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00:00.0
All right, all right, everyone, kamusta kayo dyan?
00:29.1
Ayan na, let's get the ball rolling.
00:31.8
This is officially gonna be the last live vlog for 2023.
00:37.0
And God willing, this vlog will set the tone for 2024 sets of analysis.
00:42.6
So we have a couple of things already in the pipeline.
00:45.8
So of course, dun sa mga interested or excited.
00:49.4
As I promised, I'm looking at doing new things, including giving a semi-lecture series.
00:54.7
Beginning with an introduction to Orientalism, right?
00:57.9
So what is the Orientalist paradigm?
01:01.0
What was the conceptual, you know, the foundations to that?
01:06.5
Anong implication na ito for modern political and geopolitical analysis?
01:11.1
So it's gonna be a one hour and a half, almost, I think, one hour long lecture.
01:16.1
Or something a little bit shorter than that.
01:18.0
So I have been working on a number of lecture series to give a different twist.
01:23.8
Dito sa mga vlogs natin, dito sa mga, sa YouTube channel natin,
01:27.9
sa Facebook channel natin, among others.
01:29.0
Because I know, of course, folks come to our podcast and vlogs, you know, for entertainment, for humor.
01:34.6
And, you know, I always say, no problem.
01:38.0
I never shun humor. I never shun entertainment.
01:41.3
Because, you know, as Socrates said, you have to seduce people into truth.
01:45.5
Unfortunately, you know, unvarnished facts and truths sometimes are not the most attractive things.
01:50.7
And unfortunately, that's why fake news are almost more viral than factual news, no?
01:57.9
So what we need to do is always being an element of humor, an element of kanchawan, an element of bardagulan.
02:05.6
Especially kung nandito tayo sa Pilipinas, no?
02:08.6
In a culture like ours.
02:10.4
I gave the same advice to a number of leaders in this country, including the late and former president Aquino.
02:16.8
I had a conversation with him just before pandemic.
02:19.8
You know, we had our own sets of disagreements.
02:22.3
But I think one of the things that any Filipino leader or president or thought leader
02:27.2
should appreciate is that we have a lot of people in the country.
02:27.8
We have a lot of people in the country.
02:27.9
And what I appreciate is that pagdating sa ating bansa, you always have to give,
02:31.7
you have to put a little bit of a spice, you know, into your conversation.
02:35.0
You have to put a little bit of humor, no?
02:36.9
But never ever compromise your content in terms of your substantive discussions
02:42.4
or yung character mo bilang isang tao or intellectual.
02:46.0
I've been always uncompromising on that.
02:48.1
So I always disagree with two sets of people.
02:50.3
One set of people would say, hopeless yan, don't even try, right?
02:53.8
All people want to watch is entertainment, I don't know, eroticism.
02:57.9
You know, kind of podcasts or conversations or, you know, chismisan, maritesan, all of that.
03:05.8
And then there's another group of people who say, no, no, no, you can do it,
03:08.1
but you have to, you know, a little bit water it down.
03:10.3
I even hear terms like you have to dumb it down.
03:13.2
So I disagree with both of those groups, no?
03:15.9
So our experiment essentially since last year or so,
03:18.8
since we became much more like full-blown, all-out podcaster
03:24.2
with more than 300 podcasts uploaded since last year,
03:27.8
my observation is that kaya yan, kaya yan.
03:33.4
Hindi siya madali, but thanks to support of people like you,
03:37.5
our supporters on different platforms,
03:39.1
thanks to the foundations that we built throughout the years,
03:42.3
I think there's, you know, you can give leg to these kinds of advocacies.
03:47.1
So today I'm going to talk about three things.
03:50.3
Essentially the three top political developments for me as far as 2023 is concerned.
03:55.0
At anong implication ito?
03:57.8
Or politics next year, right?
04:00.4
All of these are going to be extremely, extremely important, no?
04:03.1
Now, let me be absolutely clear.
04:05.1
Para sa akin, una-una, ang pinakamahalaga,
04:08.7
the biggest political event of 2023 for me
04:11.3
is yung paglaya ni Senator, former Senator Leila de Lima.
04:16.0
I think that's the biggest political development of 2023 on so many levels.
04:21.4
And I'm going to explain it to you guys why.
04:24.1
To begin with, of course, this just confirmed what everyone,
04:27.8
has been saying for quite some time,
04:29.3
which is walang basihan yung mga charges ng nakaraan na administration
04:33.4
laban sa number one critic of President Rodrigo Duterte.
04:37.7
I mean, no offense to some of our journalist friends,
04:39.9
no offense to some of our friends who tried to build themselves
04:42.5
as the David versus the Goliath of Duterte,
04:44.5
but the reality is that, you know,
04:46.7
when some of our journalist friends of ours were having trauma interviews
04:50.5
or debates, hosting debates with Rodrigo Duterte,
04:54.1
years before that, Leila de Lima,
04:56.8
as the chief of the Congress,
04:57.8
the Commission on Human Rights,
04:59.2
was taking the fight to Rodrigo Duterte,
05:01.4
including in Davao,
05:03.3
including in the city hall in Davao, right?
05:06.1
So, former Senator Leila de Lima has a very long track record
05:09.8
of fighting for human rights against de facto warlords
05:13.8
or, you know, your classic case of, you know,
05:17.0
warlord political dynasties, no?
