articles, eliciting sympathy and
creating a prejudiced attitude among readers. The author used a large and varied
vocabulary. The structure of the sentences is well-known. The argument and issue are
well-developed and supported. The ideas flowed in a logical order.

B.2. Rigoberto Tiglao

B.2.1. “Duterte: Our boldest president ever”- It is an argumentative article.
In this legal basis or reference, Tiglao avoided using high-sounding phrases. The
article does not contain any metaphorical language. It is formally written that there
was no room for terms with multiple meanings. Third-person perspective was used by
the author. The topic of the piece was CPP-NPA dissension. Tiglao is plainly not for
this, as the author noted in his explanation of President Duterte's audacity in taking
such a step.

B.2.2. “Duterte makes history”- It made use of expository writing style. The
author used exact terminology in his writing. People will be able to grasp it because
the words have been carefully chosen. The essay contains a mix of compound and
difficult sentences, but the language structure is well-presented overall. The article
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 275

does not contain any metaphorical language. Third-person perspective was used by the
author. The topic of the article is the President's approval rating.

B.3. Louis “Barok” Biraogo

B.3.1. “Albert del Rosario has no moral authority to scold President

Duterte”- The author made use of expository writing style. In this legal basis or
reference, Biraogo did not utilize any unfamiliar words. The author's writing is concise
and to the point. Simpler yet powerful phrases like battlefront and suicidal were used.

B.3.2. “We need a selfless leader”- It made use of the narrative writing style.
The wording of this article is plainly biased in favor of Martin Romualdez as the
Philippines' next Vice President. Biraogo used powerful words that can alter a reader's
opinion about what the author is trying to say. First-person view was used by the
author.

C. Political Engagement and Political Knowledge

The political thoughts and remarks of the selected social media users disclose a
variety of codes that clearly indicate that people have their own political viewpoints.
The codes are as follows: Insistence, Surmise, Magnanimity and Tolerance,
Conjecture, Inducement, Anger, Dismay, Distrust, Persuasion, Insistence, Prediction,
Distrust, Assertion, Appeal, Negative Labeling, Dissent.

D. Political Needs and Political Efficacy

There were various categories that are revealed on the study through thematic
analysis. The themes of the categories include: First-Time Experience in Political
Engagements (6), attitudes towards political references, political Attitudes of Social
Media Users, Factors affecting Political Engagements, Strengths and Weaknesses of
Government as Perceived by Social Media Users, Advantages of political groups and
pages, Treatment on Political Arguments and Roles of Social Media in Shaping Public
Opinion.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 276

E. Political Attitudes

The theory formed is the “Theory of Political Discourse and Attitudes in

Social Media World” which is based on the participants’ answers. It went through the
three steps: coding, categorizing and theme formation.

Recommendations

Based on the conclusions drawn, the following recommendations are sent for
consideration:

1. Media outlets should not be biased. They should make their news articles as
transparent as possible to avoid confusion and misconception among readers and
viewers.

2. Social media users should learn how to be a discerning skeptic of everything they
read and hear from news sources.

3. When reading news articles, social media users should be wary of people who are
unable or unwilling to convey the opposing view or who won’t acknowledge what is
fact and what is opinion.

4. When it comes to news outlets, 1) watch different channels with different political
tendencies (e.g., Rappler versus CNN) and 2) look at the election endorsements of
your news outlets to gauge their political tendencies.

5. Social media users who want to join political engagement should read between the
lines and decipher the information that they wish to have an opinion with.

6. If ever social media users unexpectedly engage to political arguments, their

approach should be friendly and avoid argumentum ad hominem to prevent unwanted
and unhealthy political discussions.

7. Social media users should not only point out the shortcomings of a certain politician
or administration but they should also look into his/her accomplishments as well.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 277

8. Since the comment sections of some media outlets is becoming more outrageous
when it comes to political discourse and have turned into a ‘cussword arena’, the CEO
of the social media platforms should look for immediate solutions for it since social
media platforms are open to everyone and has no age restrictions.

9. The political opinions should be ethical to have friendly political engagements.

10. The political participation of the social media users’ actual rallying and protest
both on social media users and senior high school students can also be contextualized
if researchers wish to conduct the study in a broader perspective.
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 278

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APPENDICES

APPENDIX A

https://newsinfo.inquirer.net/1416144/nasaanangpangulo-trends-after-duterte-
cancels-address-twice#ixzz6twrTzYFw

“For someone who is touted to be a “tatay” or a father, he seems to opt to ask

his “alalays” or assistants to inform his children that he is well. And he would do this
even when there is now a snowballing suspicion that something bad has happened to
him. A good and loving father would not let his children go through that pain in the
same manner that a good and loving president would not subject the citizens of his
country to such deliberate insensitivity if not total irresponsibility. A good president
would come out, in person, to directly address all of us and assure us that he is well
and safe, and that he is doing everything to make us all well and safe particularly
during this time of the pandemic.

In the face of a serious confrontation between China and the Philippines in the
West Philippine Sea, and the sustained threat from what appears to be another surge
of the coronavirus disease of 2019 (Covid-19), the President chose not to speak
directly to us. At a time when many Filipinos are now experiencing more and more
familiar names succumbing to Covid-19, even dying from it, and where the terror of
losing someone becomes closer, and for many, has struck their very homes, the
President opted to speak to us through images shown by intermediaries, and not
directly.

It is therefore to be expected that people would talk, and conspiracy theories

would spread about the status of his health and well-being. A more prudent president
would have simply gotten out of bed, or from anywhere in the world where he is
hibernating or taking refuge, and directly spoke to his people. After all, this is the age
of the internet, where modern and sophisticated information and communication
technologies abound to breach the physical barriers and deliver live images to every
handheld and mobile gadget of Filipinos. It is not even a valid excuse that the safety of
the President, and of those who will be running the live broadcast, are paramount.
Nowadays, you do not need an elaborate set-up to broadcast live on Facebook. Zoom
is already mainstreamed that even young children are adept at it.

But the President, over the weekend, opted not to speak to us, and instead sent
Sen. Christopher Lawrence Go to show us images of him, beside a table, jogging
around the Malacañang grounds, riding a motorbike, playing golf, when what we
needed was a live presidential address. These stunts are not enough to assuage the
doubts, and fears, of people. The discourse that speaks of these images as proof of life
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 285

is already enough indication that there is a compelling need to address people’s

anxieties and suspicions about the state of the President’s health. It doesn’t help when
what is provided are images that only feed further the conspiracy theories.

