When you decide to aspire for the highest political seat in the country, expect people to put you under the microscope for public scrutiny. Smear campaigns and black propaganda are all part of the political culture in the country. While we are only a few days away from the Presidential Election happening on May 9, word war never ceases. As they say, "it ain't over 'til it's over". Criticisms are hurled up against a presidential candidate who tops the pre-election survey. A blunt example is the anti-Duterte ad involving children. The 30-second ad highlights the negative side of Rodrigo Duterte and the reasons why he is unworthy of becoming the next President of the Philippines. We get it. It is obvious that the TV ad is against Duterte's presidency. However, as we dissect the TV ad, it slowly unravels who we are as voters, as Pinoys. While the ad is deemed to be cringe-worthy, it does not necessarily take a Duterte supporter to realize that something is really wrong with it. Is it simply because the children were used in the making of the video? Is it due to the fact that the campaign was putting Duterte in a bad light? No. The TV ad slowly uncovers what we are as a person. It can be a Freudian slip, a revelation of our subconscious feelings, but one thing is for sure: we reveal our true selves without even knowing it. It is purely paradoxical.Sure this ad does not necessarily change voter perception, but it reveals the values that shaped us as humans. A Duterte supporter might be surprised by his or her reaction to the TV ad not because it is the exact opposite of the dominant qualities of the presidential candidate they are supporting, but it is even more surprising to know that a supporter cheering or clapping for Duterte's cuss words is also against indecency of the TV ad. With Duterte's popularity, we already know what this ad is all about, but the mixed reactions clearly show both our negative and positive traits as Pinoys. We are unified because we are against the idea of using children to fulfill a politician's self-serving biases. On the other hand, we also have double standards of morality. While political goals may be accomplished eventually, nobody can have their cake and eat it too. (credits to the owner of this video)

A rape remark (regarded by some as a bad joke) by presidential aspirant Rodrigo Duterte earned the ire of netizens. The video clip of the April 12 campaign rally at the Amoranto Sports Complex in Quezon City was posted on Saturday, April 16. In the video, Duterte is in the middle of a speech and due to the remark, the video went viral. The statement was: “Ang nagpasok sa isip ko, nirape nila, pinagpilahan nila doon. Nagalit ako kasi nirape, oo isa rin 'yun . Pero napakaganda, dapat ang mayor muna ang mauna. Sayang. There are mixed reactions, most of which are negative. Is the bad remark enough to pass judgment to Rodrigo Duterte? Is this really the truth? The speech was about an incident that dates back in 1989. It was a hostage-taking by Felipe Pugoy, a Davao City Police office inmate. The missionaries who visited the DCPO were held hostage and one of the missionaries was Jacquelline Hamill, an Australian woman. The video clip of the speech drew flak and it was focused on the rape joke! Was it really a joke? “The truth is the truth even if no one believes it. A lie is a lie, even if everyone believes it”. On Sunday, April 17, Duterte was interviewed to clarify what had really transpired during the 1989 hostage-taking incident. Here’s the video of the full interview (credits to the owner of the video):