05:18.7
So, this is a person who has a long track record
05:21.0
of really fighting for convictions.
05:23.4
I can talk about a lot of other things.
05:29.3
Leila de Lima was the chief critic of the former president,
05:32.0
his most contentious rival in many ways,
05:36.7
at least in terms of, you know,
05:38.5
standing up to Duterte in the first six months to one year.
05:41.3
Most people, most people,
05:43.4
let's be very honest about it,
05:45.1
had second thoughts about, you know,
05:48.3
parang huwag mo nabanggayin ito si Digong
05:50.5
dahil napaka-popular na,
05:52.1
70, 80, 90% approval rating.
05:53.8
In fact, I think close to 90% approval ratings,
05:56.4
yung idea na ito yung hot point,
05:57.8
political honeymoon niya,
05:58.7
let him do what he's supposed to do.
06:01.0
But it was de Lima who really stood up to him.
06:07.7
She paid the price for that.
06:09.2
She paid the price for that.
06:10.3
And no one, no one,
06:12.4
as far as the big political personalities
06:14.8
in this country are concerned,
06:16.5
came close to the level of sacrifice
06:18.5
that Leila de Lima had to make
06:20.9
in her fight for justice,
06:22.7
in her fight for truth, no?
06:25.0
And human rights in particular.
06:27.4
there was harassment,
06:28.7
legal harassment,
06:29.7
there were death threats,
06:30.8
all sorts of horrible situations.
06:33.4
Yun ang hinaharap ng mga ibang critics
06:35.0
ng administration.
06:36.3
I mean, I can say for myself,
06:37.9
you know, the death threats,
06:39.7
the attacks, the harassment,
06:40.8
how many times we had to shut down our pages,
06:43.9
you know, it became just so crazy
06:45.2
throughout the years.
06:48.0
this doesn't compare at all,
06:50.2
doesn't even come close
06:51.2
to what Senator Leila de Lima
06:52.9
had to go through.
06:54.4
And, you know, she was almost killed, no?
06:57.4
At least, we know about one instance,
07:00.5
when a terrorist inmate
07:03.6
held her hostage.
07:06.3
she was almost gone, right?
07:09.1
Not to mention, you know,
07:10.4
the constant threat of something
07:11.9
potentially happening to her
07:13.1
while behind bars.
07:15.4
And all of this happening
07:16.6
even without her facing a proper trial.
07:20.1
You know, judge after judge,
07:21.5
they had to cancel the trial,
07:23.3
they had to recuse themselves
07:25.6
or come up with excuses.
07:27.4
more than half a decade,
07:30.2
you know, lost her freedom
07:31.8
and was facing constant uncertainty,
07:34.6
the worst kind of uncertainty.
07:36.2
And that's the kind of sacrifice
07:37.3
that has no parallels
07:38.6
among the top political leaders
07:41.8
let's just be absolutely honest
07:43.8
and clear about that.
07:45.6
Now, the other thing that is important
07:47.4
with the case of Leila de Lima
07:50.4
Nung pinalaya si Leila de Lima,
07:52.3
she wasted no time
07:53.6
to get back on the saddle.
07:56.3
we know that in the case,
07:57.4
of Leila de Lima,
08:02.0
she gave interviews right and left,
08:03.6
including with yours truly,
08:04.8
dito sa podcast natin.
08:06.2
We know that with Leila de Lima,
08:07.6
immediately, you know,
08:08.6
she considered getting back
08:10.3
into political action,
08:12.8
including yung kanyang pag-tanggap
08:15.2
ng position of spokesman
08:16.9
for the Liberal Party,
08:18.6
the long-time opposition party,
08:21.3
the longest-running opposition party,
08:24.9
I mean, well, party,
08:26.0
mainstream party in the Philippines
08:28.8
And, and more than that,
08:30.0
of course, nakita natin
08:31.0
with Senator Leila de Lima,
08:32.6
she openly threatening
08:34.6
to go after her tormentors,
08:36.9
including the former president.
08:38.6
So, essentially normalizing
08:40.4
the quest for accountability.
08:42.9
So, may kinalaman na ito sa ICC.
08:45.0
May kinalaman na ito sa
08:47.8
and other progressive leaders
08:49.3
also fighting back
08:50.5
and considering legal action
08:52.3
against the former president
08:54.7
and all sorts of horrible things
08:57.4
human rights catastrophe
08:58.3
that we had in the past.
08:59.6
But the other important thing
09:00.7
to also keep in mind here
09:01.9
is also Senator Leila de Lima
09:10.1
of political leadership,
09:13.1
of opposition politics,
09:17.1
being the center,
09:19.5
Being the center of
09:20.9
a new revitalized opposition.
09:26.3
So, nakita natin dun sa,
09:27.4
isang diskusyon natin
09:28.6
earlier this year,
09:32.1
we had this picture,
09:34.9
By Congressman Gilat,
09:36.9
which showed Leila de Lima
09:39.1
and then you had de Lima,
09:40.2
and then behind you
09:42.0
So, you're already seeing
09:43.0
embers of a potential
09:44.2
united opposition
09:45.2
with Senator Leila de Lima
09:46.9
as the fire in the belly,
09:54.2
more full spectrum,
09:55.6
and more dynamic opposition.