It is simply jarring that in the face of uncertainty and crisis all the President
can provide us are pictures and images. He found time to allow himself to be
videotaped while running around but did not find it his duty to a confused, fearful,
worried and virus-ravaged citizenry to even stop, wave his hand and briefly talk to us.

In fact, this image of a president playing around, gallivanting in the Palace

grounds while people are dying is akin to Nero fiddling while Rome burned.

He may have appeared to project an image that he is healthy and fit. Good for
him. But it is not just his health and safety that are important here but the health and
sanity of the Filipino people. People with Covid-19 are dying in their cars and in
hospital lobbies, unable to get a bed. One person who lives in Manila had to travel to
Lucena to secure a hospital bed. Companies are opting to revisit their practice of
announcing deaths of their employees or their loved ones simply because these are
now becoming more and more frequent, and instead of eliciting sympathy, they create
a wave of fear and anxiety. While the vaccine rollout has started, there is much to be
done. Meanwhile, the distribution of the ayuda appears to be confronted by logistical
problems in many areas, with people in long lines, turning its distribution into de facto
mass gathering events that can become potential super-spreader events.

It cannot be overemphasized that there is an urgent need to recalibrate the

response to the pandemic, but what we still have is a system that appears
directionless, subsisting on a week-to-week assessment of the situation and where the
government has practically ceded its Covid-19 data analysis to Octa Research, a
private entity. And it is not comforting to know that after a year of the pandemic, we
still have a broken contact-tracing system.

What adds to the feeling of helplessness, and even hopelessness among many,
is the fact that people close to the President are getting infected with the virus such as
members of his Cabinet. His spokesman, Harry Roque Jr., has tested positive for the
second time.

To citizens waiting to be vaccinated, or waiting for their ayuda, and whose

relatives and friends are dying of the virus, having people close to power becoming
infected is a frightening realization that if these people are not able to secure
themselves, then worse things await the ordinary people.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 286

We don’t need images of the President working, or jogging, or riding his bike,
or playing golf. We needed him to talk to us, directly, live. That is his duty as
president.”- Antonio Contreras
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 287

APPENDIX B

“THE diehard Duterte supporters (DDS) blame everyone, from the United States

for allegedly misleading and abandoning us in the West Philippine Sea, to former

president Benigno Aquino 3rd for committing the twin mistake of falling for the US

machinations and angering Beijing by filing a case at the Permanent Court of

Arbitration, a case which incidentally we won.

Most people agree that what we got was a convincing win. We provided the

opportunity for a recognized international tribunal to finally declare that China’s

fictional nine-dash line has no basis, either in history or in international law. Yet, the

DDS attacked the ruling as useless, in ways that rivaled and even exceeded China’s

intransigence. Instead of focusing on the points that we won, they ranted on our

alleged loss of claims over some geological formations, which, under international

law, we cannot even claim.

What these people flaunted and defended is the alleged deft pragmatism that

President Rodrigo Duterte exhibited when he simply ditched the arbitral ruling in

favor of befriending China. They all agreed that the alternative would be war. They all

became instant China apologists and Xi Jinping became the embodiment of a blessing.

When President Duterte expressed his preference and admiration for China, his loyal

political base screeched with vigorous approval. Anyone who criticizes the President’s

obsequiousness toward China becomes a convenient target for shaming and trolling.

They all thought that a friendly China would bring in the goods. They rattled on

about the series of funding commitments made by Beijing to finance the ambitious
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 288

infrastructure program of the President as the prize we won for his China pivot. They

were all hoping that a friendlier and more subservient Duterte could keep at bay

China’s expansionist advance in the West Philippine Sea. And they all suffered a

collective battered housewife syndrome every time China made an unwelcome

advance harassing our fishermen, and even our Coast Guard and Navy, where they all

fall under a state of utter denial, to a point that they even lash out at those who call

out China. When a Chinese vessel rammed a Filipino fishing boat and left our

fishermen to drown in the open sea and when the President dismissed it as a simple

incident, these DDS even had the audacity to blame our fishermen. One pro-Duterte

blogger initially even doubted the veracity of the fishermen’s story.

Unfortunately, and contrary to the expectations of the loyal DDS, President

Duterte’s pivot toward China did not make it retreat from its infringements on our

sovereignty. Evidence clearly shows that Chinese vessels remain in position within our

exclusive economic zones, and even inside our territory. And the promised funds to

finance the President’s infrastructure programs are not coming as fast as they were

promised.

The Philippine offshore gaming operators (POGOs) burgeoned like mushrooms,

but they cater more to customers based in mainland China, where gambling is illegal,

and employ Chinese mainlanders instead of Filipinos. To the apprehensions expressed

by many that this could be another form of invasion, the DDS countered that, in fact,

POGOs will bring in capital and tax revenues. To those who expressed alarm that

rental spaces are being gobbled up by Chinese tenants, effectively displacing Filipino
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 289

renters, some DDS defended this as an opportunity for unit owners to earn more,

pointing out that this is after all a case of plain market decisions.

But now we see that the promised tax revenues appear to be a mirage. It is now

revealed that only a few POGOs are paying their franchise taxes. The Chinese

employed are also not paying right income taxes, if at all. We also now learn that the

promised capital infusion exists not as clean investments, but may, in fact, be through

illicit money laundering schemes. Sen. Richard Gordon revealed that billions of pesos

had illegally entered our country from China.

There is even talk that many Chinese mainlanders who work in POGOs are

members of the People’s Liberation Army, according to still- raw and unvetted

information gathered by Sen. Panfilo Lacson. The hearings conducted by Sen. Ana

Theresia Hontiveros exposed the corruption that mars the entry of the Chinese into the

country, some of whom are even able to procure, with cooperation from corrupt

Filipino bureaucrats, Philippine birth certificates and passports.

And then we now see the spectacle of Chinese-bred criminality finding their places

in our streets, seen in the kidnapping and murder of the Chinese perpetrated by their

compatriots. Crime has now become one of our prime imports from China.

And through all of these, the loyal DDS never lose a beat in their denial. Instead of

taking seriously the exposés made by the senators, they take turns in maligning them

and their intentions, dismissing Hontiveros as Yellow and belittling Lacson and

Gordon as making their moves to gain attention for their presidential ambitions in
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 290

2022. Others blame the problems on the endemic corruption in our bureaucracy that

allows for these illegal activities.

