WELL NOW. U.S. President Donald Trump is following what Philippine President Marcos, Jr. is doing.
A report we read the other day said Trump has issued an Executive Order creating a government Sovereign Fund. The Philippines has it already.
According to the report Trump intends to use the pooled money of the U.S. government, first and foremost, to buy the social media giants with operation in his country, and its various platforms, one of which is Tik Tok.
We can understand why the U.S. President is targeting the social media networks. He is known very sensitive on the way he is portrayed by the social media.
We are much better here in the Philippines. Despite the allegations of some of the harshest government critics that the sovereign wealth funds of the country is being “stolen” by top government officials, there is that major investment of the administration using the pooled money. It is the buying of a huge chunk of the shares of the National Grid Corporation of the Philippines (NGCP) from the controlling Chinese companies.
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If we have to reckon with the multitude of people who joined in last Friday’s Solidarity Rally in Davao City as part of the celebration of the 80th birthday of former President Rodrigo R. Duterte, we can safely say that the election for city mayor is long over.
We really are sorry for Karlo Nograles, the challenger to the post, since the huge number of rally participants is more than proof of the city residents’ continued adherence to the Duterte leadership in the city.
But again, miracles can happen. Who knows certain incident happens between now and the election day that may goad the rabid Duterte supporters to change support.
Of course, it is a very remote possibility. But as the saying goes, “Hope springs eternal.” But it all depends on how Karlo revises his team’s campaign strategy in the remaining days of the campaign.
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Assuming that the report on the arrested OFWs in Qatar after holding an unauthorized rally in that country being required to pay a fine of over P700 thousand each plus an imprisonment of not less than three years is true, then their incarceration will signal the start of their lives totally devoid of opportunity to work again as overseas workers.
The concerned OFWs will be thrown out of jobs by their masters or their corporate bosses for violating laws that are strictly enforced in that small oil-rich country.
And where will they go to for help to get them out of the rut they personally created? For certain, they will be hesitant to approach the government. Of course, we think there is an easy way to have them get out of their misfortune without knocking at the door of the present administration.
Someone from their ranks should lead the way. That leader should ignite a movement to save the 17 or so OFWs in Qatar by requesting all pro FPRRD’s supporters all over the world to chip in a minimum of P100 or P200 each and this money be pooled to pay the cost of the monetary punishment.
However, the FPRRD loyal backers cannot do anything about the 3 years of imprisonment. It certainly requires government intervention.
Of course, if no one among the hundreds of thousands of FPRRD’s supporters will come out and instead refuse to lead the way, then the former President’s jailed backers in that Middle Eastern country will remain in Qatar jails for the longest time.
Unfortunately for them, they will not only be the ones suffering but their families and other dependents in the Philippines as well.
We can only hope that the Netherlands government will not feel unnecessarily abused by the continuous rallies in The Hague calling for the freedom of the former President and do a Qatar.