09:58.5
let's be realistic,
09:59.6
I think, you know,
10:01.1
may not look best
10:02.8
for the opposition,
10:04.3
but I think if the opposition
10:05.2
get its act together
10:08.0
the pieces of puzzle together,
10:10.1
they could be in a very strong position
10:12.5
and they could be
10:13.5
very strong fiscalizer
10:17.7
And also make sure
10:18.6
na they'll be in a position
10:20.2
walang mambo-jombo
10:21.5
mangyara after 2025,
10:23.6
So, in that sense,
10:27.4
political development
10:30.7
also has very much
10:32.4
long-term implications,
10:33.5
especially for 2024.
10:37.5
I'm more than happy
10:39.1
former Senator Leila de Lima
10:43.2
and having the kind
10:45.4
getting the kind of respect
10:47.2
that she deserves
10:47.9
after all the sacrifices
10:51.5
let's go to number two.
10:53.3
The number two biggest
10:54.0
political development
10:54.7
is something we have been
10:56.7
at quite some time.
10:57.4
I have been writing
10:58.9
about this potential
10:59.8
for years already
11:01.0
as early as 2021.
11:02.9
You can check my article
11:04.6
about the potential fight
11:05.7
between House of Duterte
11:06.7
and House of Marcos.
11:08.9
a Game of Thrones situation.
11:10.3
This is something that
11:11.1
I've been looking at
11:12.1
for quite some time.
11:17.0
and the viciousness
11:18.0
of the conflagration
11:20.3
has perhaps taken
11:21.3
a lot of people off guard.
11:23.3
this was never surprising
11:25.6
is because we were following
11:26.7
what was happening
11:27.4
in the United States.
11:27.4
We were following
11:27.5
in the blogosphere.
11:28.5
We have followers
11:32.2
what we're talking about.
11:34.0
we saw some of the
11:45.5
against Marcos Sr.
11:46.9
they're really angry
11:47.5
against Marcos Jr.
11:51.3
the administration.
11:55.6
of the former president
11:57.4
and former members
12:00.3
with the other side
12:03.1
than the vice president
12:04.7
being caught off guard.
12:07.0
Caught in between.
12:09.3
also caught off guard.
12:11.2
yung conflagration
12:13.6
this process is over yet.
12:15.1
I think we're going to see
12:17.3
to 2025 elections.
12:22.1
whatever terminology
12:22.9
you want to use there.
12:28.9
it's good for the country
12:30.8
I'm not necessarily
12:31.4
a fan of any of these
12:32.5
political factions.
12:34.7
within the country
12:35.3
is not good for us,
12:36.2
especially as we face
12:37.0
a lot of challenges
12:40.5
and so on and so forth.
12:42.5
almost inevitable
12:43.8
because what brought
12:45.8
the UNITY together
12:49.1
was electoral calculus.
12:51.8
a lot of tensions,
12:58.4
the Department of National Defense
12:59.9
to his running mate
13:03.8
doon pala nakita natin
13:04.6
may mga hidwaan na
13:05.6
may mga fault lines na.
13:06.9
Once Vic Rodriguez
13:10.8
close to the former
13:12.9
including the military,
13:14.2
were semi-marginalized,
13:17.0
we saw the embers
13:18.5
more significant coming.
13:21.4
Tamba Los Los episode,
13:24.0
not only among bloggers,
13:25.3
but also the back and forth
13:26.3
among politicians,
13:27.4
major next level,
13:30.2
I think more is yet
13:31.2
to come next year
13:32.1
and we're about to see
13:33.5
also what's going to happen
13:35.7
is also kind of being
13:38.8
if not also cut off guard here.
13:40.8
lots of proxy wars
13:45.6
More back and forth
13:46.9
between the chief
13:47.9
protagonists here.
13:49.7
The former president
13:50.3
already is very vocal
13:51.1
about his criticism
13:53.6
and his successor.
13:56.1
let's see if they
13:57.7
president incumbent
14:03.2
mode anytime soon.
14:04.5
These modes are in there.
14:06.1
we know this person
14:08.5
conflict avoidant
14:13.6
you have to draw the line
14:14.7
and at some point,
14:15.6
your hands is going to be forced.
14:17.4
that's another thing
14:18.1
that we have to look at.
14:20.2
and a very important element
14:24.0
sa West Philippine Sea.
14:26.9
nonsense out there.
14:28.8
this whole gaslighting
14:35.3
kasalanan pa ng Pilipinas
14:37.8
sa West Philippine Sea.
14:38.8
there's nothing more
14:42.9
blaming ourselves
14:43.9
for doing the right thing
14:46.1
upholding and defending
14:47.4
our sovereign rights
14:50.8
International law
14:52.7
Walang basihan yung
14:53.4
China's 9-9 line.
14:54.9
International law
14:55.7
is absolutely clear.
15:00.3
It's just a low-tide
15:01.6
but because it falls
15:03.2
within our continental shelf
15:04.7
and our exclusive
15:06.7
it's more or less,
15:07.8
an area where we can
15:11.3
at walang basihan
15:14.4
But more importantly,
15:16.2
this is something
15:16.9
that people keep on
15:22.1
the response to us
15:28.0
which I think are important
15:29.0
in fairness naman to that
15:30.1
and the Philippines Treaty Alliance
15:31.2
with the United States.