Another weapon to diminish any criticism that the loyal DDS use is to deploy the

racism card by accusing those who criticize China and the President as guilty of

xenophobia.

These people have to be told. When the dust settles, history will not be kind to

those who turned a blind eye and failed to call out the President for laying the

foundation for all these things to happen. His China pivot has created the context for

the entry of Chinese “bads” into our political economy. And the claim that everything

is the fault of corrupt officials even exacerbate the President’s culpability as it

suggests evidence of his failure to curb corruption, despite his bold claims to eradicate

it. And Senator Gordon may be correct in saying many regulators are holding back for

fear of offending China and, indirectly, or so they think, the President. And we cannot

blame them.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 291

APPENDIX C

FOR undertaking a comprehensive campaign to eradicate — finally, the nation

hopes — the 52-year-old Maoist menace in the country, Rodrigo Duterte has emerged
as the country’s boldest president ever. By doing so, he is also the most perspicacious
and the least “pulitiko” (as I will argue in this column) as he has torn down the
disguises — the “fronts” such as the Red party-lists — the communists have been
wearing since their party’s founding in 1968.

In the post-EDSA I era, none of its five presidents have taken on the
Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and its private army, so ridiculously
misnamed the New People’s Army (NPA), which explains why we have the longest-
running insurgency in Asia.

Corazon Aquino of course embraced the communists, continuing her husband

Benigno Aquino 3rd’s alliance with communist ideologue Jose Ma. Sison and his Red
conspirators established at the very founding of both the CPP and the NPA — which
was in the Cojuangco-Aquino clan’s Hacienda Luisita in the late 1960s.

Finally, their days may be over.

One of Cory Aquino’s first acts as President was to release communist party
founder Sison and other top Red leaders — many of whom were captured at the cost of
many lives of the Republic’s armed forces. Sison would flee the Philippines in 1987,
pretend to be a persecuted legal opposition in order to be given asylum by the
Netherlands, from where he would reclaim the party chairmanship with the new alias
Armando Liwanag.

As former ranking party cadre Nathan Quimpo would relate in his book
Subversive Lives that while Sison had an “unseemly proclivity for chasing skirts and
going to discos” in Utrecht, he did manage to expand the CPP’s international network
so that NPA leaders got to be trained in Palestinian Liberation Organization camps
and to procure arms from various sources overseas.

Whether wittingly or unwittingly, Aquino allowed the appointment of party

cadres in the Bureau of Customs at that time so that they were able to smuggle the
most advanced assault rifles through the regular Manila ports, hidden in steel drums
mislabeled as containing fertilizer.

Convention

It was the Constitutional Convention of 1987 — all of whose members were

appointed by Aquino — that drew up a constitution that called for a party-list system
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 292

in Congress, which has allowed the CPP to have their disguised minions become
members of our House of Representatives. As a result, these Reds even draw salaries
and other forms of funds from us taxpayers, to be used in their conspiracy to topple
democracy.

Aquino’s successor Fidel Ramos, a cousin of the strongman Marcos, headed

during most of martial law the Philippine Constabulary that went against the Maoists,
and whose intelligence units, like the dreaded 5th Constabulary Unit, captured Sison
and most communist leaders.

But Ramos proved to be a puppy by Cory’s lap, agreeing to release these

Maoists. As president, he kept on offering peace talks to the communists and did little
to weaken the Maoist insurgency, mostly echoing the liberals’ line that it would be
economic development that would defeat the insurgency. Under Cory and Ramos’
administration, the NPA killed 4,395 of the Republic’s soldiers, according to the
military records on death-in-combat relatives’ benefits, a bit more than the 4,253
Armed Forces casualties from 1975 to 1984, or during Marcos’ rule.

Because of his nationalist rhetoric or the Left’s assessment that he could be

easily used, Joseph Estrada was supported by the Communist Party, its fronts and
leftist leaders. Estrada for instance appointed former National Democratic Front
leader, the late Horacio Morales Jr., as Agrarian Reform secretary and other former
CPP leaders in sub-secretary positions. His adviser for political affairs, Rolando
Llamas was a former CPP leader who became a leader of the “pink” forces, or those
who broke away from the party, such as Akbayan, whose most well-known member is
its chairman, Sen. Risa Hontiveros.

MILF

Rather than against the NPA, Estrada unleashed his military on the
secessionist Moro Islamic Liberation Front (MILF), overrunning its main camp
Abubakar. Estrada’s war against the MILF gave the NPA much breathing space to
recover their lost bases in Samar and Mindanao.

Gloria Macapagal Arroyo — whom a close aide in the 1980s very nearly
recruited into the party or its National Democratic Front — thought she could reach a
peaceful settlement with the Reds. The CPP called off peace talks with Arroyo,
claiming that she did not do enough to convince the US not to put it in its global list of
terrorist organizations. However, the relentless attacks by the Estrada-FPJ and then
Yellow forces against Arroyo as well as the continued threats of coups against her
after the heated elections in 2004, weakened her political base so much that she
decided not to undertake an all-out war against the communist insurgency.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 293

Aquino 3rd continued his late parents’ alliance with the Reds and undertook
peace talks, that he nearly gave them a status of belligerency which by international
law would have given them the same legitimacy as a sovereign state.

The talks only served to advance the CPP’s portrayal, especially abroad, as
still a force to be reckoned with and with the international community recognizing it
as an organization party with legitimate demands, when the reality was that it was a
terrorist group. CPP and NPA cadres were given “safe conduct passes” to move all
over the country to coordinate their forces without fear of being arrested. Every CPP
or NPA cadre arrested claimed they were “consultants” in the peace talks.

Duterte early in his regime gave the Reds the opportunity to prove themselves
as reformists willing to work within the democratic system, even appointed ranking
former or current CPP leaders to head departments, such as former top Negros NPA
leader Judy Taguiwalo as Social Welfare and Development secretary.

Task force

But when the NPA attacks against government forces continued, Duterte called
off peace talks and launched a total campaign against the Reds, creating an institution
for this under Executive Order 70 issued in December 2018 — the National Task
Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict (NTF-Elcac). This is composed of 10
department secretaries, heads of the military and security agencies, and two
representatives from the private sector.

Its mandate is to undertake a “whole-of-nation” approach to totally defeating

the Reds. The task force’s mandate is not just to undertake intensified military
campaigns against the communists but launch such efforts as an intense information
campaign to unmask them and socio-economic development programs in areas that
they control.

Duterte is the first president ever in the post-EDSA era to undertake such a
comprehensive campaign to dismantle the CPP-NPA, the last such insurgency in Asia.

He is even bolder than President Ramon Magsaysay who ended the first
communist insurgency here in the 1950s led by the pro-Soviet Partido Komunista ng
Pilipinas. But behind Magsaysay was US military might and the CIA to help him.
Duterte is also even braver than Marcos, who after all imposed a dictatorship and
didn’t have to worry about an opposition or a media sympathetic to the communists —
as there are in the case of Duterte, trying to block his campaign to end the Maoist
rebels.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 294

CPP-NPA

Duterte has proven to be perspicacious — probably as he had long dealt with

the communists in his many years as Davao City mayor – that he knows that the CPP-
NPA will never give up its arms willingly and would merely exploit peace talks to
strengthen itself, as it has done under the past four presidents.

And as I pointed out at the outset of this column, he has proven to be the least
pulitiko by undertaking an all-out war against the CPP-NPA.

The party-list system that started in 1995 as well as the masses the CPP-NPA
controls through fear or persuasion make up a sizeable base of electoral support.
Going by the last 2018 elections and the votes for the top Red front Bayan Muna, this
could total 1 million votes, a command vote, as the CPP will just order its
organizations’ network to support particular candidates. The past four presidents
before Duterte wooed the CPP, and so did many politicians including those in the
Senate to give them these votes.

Duterte doesn’t care. Neither does he care about the yakkity-yak of

international bleeding-heart meddlers. All he cares about is the total defeat of this 52-
year-old Red terror.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 295

Appendix D

“PRESIDENT Rodrigo Duterte has made history. PulseAsia reported on

Monday that based on its September poll, Duterte had a performance rating of 91

percent, up 4 points from its December 2019 poll. That level of popular support is

unprecedented. Nobody expected that.

That is the highest approval, performance, or satisfaction rating ever given to

a Philippine president — or to a leader of any country in the world — since such polls

were started. The highest rating that President Corazon Aquino got was in October

1986, when 82 percent of Filipinos supported her. Her support rapidly fell, however,

so that by April 1992, only 58 percent did.

By contrast, Duterte’s support has been steadily rising — from 78 percent in

March 2017 to 88 percent in June 2018, to 87 percent in December 2019 and 91

percent last month.

Any statistician will tell you that with the survey’s 3 percentage points plus-or-

minus margin of error, that 91 percent approval virtually points to an outstanding

phenomenon — that practically the entire nation supports this president. Nobody is

listening to the likes of Philippine Daily Inquirer columnists, that online news site, US

and Western media, the Yellows and the Reds. Duterte has in fact united the country

under his leadership.

Unless that PulseAsia poll could be proven to be totally flawed, it points to a

stunning fact: Duterte has how become a Philippine political demigod in that very

sparse pantheon consisting of Rizal, Bonifacio, Aguinaldo and ironically, as he was as

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 296

much supported by the Americans as Duterte is being undermined by them, Ramon

Magsaysay.

Duterte has attained escape velocity, and has reached orbit around the

Philippine political planet, and nothing can bring him down now. Trump’s prophetic

line before the 2016 elections could very well apply to Duterte, which would bring

nightmares to the Yellows and Reds: “I could stand in the middle of Fifth Avenue and

shoot somebody, and I wouldn’t lose any voters.”

Elections

It’s about a year and half to the next presidential elections in the Philippines.

As happened in most of the world after the 1917-1918 Spanish flu pandemic (in the US

the roaring ‘20s), the country would likely have an economic boom next year, as

people’s consumption appetites are unleashed, which would even expand popular

support for Duterte.

Unless the Covid-19 pandemic here gets out of hand, the next president would

be whoever Duterte says Filipinos should put in power. The PulseAsia poll is telling

politicians: If you want your political career to advance, do not cross Duterte.

Check the accompanying chart, if you think, like that academic punk from

Singapore ANC recently interviewed as its expert, that Duterte’s recent performance

rating is merely what one would expect for populist strongmen during a crisis.

Duterte’s 91 percent is a quantum leap from the rest of these mostly strongmen

leaders, I managed to get data on. I cannot find any poll that a country’s leader has

had even a rating above 80 percent. That’s why I say the findings of the recent

PulseAsia poll means the political deification of Duterte.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 297

Duterte’s almost universal support in this country is remarkable in that the

past nine months to September have been incontestably the worst period in our post-

war history, even eclipsing the 1984-1985 political-economic crisis. The pandemic

shut down most of our economy for at least five months. The latest World Bank

estimate is that the GDP will contract 6.9 percent this year. Because of the business

closures, over 3 million Filipinos were thrown out of their jobs

Corruption

Duterte is responsible for the closure of the mighty ABS-CBN Corp., one of the

two most powerful and influential broadcast media organizations. Of all times, the

massive corruption involving billions of pesos at Philippine Health Corp. has been

exposed. Duterte’s handpicked man to clean the agency of graft, a retired general,

Ricardo Morales, has proven to be totally inutile in his job or worse, complicit in its

web of corruption. The US and Western media all portrayed Duterte as a ruthless

dictator in Asia, and among the world’s hated strongmen. “A presidency bathed in

blood,” Columbia Journalism School’s Sheila Coronel titled her article on Duterte.

Duterte’s four public appearances since the pandemic broke out in March

were PR nightmares: he was rambling as much as he seemed sleepy, made

preposterous claims such as using gasoline to clean face masks, and blurted out his

usual p****g i**. It wasn’t as disastrous as it was in many other countries in the

world, it wasn’t spectacular either. That would have been terrible for an ordinary

president: Filipinos have a habit of blaming everything on the president.

Because of his policy of drawing the country closer to China and reversing his

predecessor’s servility to the US, the American Deep State has launched an intense
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 298

campaign to demonize him, so that he would be powerless to determine the next

Philippine president.

Even my colleague Ramon Tulfo — Duterte’s longtime friend and supporter

and who in his five decades of journalism has built up a vast network of sources — has

started to think that he may be losing his way, and his inner circle has metamorphosed

into a den of thieves. To be frank I myself had thought that Duterte has become weary

and has been losing the fire in his belly, and that his people had gone on that

traditional last-five-minutes-to-amass-your-retirement-funds tack.