15:32.4
that's a big factor
15:36.3
the big also element here
15:37.9
nasurprise din ang China
15:50.4
and they were expecting
15:52.4
more or less continue
15:53.5
along the same line
15:54.9
and they thought that
15:56.5
and just making empty pledges
15:57.7
they could get the ball rolling
15:58.9
in their own favor
16:01.0
essentially strategic
16:04.6
but none of that is happening.
16:06.8
None of that is happening.
16:08.2
we can have a long discussion
16:10.2
between Marcos Jr.
16:11.9
what's going on there,
16:14.2
and conspiracy theories there
16:15.4
but the reality here
16:16.5
the Philippines doing
16:17.4
what it was supposed to do
16:22.4
patriotic president would do
16:23.8
continue to resupply
16:28.1
sa sarili natin bakuran
16:30.4
we're talking about
16:35.6
yung mga tao natin
16:36.8
dyan sa Sierra Madre.
16:40.1
pag nagre-resupply tayo dyan?
16:41.5
We have been doing this
16:42.2
for more than 20 years.
16:44.3
a quarter of century
16:45.6
we have been doing that.
16:51.6
the violent lashes
16:58.5
beast for that matter.
17:00.5
yung tinitignan natin
17:01.4
konteksto ngayon.
17:02.7
So, in many ways,
17:06.7
not only the Philippines
17:08.2
becoming more and more
17:16.4
more openly exposing
17:19.6
sa West Philippines
17:20.9
something slightly different
17:22.2
from the previous
17:23.1
administration also
17:24.8
the Canadian administration
17:28.3
aggressive transparency
17:29.5
but also, of course,
17:32.4
defensive alliances
17:33.6
and joint patrols
17:38.2
slightly new elements
17:39.7
but these are elements
17:43.6
we have a lot of our friends
17:44.8
our makapili club friends
17:51.4
dapat gayahin natin
17:54.2
Like, tignan mo sila
17:55.9
ng investments and all of that.
17:57.2
Like, let me be absolutely clear
17:58.8
about some basic facts here.
18:03.6
on the West Philippines
18:06.0
or South China Sea issue.
18:07.3
They continue to claim
18:08.5
the areas that China claims.
18:10.0
They continue to push back
18:11.2
against what China
18:15.2
oil and gas exploration
18:18.1
foreign companies
18:18.8
in areas also claimed
18:21.9
concession by Vietnam.
18:24.2
the reason why Vietnam
18:25.8
relatively decent
18:26.7
relationship with China
18:32.1
Because China also
18:32.7
cannot afford that.
18:33.9
is not doing well.
18:35.2
And economically,
18:36.6
is so geographically
18:39.4
manufacturing base
18:41.2
the Peril River Delta,
18:42.8
Greater Bay Area,
18:44.0
napakalapit sa Vietnam.
18:45.0
And Vietnam now also
18:47.1
alternative global
18:48.3
manufacturing hub.
18:49.5
So, it makes sense
18:50.1
for China to have
18:50.8
good relationship
18:52.3
Chinese companies
18:52.8
can export to the
18:54.0
West via Vietnam,
18:55.1
which, by the way,
18:56.6
free trade agreements
18:58.7
with the United States.
19:01.9
which is led by Japan
19:02.8
and was supposed to
19:06.6
perfect economic sense
19:07.7
for Chinese folks
19:11.6
where to make money.
19:14.0
accept, you know,
19:16.5
So, ano gawin natin?
19:18.0
mag-economic deal?
19:20.7
And at the end of the day,
19:21.4
they're two communist
19:21.9
countries, so they have
19:22.8
relatively robust
19:25.2
So, this has nothing
19:26.9
supposedly, you know.
19:30.0
fighting for what
19:30.7
they're fighting.
19:31.2
So, that's fact number one.
19:34.4
Malaysia, it's true
19:35.3
that under current
19:39.3
pro-China and all of that
19:40.4
and there's a lot of
19:41.0
story behind that.
19:42.2
But let's not forget
19:42.8
what Mahathir was doing
19:45.5
pledge trap and all of that.
19:59.0
South China Sea areas
20:01.9
communist country
20:02.4
but two communist countries,
20:03.5
both Vietnam and China.
20:05.3
three-way scramble
20:07.0
late 2019 onwards
20:11.4
ang ginagawa ng Malaysia.
20:12.8
And speaking of Singapore,
20:14.1
our very good friends
20:15.4
yes, it's true that
20:17.1
something about caution
20:18.7
But let's not forget,
20:20.7
direct maritime disputes
20:23.7
very good economic
20:24.3
relationship with China.
20:25.7
majority country also.
20:29.4
having said that,
20:31.0
solid military relationship
20:32.6
with the United States
20:33.8
with other major powers
20:34.9
including United Kingdom,
20:39.1
The United States
20:39.9
has been permanently
20:45.8
Behind the scenes,
20:46.7
Singapore is buying
20:47.5
billions of dollars
20:48.5
of American weapon systems
20:53.2
vertically go up.
20:55.1
let's get those basic facts
21:02.7
ng ating mga matatalinong
21:05.6
Ang mungkay nila ay
21:10.9
President Marcos Jr.
21:11.7
has been very nice
21:12.6
to China and often.
21:13.5
And what did he get
21:14.1
from China in return?
21:18.3
ng mga makapili friends natin
21:21.3
sa sarili natin area
21:22.1
and let's just allow
21:23.2
China to take over?