Despite all these, 91 percent of Filipinos judged him as doing well. Perhaps we

are like in the petty bourgeois thinking class can never really grasp what the nation

really feels.”
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APPENDIX E

Former Department of Foreign Affairs Secretary Albert del Rosario is

currently drumming up public animosity against President Rodrigo Roa Duterte over

the way the latter is handling the ongoing maritime dispute between the Philippines

and Red China regarding the South China Sea.

Red China has built artificial islands and sent warships to islets and shoals

inside the exclusive economic zone of the Philippines in the disputed area.

President Duterte believes that it is impossible to get those islets and shoals

back, outside of winning a shooting war against the communist giant.

That reality notwithstanding, President Duterte sent word to the Chinese

embassy in the Philippines that those islets and shoals belong to the Philippines. The

DFA has also repeatedly sent diplomatic protests to Beijing regarding the matter.

Last Monday, DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin, Jr. publicly badmouthed Red

China over its maritime bullying and pretentious claim to be a friend of the

Philippines. Frankly speaking, Red China deserves Locsin’s profane language.

Del Rosario, however, wants President Duterte to confront Red China. From

the way he criticizes the President, del Rosario wants the Philippines to go to war

against Red China, on the expectation that the United States will support the

Philippines in that shooting war.

It’s easy for del Rosario to want war. He is too old to fight at the battlefront,

and he won’t have the duties and responsibilities of a commander-in-chief.

Going to war with a powerful adversary is difficult enough; going to war while

there is a pandemic is suicidal. There is no doubt that the war del Rosario and his
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 300

friend, ex-Supreme Court Justice Antonio Carpio, want will create more problems for

the Philippines.

What do del Rosario and Carpio know about war anyway? Each of them

behaves like a backseat driver who does not know how to drive a vehicle but nags the

driver on how to drive one.

Del Rosario and Carpio will probably flee to the United States in the event a

shooting war between the Philippines and Red China does take place. They both have

many American corporate clients to take care of them abroad.

There is no doubt that Red China is exploiting the vulnerability of the

Philippines, but then, what can the Philippines realistically do about that as of now?

Anyway, del Rosario’s behavior today is markedly different from his behavior

when he was the DFA Secretary of President Benigno Aquino III.

I know that for a fact.

In March 2013, Filipino commandos loyal to the Sultan of Sulu went to Sabah

(East Borneo) to forcibly reclaim that territory which by historic right and legal title

belongs to the Philippines.

Because President Aquino refused to help his own countrymen, the commandos

were overwhelmed by Malaysian soldiers. The commandos who were captured were

detained in Malaysia. Those who escaped and returned to the Philippines faced

criminal charges as ordered by Aquino.

After that incident, Filipinos residing in Sabah, long maltreated by the

Malaysian government, were subjected to a new round of abuses by the semi-

uncivilized Malaysians.
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All the foregoing notwithstanding, Aquino and del Rosario still acted

apologetically to Malaysia.

Del Rosario insisted that the solution to the Sabah problem was diplomacy and

dialogue, and not armed conflict. Although del Rosario’s boss, President Aquino,

promised to pursue the Sabah claim before the International Court of Justice, nothing

concrete happened thereafter. Eventually, del Rosario did not act on that promise.

I was outraged by the way del Rosario handled the issue. That was why on

April 4, 2013, I filed a petition for mandamus in the Supreme Court (G.R. No. 206323)

to compel then DFA Secretary del Rosario to pursue the Philippine claim to Sabah

before the International Court of Justice or such other forum available under

International Law.

The petition cited the Administrative Code of 1987 which states that the DFA

Secretary has the duty to implement foreign policy, and foreign policy includes

protecting the national sovereignty and territorial integrity of the Philippines.

For me, del Rosario’s silence on the petition indicated his refusal to defend

Philippine territory, in this case, Sabah, against the Malaysian landgrabber.

The SC dismissed my petition on the ground that foreign policy is the exclusive

concern of the executive department of the government. Carpio was a justice of the

SC when the petition was dismissed.

Today, eight years later, del Rosario is singing an entirely different tune. He

wants President Duterte to do precisely what he refused to do when he was the DFA

Secretary. That’s duplicity on the part of del Rosario.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 302

It also shows that del Rosario has no moral authority to criticize President

Duterte for the way the latter is handling the maritime dispute between the Philippines

and Red China.

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APPENDIX F

With the exception of President Rodrigo Duterte, quite a number of our

country’s most conspicuous leaders view public office as a necessity, almost as if their

hold to political power is a matter of life or death. They are consumed with the desire

to stay in power by all means, fair or foul, and end up a disservice to the people.

Other politicians see public office as a means of getting wealthy, which is also

a gauge of political power under existing Philippine social norms. They, too, are a

disservice to the people.

The worst type of politician is the one who worships both power and wealth.

They belong to the bottom of the cesspool of political scumbags.

Based on my impression of politicians in general, one brought about by

decades of studying the way they think and behave, I developed a jaded view of almost

every politico I have had the opportunity to meet up close in recent years. That

impression may be a pessimistic one, but that is my impression, or at least, that was

my impression, until I got to learn more about Representative Martin Romualdez of

Leyte, who is currently the majority floor leader in the House of Representatives of

Congress.

Although I have known Martin since 1985 during our days as students of the

University of the Philippines College of Law and as fraternity brothers in the Upsilon

Sigma Phi, there wasn’t much that I knew about him, other than his being a nephew of

then President Ferdinand Marcos and First Lady Imelda Romualdez Marcos, and a

member of the famous Romualdez family of Leyte.

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The 1986 EDSA Revolution interrupted Martin’s law studies and because of

circumstances beyond his control, he had to leave for abroad. Those were, after all,

extraordinarily volatile times. What happened next gave me my first real

understanding of this fellow.

Less than a year into the euphoria of “people power” in the Philippines, when

a strong anti-Marcos sentiment could be felt among those in power, Martin confided

to some friends in Manila that he wanted to return home and continue his law studies,

but his passport was cancelled by the vindictive administration of then President

Corazon Aquino.

When a friend of ours told me about Martin’s plight, I sought the help of then

Vice President and Foreign Affairs Secretary Salvador “Doy” Laurel, who is also a

member of our fraternity. Doy Laurel was more than glad to help, and so Martin was

able to return home.

What impressed me with Martin’s request to go back home was his willingness

to face up to a hostile political environment in the Philippines. Martin said he had

nothing to fear as he was just an ordinary law student. For him, a law degree was

necessary for a take at public office someday, and to show the world that, to borrow

from the words of United States President Franklin Delano Roosevelt, “he had

nothing to fear but fear itself.”

After finishing law school at UP and passing the Bar examinations, Martin

was briefly engaged in the practice of law and was also preparing himself for public

leadership. Martin’s initiation to elective public office came in 2013 when he was

elected to the House.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 305

In due time, Martin became a highly visible figure in the House, and, as I

stated earlier, is the current majority floor leader of the chamber.

Fast forward to January 2021, when I joined Martin and a few of our common

friends on a boat ride along Manila Bay. That small gathering was a chance to talk to

Martin for almost an entire evening.

I learned that this person, whose political and financial status in life is

something other powerful and wealthy people can only hope to approximate someday,

was not the typical overbearing politician who hogs the limelight, but a soft-spoken,

selfless person who did not hesitate to share his good fortune with others. He also

considers himself fortunate that he is of service to the people, rather than one who

needs the services of others.

Days later, when I checked Martin out in the House without his knowing it, I

could readily notice the warm treatment everyone who saw him got from him. It didn’t

matter if that person is a colleague in the House, a government official, an ordinary

bureaucrat, a constituent, or a needy person. I saw firsthand that assistance to the

needy was only just a phone call from him to the right people.

For me, Martin is an exception to my general impression about people in high

office. From all indications, Martin may be the leader this country will need after

President Rodrigo Duterte bows out of office next year.

No wonder President Duterte is considering anointing Martin for vice

president in 2022.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 306

APPENDIX G

(May 4, 2021) – The exchanges between President Rodrigo Duterte and his

staunch critics over the maritime disputes between the Philippines and China

continued with the retired high court justice calling the leader a liar.

Antonio Carpio, an international maritime law expert and a former associate

justice of the Supreme Court, said the firebrand leader “fooled” Filipinos when he

was campaigning for the presidency in 2016, promising to defend the country’s

sovereign rights in a portion of the South China Sea.

He said the president committed a “grand estafa” for not honoring a

campaign promise to plant the Philippine flag on Scarborough Shoal after riding on a

jet ski to assert the country’s rights over the rocky outcrop.

“President Duterte cannot now say that he never discussed or mentioned the

West Philippine Sea issue when he was campaigning for president,” Carpio told

reporters in a message.

“Otherwise, he would be admitting that he was fooling the Filipino people big

time. There is a term for that—grand estafa or grand larceny. Making a false promise

to get 16 million votes.”

On Monday night, Duterte said he never promised anything regarding the

country’s maritime dispute with China, saying he never wanted to “pressure” China.

Duterte spent time to spew invectives on some officials in the previous

administration, particularly against retired justice Carpio and former foreign affairs

secretary Albert Del Rosario. Carpio on Tuesday refuted Duterte’s claims.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 307

Campaigning in early 2016, Duterte said he wanted to “ride a jet ski while

bringing the Philippine flag” to the Scarborough Shoal to assert the country’s

sovereign rights.

Two years later, Duterte claimed he was only kidding.

Duterte has also promised to take up the maritime dispute when the right time

comes.

But five years into his presidency, Duterte does not want to ruffle China’s

feather, which he considered a “good friend” and a “benefactor.”

He has repeatedly insisted he did not want to confront China that may lead

into war which the country cannot win.

Del Rosario, in a separate statement, said Duterte should continuously defend

the country’s sovereign waters whether he made a promise or not. He said it was

mandated under the constitution.

“Mr. President, our respectful plea is the same: may we urge you to enforce

the Arbitral Award and protect the West Philippine Sea for our country and our

people,” Del Rosario said.

“May we urge you, Mr. President, not to trade our lands and waters for

prospects of money given by China. On the comment made by the President that he

will punch me when he sees me, may we convey that we wish him well and may he

uphold his sworn duty to the Filipino people.”

Independent Senator Panfilo Lacson pushed for a review of the country’s

diplomatic relationship with China over the recent incursions, saying no “benefactor”

would bully the country and ignore its protests. (Beatrice Puente/MM)
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 308

APPENDIX H

Duterte vows transparency in spending of COVID-19 funds

AUG 25, 2020 1:21 PM PHT
PIA RANADA
With his administration besieged by accusations of corruption in state health

insurer Philippine Health Insurance Corporation, President Rodrigo Duterte

promised no hocus-pocus in the spending of COVID-19 funds.

In a speech given on Monday night, August 24, but aired on Tuesday morning,

Duterte ordered government agencies to make public the details of how they are

spending funds allocated for responding to the coronavirus pandemic.

"All the money spent for the fight against [COVID-19] will be accounted for. I

will hold mysef accountable for that sole and solemn duty of answering for and on

behalf of the executive department of all the funds that were spent in the fight against

[COVID-19]," said Duterte.

He wants agencies to regularly publish, in 3 newspapers of general

circulation, the items they've procured and identify the companies that submit a bid to

supply them.

"I will require them to publish in 3 newspapers of general circulation…Ipu-

publish ko ang mga ito: ang mga bibilhin, at pagkatapos ipu-publish ko, pagkatapos

sa notice, sino 'yung bidders. Ipangalan nila. I want them na kung saan sila nakatira,"

said Duterte.

(I will publish the items to be bought, and then after the bidding notice, who

the bidders are. Name them. I want their addresses included.)

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 309

He initially ordered a publication of this information every 15 days then

eventually settled on a monthly reporting to the public.

"Their reports of respective agency disbursement, how much was spent and

for what at the end of the month. Monthly is better. We will see if the money really

went where it was supposed to go," said the President in a mix of English and

Filipino.

As for supplies that come in from abroad and must then go through Customs,

Duterte said the government must ensure they are represented by an actual person or

their lawyer.

"'Yung mga consignment na nasa pangalan lang, hindi na puwede 'yan

ngayon. Somebody must stand for them or need be their lawyer together with their

client," said the President, citing instances when Customs personnel would check on

the office addresses provided by the consignee and find them non-existent.

(Consignments that are done just by name won't cut it this time.)

He vowed to personally endorse corruption complaints to the Department of

Justice (DOJ).

"I assure you, I will be the one to endorse the case to the prosecuting office.

Ako ang magpirma mismo (I will sign it myself)," said Duterte.