21:26.2
Vietnam is not doing that.
21:27.7
Malaysia is not doing that.
21:29.4
Indonesia is also
21:31.0
Indonesia actually
21:31.7
does not have direct
21:32.6
dispute with China
21:33.1
and South China Sea
21:34.3
napaka-vague yung claim
21:36.8
and napaka-all over the place,
21:38.2
umabot pa sa North of Tunisia,
21:41.9
Indonesia was still able
21:42.7
to get huge investments
21:43.6
because they drew the line
21:45.0
and because they're
21:46.8
So, this is the problem
21:47.7
with the spin doctors,
21:51.2
let's just call them
21:52.1
useful idiots out there
21:53.2
who are spinning this
21:54.2
for a hostile power
21:56.5
the reality is this.
21:58.0
The Philippines can have
21:58.9
a good relationship
22:00.0
when China accepts
22:00.9
that the Philippines
22:01.5
is not a pushover.
22:02.8
China accepts that
22:03.5
Duterte is no longer
22:04.7
and we're not gonna have
22:05.6
a Duterte-like president
22:06.4
perhaps for quite some time.
22:08.2
Constitutional change
22:13.4
we have to keep in mind
22:14.7
is that, you know,
22:21.2
djan sa West Philippines
22:23.0
on economic cooperation
22:23.8
with the Philippines?
22:24.4
Now, speaking of economic cooperation,
22:25.9
our trade with China
22:26.7
increased even during
22:29.5
Ang problema kasi
22:30.1
sa trade natin with China
22:31.1
is mas kumikita sila sa atin,
22:33.5
Mas maraming export
22:34.9
kaysa tayo sa China.
22:37.0
there's an imbalance
22:39.7
the real challenge
22:40.5
is how to make sure
22:41.2
we export more to China.
22:42.5
But more than that,
22:44.0
we have no evidence
22:45.4
if you're nice to China
22:46.3
or subservient to China
22:47.2
sa West Philippines and all,
22:48.7
they're gonna be nice to us
22:49.5
in terms of big-ticket
22:50.2
infrastructure investment.
22:51.9
some beautification projects,
22:53.3
some whatever bridge
22:54.6
made by Chinese contractors
22:56.9
ano mga big-ticket
22:57.6
infrastructure projects
22:58.4
na ginagawa ng China?
22:59.0
Maraming pogo investments,
23:01.9
infrastructure investment
23:02.9
from the Chinese government.
23:04.0
Let's be very clear
23:06.4
So, when you look
23:07.5
at all of those things,
23:12.4
the three will all be
23:13.4
playing with each other.
23:14.7
So, all these three elements
23:16.9
in one way or another,
23:18.3
What the real opposition
23:27.3
Duterte dynastic,
23:29.0
and then there's also
23:31.5
yung isang sister,
23:32.6
wag niyang kalimutan.
23:34.0
But it's also gonna affect
23:34.9
the West Philippines aspect
23:35.9
because our ability
23:37.9
to stand up to China
23:38.9
and to fight for our rights,
23:40.0
a lot of that will also depend
23:41.6
we are domestically
23:42.8
and how we make sure
23:43.6
the Makapili Club
23:45.6
will not undermine
23:47.2
our national security
23:48.2
and create unnecessary
23:49.5
fissures and fault lines
23:50.9
within countries.
23:51.5
So, all of these three elements
23:53.6
and we have to understand it
23:55.2
as a whole package
23:56.6
and that's the thing
23:57.6
that we're gonna focus on
23:58.6
in the coming year.
23:59.7
Now, before we end this vlog,
24:01.2
thank you so much again
24:02.6
sa mong support sa atin.
24:04.5
I just had a post about,
24:15.5
last year at this point,
24:18.8
very, very anxious,
24:22.9
the question I had to myself
24:27.4
The question I had to myself
24:31.8
because the idea was,
24:43.7
I'm a competitive person.
24:44.9
I don't want to waste my time,
24:48.2
that we push the country
24:49.2
in the right direction
24:51.9
if people want to keep on,
24:54.1
and all into power,
24:55.4
you're going to ask yourself
24:57.2
what are we doing here,
24:58.9
What are we doing right?
24:59.8
What are we doing wrong?
25:00.6
Am I wasting my time?
25:04.9
it's not only our politics
25:06.1
which is a big problem.
25:09.2
It's all of those
25:10.9
and conglomerates
25:11.8
dominating every aspect
25:17.3
traditional folks
25:22.8
if they're really here
25:25.0
speak truth to power
25:26.6
speak along with power
25:27.7
their own version of truth
25:29.1
which serves them both.
25:31.4
there were so many things
25:34.1
very worried about
25:36.1
trying to find out,
25:38.7
what was the best course
25:40.3
How can I be of use?
25:41.8
And how can I make sure
25:42.4
I'm not wasting my time?
25:47.2
I do a lot of things,
25:48.7
I write on China.
25:49.7
I write on geopolitics.
25:51.1
I'm familiar with
25:52.1
multiple regions of the world.
25:53.5
I've written books,
25:54.9
on multiple regions
25:57.2
I work with think tanks
25:59.5
all around Earth.
26:01.1
I've been quoted by
26:07.0
leading media publications
26:13.6
what I was asking myself
26:15.5
anong gagawin natin dito?