Concerned about optics of PhilHealth anomalies

The President is determined to restore public confidence in government,

concerned that PhilHealth anomalies, the subject of several recent congressional

hearings, are affecting trust in his pandemic response.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 310

Duterte spent most of his Monday speech promising no corruption in the

spending of billions of taxpayers' money for addressing the COVID-19 crisis.

He gave his speech on the day Congress finalized a law that allots P162 billion

more for the Duterte administration to spend on pandemic measures. Bayanihan 2, or

the Bayanihan to Recover As One Act, is now ready for Duterte's signature.

In his Monday speech, Duterte stressed that the PhilHealth scandals are

separate from the spending of coronavirus funds.

"Dalawa ito, baka malito kayong – you might think of something else na one

for the other. Dalawa ito, itong PhilHealth, ito yung iniimbestiga ngayon ni Secretary

Guevarra... Itong [COVID-19] Bayanihan 1 and 2, malinis ito," said Duterte.

(There are two issues, you might get confused – you might think of something

else, one for the other. It's two issues – this PhilHealth being investigated by Secretary

Guevarra... This Bayanihan 1 and 2 for COVID-19 are clean.)

But anomalies in PhilHealth are inseparable from COVID-19 government

spending. The state health insurer is supposed to foot the bill of Filipinos for COVID-

19 treatment and testing. Therefore, PhilHealth funds that are misused directly affect

government efforts to curb the pandemic and help affected citizens.

Status of PhilHealth probe Malacañang also aired the part of Duterte's

meeting where Justice Secretary Menardo Guevarra gave an update on an inter-

agency probe on PhilHealth anomalies.

Guevarra heads a Duterte-created task force that is supposed to get to the

bottom of PhilHealth corruption allegations and file cases against officials suspected

of involvement.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 311

The justice chief said 13 PhilHealth officials have been suspended by the

Office of the Ombudsman for cases filed even before the recent congressional

hearings.

The task force will be conducting lifestyle checks on executives.

The task force identified the following "centers of fraud" that they will

investigate further: "fragmented" information technology system that is easy to

hoodwink legal sector, described as a "very ripe source of irregularities" Interim

Reimbursement Mechanism, a program where funds are quickly disbursed, through a

cash advance system, to medical facilities during disasters or emergencies financial

management Guevarra said the task force may propose a "partial" or "total"

reorganization of PhilHealth in line with the structural reforms they said are

necessary to address the loopholes that make the government corporation vulnerable

to corruption. The task force may ask Duterte to approve the creation of an Interim

Management Committee for PhilHealth, said Guevarra. – Rappler.com

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 312

APPENDIX I

LATEST TANTRUM | Duterte deflects West Philippine Sea issue, says he never
promised anything
May 4, 2021 , 01:14 PM

(May 4, 2021) – Instead of directly addressing the West Philippine Sea issue,

President Rodrigo Duterte once again deflected accountability to the past

administration for the growing dispute with China.

In yet another profanity-laced tantrum, Duterte continued to blame retired

Supreme Court Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio and former Department of

Foreign Affairs (DFA) secretary Albert del Rosario, former officials under President

Noynoy Aquino III, for “losing” the country’s sovereign waters.

“That’s the problem when this cockeyed scholars kuno begin to tinker in the

affairs of the country or allow them to have a wide elbow room so as to commit and

discredit the country in the process,” said Duterte in his weekly public address.

Duterte also hurled several insults at Caprio and Del Rosario, claiming they

gave the West Philippine Sea as a “gift” to China.

“Kayo ‘yun P***** i**. Alam mo kung ano talaga ang problema? P*****

i**, wala kayong bayag. ‘Yan ang totoo. Nasa gobyernong ito, kung presidente ka,

kung hindi ka marunong pumatay, hindi ka marunong mamatay, walang pag-asa.

Saan ka magtago every time there’s a conflict?” said Duterte.

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 313

It is Duterte, however, who has maintained a friendly stance despite the

continued bullying tactics of China in the West Philippine Sea, even admitting he can’t

do anything even if he sounds the alarm on the maritime row.

Carpio and Del Rosario earlier slammed Duterte for “very quickly shelving”

the country’s win in the Permanent Court of Arbitration in 2016, which was achieved

under Aquino, when he assumed power in exchange for investments from China.

“China remains to be our benefactor and just because we have a conflict with

China does not mean to say that we have to be rude and disrespectful. As a matter of

fact, we have many things to thank China for the help in the past and itong mga tulong

nila ngayon,” said Duterte.

In a Twitter post on Monday, DFA secretary Teodoro Locsin Jr. told China to

“get the f—k out” of the Philippines’ territories following the continued presence of

militia vessels despite repeated diplomatic protests.

Department of Defense secretary Delfin Lorenzana, who earlier told China to

“leave immediately,” maintained the Philippines should not easily surrender the West

Philippine Sea. Curiously, unlike in their previous pubic briefings with Duterte,

Lorenzana stayed silent on Monday.

“Mr. President, wala po akong ire-report ngayon,” said Lorenzana.

Amid the rising tensions and continued calls to assert the country’s

sovereignty, Duterte once again simply appealed to China to share the West

Philippine Sea.
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 314

“Kindly just allow our fishermen to fish in peace. And since there is no reason

for trouble, if there is one (brewing), you call our attention and wecan talk

immediately to solve the problem,” said Duterte.

Duterte also claimed he never promised anything about upholding the

country’s sovereignty in maritime disputes, even though he memorably said during his

election campaign in 2016 that he would ride a jet ski to Spratly Islands himself and

place the flag of the Philippines there.

“I never, never in my campaign as president promised the people that I would

retake the West Philippine Sea. I did not promise that I would pressure China. I never

mentioned about China and the Philippines in my campaign because that was a very

serious matter,” said Duterte. (Kiko Demigillo/PM)

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 315

APPENDIX J

(An excerpt of House Bill no. 0363)

ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 316

APPENDIX K

(An excerpt of the Administrative Order no. 34)

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 317

APPENDIX L

Republic of the Philippines

Schools Division of Vigan City
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Heritage City of Vigan

Dear Participants,

Greetings of Peace and Joy!

At present, we are undertaking a study entitled, “Juan Clicks: An Analysis of

the Social Media Content in Forming the Political Attitudes of Social Media
Users,” in partial fulfillment of the requirements for Inquiries, Investigation and
Immersion, Second Semester, School Year: 2020-2021, at Ilocos Sur National High
School.

In this regard, may you extend your utmost cooperation by answering the
interview questions that are self-administered by the research proponents which will
provide the needed information in the study, “Juan Clicks: An Analysis of the Social
Media Content in Forming the Political Attitudes of Social Media Users”. The
success of this study depends much on your opinion and sincerest answers. Rest
assured that your responses will be treated and kept with utmost confidentiality as per
ethical considerations of research.

Thank you for your kind support and cooperation. God Bless!

Very truly yours,

WIMBLEDON B. BOSQUE

RAYMOND BUSTAMANTE

ALLEIZAH JILLAN D. MADRIAGA

JHOANNA CAMILLE S. PAET

Researchers Respondent
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 318

APPENDIX M
Republic of the Philippines
Schools Division of Vigan City
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL
Heritage City of Vigan

RODRIGO Q. REYES, JR.

Education Program Supervisor Office-in-Charge, Office of Principal IV
Ilocos Sur National High School
Heritage City of Vigan

Sir:

Greetings of Peace of Joy!

At present, we are undertaking a study entitled, “Juan Clicks: An Analysis of the
Social Media Content in Forming the Political Attitudes of Social Media Users”, in partial
fulfillment of the requirements for Practical Research 2, First Semester, and School Year-
2021.
Anent to this, we would like to ask permission from your office to float the interview
guides among the social media users that will be selected to be the participants of the study.
Rest assured that data gathered will be treated with utmost respect and confidentiality.
The favorite action that you will extend to this request will be of great help in the
realization and completion of our research work in due time.
Thank you very much for your all-out support.

Very truly yours,

WIMBLEDON B. BOSQUE

RAYMOND BUSTAMANTE

ALLEIZAH JILLAN D. MADRIAGA

JHOANNA CAMILLE S. PAET

Researchers Respondent
Noted:
EFREN ANTONIO MOLINA
Teacher III

JANICE V. ALONZO, Ed.D

Master Teacher II
Subject Group Head
Humanities and Social Sciences (HUMSS)

ROMMEL R. RABO, MAED

Assistant Principal II, SHS Academics
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 319

APPENDIX N
Interview through Personal Messenger Chat (Questions imported in Google
Forms)
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 320
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 321

APPENDIX O

Name:____________________ Age: ___

____Non-Voter ____Voter _____Pro-Government Voter ____Anti-Government Voter

1. When did you first engage in political participation in social media platforms?
2. What was it like? What triggered you back then to join in political engagements?
3. What are your online references in the structure of your political opinions?
4. Who/What influenced you in joining political engagements in social media?
5. Tell me about how you came into that certain political opinion on your social media.
What were your references?
6. Are you joining political groups and pages in social media? If yes, how would you
describe the political engagement in that particular group or page? If not, just share your
thoughts about the significance of various pages and groups of people who share similar
political standpoints.
7. How would you describe your own political standpoint? Why do you think you’re right on
your own political stance?

8. How do you handle political arguments with your friends on Facebook or

followers/followings in Twitter?

9. Could you tell me about your thoughts about the current government? What are their
strengths and weaknesses?

10. How, if at all, have your thoughts about the government changed since you engaged
into political participation in social media platforms (Facebook, Twitter and YouTube)?

11. Would you tell me how you would describe the person you are now? What were the
differences before you engage into political participation in social media platforms? What
have you learned and what are the political knowledges you’ve encountered along the
way?

12. Could you tell your own significance of voicing out political opinions especially on social
media?
ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 322

APPENDIX P

(Documentation during Coding and Categorizing for Thematic Analysis)

 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 323

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. 5x1.5 PHOTO

Name : Wimbledon B. Bosque

Address : Namalangan Santa, Ilocos Sur

Birth Date : October 14, 2002
Religion : Born Again
Parents :
Father : Rogelio D. Bosque
Occupation : Carpenter
Mother : Mary-ann B. Bosque
Occupation : Self Employed
Siblings : Army Amor B. Bosque, Charmy Amery B. Bosque,
Jamaica B. Bosque

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Elementary : Banaoang Community School
Address : Rizal, Santa, Ilocos Sur
School Year : 2008-2015
Secondary :
Junior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. Vii, Vigan City
School Year : 2015-2021
Senior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Humanities and Social Sciences Strand
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2019-2021
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 324

CURRICULUM VITAE
PERSONAL BACKGROUND
1. 5x1.5 PHOTO
Name : Raymond Bustamante

Address : Banaoang, Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Birth Date : June 05, 2003
Religion : Roman Catholic
Parents :
Father : Dominador Atinza
Occupation : Supervisor
Mother : Leny Bustamante
Occupation : Overseas Filipino Worker
Sibling/s : Sharalyn Rafanan, Rinalyn Bustamante, Laarni Bustamante

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Elementary : Burgos Memorial School East
Address : Gomez St. Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2007-2014
Secondary :
Junior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2015-2019

Senior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School

Humanities and Social Sciences Strand
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2019-2021
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 325

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. 5x1.5 PHOTO

Name : Alleizah Jillan D. Madriaga

Address : An-Annam West, Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Birth Date : February 16, 2003
Religion : Roman Catholic
Parents :
Father : Julimar R. Madriaga
Occupation : Tricycle Driver
Mother : Margelyn D. Madriaga
Occupation : Overseas Filipino Worker
Sibling/s : none

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Elementary : Tay-ac Elementary School
Address : Tay-ac Bantay, Ilocos Sur
School Year : 2008-2015
Secondary :
Junior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2015-2021
Senior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Humanities and Social Sciences Strand
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2019-2021
 ILOCOS SUR NATIONAL HIGH SCHOOL – SENIOR HIGH SCHOOL 326

CURRICULUM VITAE

PERSONAL BACKGROUND 1. 5x1.5 PHOTO

Name : Jhoanna Camille S. Paet

Address : Taleb Bantay, Ilocos Sur

Birth Date : October 14, 2003
Religion : September 23, 2002
Parents :
Father : Jimmy Paet
Occupation : Laborer
Mother : Lennie Paet
Occupation : Housekeeper
Siblings: John Lhoyd Paet, Jasmine Paet, Jimwell Paet

EDUCATIONAL BACKGROUND
Elementary : Paing Elementary School
Address : Taleb, Bantay, Ilocos Sur
School Year : 2008-2015
Secondary :
Junior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2015-2021
Senior High School : Ilocos Sur National High School
Humanities and Social Sciences Strand
Address : Gomez St., Brgy. VII, Vigan City
School Year : 2019-2021