26:21.1
I was very anxious.
26:26.0
I think it's really
26:26.9
during that moment
26:30.0
you really have to
26:31.5
make that leap of faith.
26:33.2
as Kierkegaard puts it.
26:34.3
You have to really make
26:35.3
that leap of faith.
26:36.0
And the idea was,
26:37.0
I cannot control everything.
26:39.5
I cannot control most things.
26:43.0
I'm not 100% sure
26:45.0
are going to turn out.
26:46.8
I was slightly optimistic
26:51.1
there were so many things
26:52.0
that frustrated me.
26:53.0
There were many people
26:54.2
that were extremely disappointing.
26:57.1
There were a lot of people
26:57.8
that I expected more from.
27:01.4
because, you know,
27:02.0
hindi naman madali gumawa
27:03.0
ng vlogs and all of that.
27:04.6
It takes away time.
27:05.5
It takes away energy.
27:08.0
I was recovering from flu and all.
27:10.6
bumaksak na naman.
27:11.3
Nag-fever na ako.
27:12.3
So, I just realized
27:13.1
how energy-consuming
27:15.0
actually this is.
27:16.5
maybe it looks like
27:18.2
at nagdadal-dal lang tayo.
27:20.0
But, it's actually very tiring.
27:21.1
And, believe it or not,
27:23.2
I'm an introvert.
27:25.6
I'm an extroverted introvert.
27:27.1
you put me in front of like,
27:30.3
You can put me in front of...
27:31.7
But, to be honest,
27:35.2
Wala akong barkada.
27:36.6
most of the time,
27:37.8
I'm just reading.
27:38.7
I'm just writing.
27:40.6
And, try to spend time
27:41.5
with family levels.
27:43.0
that's just who I am.
27:46.0
I try to be cool and fun
27:48.0
if you're around me.
27:49.3
as much as possible.
27:50.5
You know what I mean?
27:50.8
There's just so...
27:51.5
I'd rather, you know,
27:52.6
be alone with my thoughts
27:55.4
how to, you know,
27:56.6
help the universe
27:57.2
in that sense, right?
27:59.1
to make the most out of my life.
28:06.7
it got very, very lonely
28:07.6
and very, very frustrating
28:08.8
because there were some people
28:09.8
that I really expected
28:12.0
they gave these indications.
28:13.7
They gave these indications.
28:15.3
They gave these indications.
28:16.6
I have to take care
28:33.0
Damakong frustrations talaga
28:38.8
The reason I was able
28:39.7
to get over those frustrations
28:41.7
it's the love of my family.
28:43.9
It's my faith in the Lord.
28:46.4
It's because I believe
28:47.5
what I was doing is right.
28:49.1
And it's really also
28:49.9
because of you guys.
28:50.9
I know that may mga pinost ako na,
28:56.6
no production team,
28:59.4
It's just passion.
29:01.1
didn't come out of nowhere.
29:03.8
that you guys give.
29:04.7
the funny comments you make,
29:07.9
and the supportive
29:09.0
comments that you share
29:11.3
and messages you send.
29:12.9
Not the creepy ones.
29:14.2
Please lang, guys.
29:15.0
I know, you know,
29:15.9
alam ko love niya ako
29:17.6
don't post weird stuff.
29:19.1
Like, I feel uncomfortable.
29:22.2
Hindi ako BTS, okay?
29:23.9
Don't send me like,
29:26.5
mga decent, dignified
29:27.5
comments and messages.
29:28.8
I really appreciate that.
29:30.3
I appreciate when, you know,
29:31.1
friends just message me,
29:32.3
hey, guess who I'm watching?
29:33.4
My favorite show.
29:35.0
R&R or, you know,
29:36.2
yung mga ganun, di ba?
29:39.9
I was really disappointed
29:40.7
with a lot of people.
29:41.8
There were a lot of people
29:44.2
they're progressively minded.
29:46.1
I thought they respect
29:49.4
they would be more than happy
29:50.4
to support, you know,
29:51.6
something special.
29:52.4
Because, you know,
29:52.8
you need a certain infrastructure.
29:55.0
You need certain economics,
29:57.4
to make something like this work.
29:59.5
Because it takes away time,
30:00.5
energy, and everything like that.
30:01.5
So, I was just so,
30:03.8
with so many people.
30:07.3
And, you know, guys,
30:08.9
if someone crosses me
30:10.3
and I believe they're wrong,
30:11.0
I'm gonna call them out.
30:11.8
I called out Facebook.
30:13.0
I called out TikTok.
30:14.5
I called out Philippine Airlines.
30:16.0
So, hindi ako natatakot.
30:16.9
I mean, you could be
30:17.4
big, big corporations.
30:18.4
And I'm gonna call them out.
30:18.8
And I'm gonna call them out.
30:18.9
And I'm gonna call them out.
30:18.9
And I'm gonna call you out.
30:24.5
on big companies.
30:25.7
Because I'm right.
30:27.6
And I know people
30:28.4
understand where I'm coming from.
30:31.1
I always make sure
30:31.7
if I'm gonna go after you
30:32.8
a big corporation,
30:34.6
you're gonna be held
30:35.3
accountable for that.
30:36.7
And I'm grateful that,
30:37.7
there was also receptiveness
30:39.2
to the legitimate criticism
30:43.1
the constructive advices
30:44.1
that I gave them.
30:45.7
Philippine Airlines,
30:56.7
institutions out there.
30:57.8
And I tried to reach out
31:02.4
I had faith in them.
31:06.1
pa-asa sila sayo,
31:11.1
So, I ended up wasting.
31:13.2
I'm pissed off, really.
31:14.4
I'm really, really pissed off
31:18.1
Writing proposals
31:19.2
to make sure that
31:24.0
reasonable partnership
31:25.0
with different people
31:25.9
without undermining
31:28.4
because that's always
31:31.8
gago, essentially.
31:37.8
Gago yung nangyari,
31:45.3
I'm a professional person.
31:46.1
I'm a professional person.
31:49.4
make sure you don't waste my time
31:50.7
because if you waste my time
31:52.9
the 20, 30 hours,
31:54.0
whatever hours I spend
31:55.0
on all of these things,
31:56.2
I'm gonna make you
31:57.1
pay a price for that, okay?
31:58.8
Because the 20, 30 hours
31:59.9
I could have put into
32:00.6
so many other things
32:01.7
that would have been
32:02.5
10 times more productive
32:03.6
than all of that.
32:05.2
the warnings were already
32:06.4
sent to certain people
32:07.4
so I hope they don't
32:08.1
mess around anymore.
32:12.3
I don't take things lightly,
32:16.3
Because I believe
32:17.3
God did not create us
32:22.2
fulfill this mission
32:22.8
and really do our best
32:24.0
to fulfill this mission.
32:25.8
someone is wasting my time
32:27.2
or someone is not
32:28.3
taking something seriously,
32:30.0
or I think people
32:32.3
I'm gonna call that out.
32:40.0
more than 100 years ago
32:44.3
We ended up this way
32:45.3
because we allowed
32:49.1
like this whole culture
32:51.4
and everything else
32:54.4
So we need to correct that.
32:55.9
We need to push back
32:58.2
it's not gonna be easy.
33:01.0
it's just part of the journey.
33:06.8
And thanks to you guys,
33:08.4
I got to also know,
33:11.7
sa ating mga kaubayan
33:12.6
including a lot of people
33:13.8
who do not agree with me
33:18.0
we have followers
33:18.9
who are like pro Duterte,
33:25.1
may mga pro Isko,
33:28.3
they're not there
33:28.9
because they're happy
33:29.5
with everything I say.
33:30.5
I think some of them
33:32.4
or hate her or whatever.
33:34.1
But I think eventually
33:35.3
everyone who bothered
33:40.2
to bother to understand
33:43.6
behind what we're doing,
33:46.5
it's something else.
33:47.0
This is going on here, right?
33:48.3
This is a humble,
33:53.3
well-intentioned effort
33:56.4
a different approach
33:58.4
and infotainment, right?
34:00.3
I know what I'm talking about.
34:01.2
I've worked in all
34:02.1
big media networks
34:03.3
in this country, right?
34:05.8
and I'm still writing
34:06.6
for the biggest newspaper
34:07.4
in this country, right?
34:09.6
So I know what I'm talking about
34:11.0
when I'm talking about
34:11.6
the state of infotainment
34:12.8
and everything in this country.
34:18.9
if you want to do
34:19.9
something really special,
34:21.4
something that has not
34:23.2
or has not been done
34:24.1
for quite some time,
34:25.3
it's just unavoidable.
34:26.6
It's just unavoidable
34:27.6
that you're going to run
34:29.0
into frustrations,
34:29.9
you're going to run
34:34.6
you're going to have moments
34:35.9
when you're going to
34:37.3
you're going to have moments
34:38.2
where you're going to
34:38.6
question yourself,
34:40.2
you're going to have moments
34:41.6
where you're wondering,
34:42.9
am I doing the right thing?
34:44.7
Am I wasting my time here?
34:47.4
I'm not going to be
34:48.0
quote-unquote young forever,
34:51.4
I still want to write
34:55.2
is to write a novel
34:56.8
that would have been
34:57.8
Rizal's third novel.
34:59.3
As you know, guys,
35:00.3
Rizal had the trilogy
35:02.8
everyone knows Nolly.
35:04.1
Few have read Elphilly,
35:05.6
which is fantastic,
35:06.6
really my favorite,
35:07.4
one of my favorite,
35:08.0
top ten favorite novels
35:17.0
a lot of Russian novels
35:27.7
why is the Philippines
35:28.7
where it is today
35:30.2
the secret history
35:31.0
of the Philippines,
35:35.8
You need strength for that.
35:36.9
You need time for that.
35:38.5
resources for that,
35:43.5
I hope folks don't,
35:46.0
this is not about,
35:47.1
being whiny and drama
35:51.2
sometimes you just have to be
35:52.6
reasonable and wonder,
35:56.5
how can I make the best
35:58.1
out of what I got,
36:00.6
And while you're semi-young,
36:02.9
or still energetic,
36:04.4
how can I make the most
36:06.5
so that I can leave a legacy,
36:09.6
And lo and behold,
36:11.8
this podcast things
36:14.0
this vlog things we're doing
36:15.0
is also part of the legacy
36:18.1
One of the things I realized
36:19.3
is that greatness
36:20.1
is not only about
36:21.4
writing great novels
36:23.7
That's fantastic.
36:25.7
I've written many books myself.
36:26.9
I want to write more.
36:27.7
I want to do more.
36:29.6
it's not that one big,
36:36.0
and then that's it.
36:37.1
It's really about
36:38.0
this everyday conversation
36:39.3
you're going to have
36:41.1
These everyday disagreements
36:42.4
and back and forths
36:44.1
This constant dialogue,
36:45.3
this daily dialogue,
36:47.0
what Socrates had
36:49.5
every day he would go there
36:51.0
to the center of town,
36:52.6
talk to the aristocrats,
36:56.9
And it was that daily,
36:59.3
daily philosophical interaction
37:01.6
that gave meaning
37:03.3
and what makes Socrates
37:04.4
one of the most amazing
37:06.1
souls that has ever,
37:08.5
walked the surface of Earth.
37:10.3
Although some would question
37:11.1
whether Socrates really lived.
37:12.7
Ibang usapan na yun.
37:13.5
We can talk about
37:14.0
Socrates Shakespearean.
37:14.7
But you get what I'm saying.
37:17.0
So what I realized
37:19.4
is actually what we're doing,
37:20.8
these vlogs and all of that,
37:22.6
yeah, on the surface,
37:24.4
and napaka-underproduced,
37:28.1
pangit ng quality,
37:29.7
yung internet natin malabo,
37:33.0
yung mga puro mga,
37:41.9
that's why I really,
37:43.1
I felt so relieved,
37:46.4
Yung nakikita ko,
37:51.6
nagawa natin top 30
37:58.9
sa news and political podcasts.
38:01.4
it's really a big deal for me.
38:03.1
It's really a big deal for me
38:04.1
because it's not about
38:06.2
although, I mean,
38:07.3
I'm not the most humble guy
38:09.5
at least I have the self-awareness.
38:11.3
this is about showing that
38:14.4
with limited resources,
38:18.8
may konting naman tulong ako
38:20.4
with thumbnails or whatever.
38:22.5
most of it is really
38:23.3
just spontaneous.
38:26.6
thanks to Parang Anton.
38:28.3
but most of it is really
38:32.8
we're not talking about,
38:38.9
sex life of people,
38:40.5
yung mga barangay love
38:42.4
those are fantastic,
38:45.1
to be able to be still
38:50.4
in Apple Podcasts,
38:51.9
when you're up against
38:52.5
all of these other
38:53.6
well-established,
38:58.1
entertainment-oriented,
39:03.2
a profound sense of relief
39:07.5
mukhang hindi ako delusional
39:09.8
we can do something special here.
39:13.5
this is not about,
39:16.1
who's gonna solve all that.
39:18.4
inspiring a new generation.
39:21.5
Kaya kung nakita niyo
39:22.2
yung sa ibang interviews ko recently,
39:24.8
dun sa TV show natin,
39:29.2
we were nominated
39:30.2
sa Asian Television Network Award.
39:32.6
Finalist din tayo dyan,
39:33.5
so I'm super thankful to the Lord.
39:40.9
because this is also my way
39:41.9
of saying thank you
39:44.2
sa View for Manila
39:45.1
and our long conversation
39:47.0
going back to this,
39:50.5
I'm just checking on my dad here.
40:01.2
I just remembered.
40:02.8
I'm doing also this podcast
40:07.1
fellow millennials.
40:08.3
almost Gen Z na yata,
40:10.1
Talking about West Philippine Sea
40:12.6
I had two at least episodes
40:13.9
of you from Manila
40:14.6
with three younger than me.
40:17.7
folks in their 20s
40:20.8
so I was very proud and happy
40:24.3
we have this generation.
40:26.6
let me be absolutely clear,
40:27.6
I'm not taking credit for that.
40:29.2
What I'm just saying is that
40:30.2
I hope the next generation,
40:31.6
Gen Z or younger folks,
40:35.0
there was a guy like Aydarian,
40:37.3
with limited resources
40:42.1
was kind of able to pull off
40:46.8
there will be people
40:47.2
who pull off 10 out of 10
40:49.9
going to do better than that
40:51.4
I'm glad we paved the road.
40:52.8
We paved the road
40:54.4
proof of concept,
40:55.7
this can be done.
40:57.7
without sponsors,
40:58.7
without production,
41:00.1
I'm not ruling out
41:00.9
that at some point,
41:02.3
when you reach a certain scale,
41:03.6
you will need certain level
41:04.6
of production and help,
41:08.4
but at least over the past year or so,
41:10.4
we proved that we can
41:11.3
make it to top 100 in Spotify,
41:12.9
top 30 in Apple Podcasts
41:14.5
and not naman always
41:16.5
but at least more or less
41:18.1
in news and political podcasts
41:20.2
with the very limited resources
41:23.6
And with the very sabog.
41:27.2
But that's the thing,
41:30.1
parang nakakiritay mo
41:31.4
why don't you go straight
41:33.5
if you want to read,
41:34.6
if you want to get my idea
41:35.7
exactly on a certain issue,
41:37.1
go on Google and type,
41:38.5
Darian and Vieta,
41:39.6
you will have my full article,
41:41.3
100% on about that.
41:43.3
is not supposed to be
41:45.8
quality materials,
41:48.1
including articles
41:50.7
my articles are out there.
41:51.6
There are probably 2,000 of them
41:52.8
at least out there
41:53.8
that are available for free.
41:55.4
You can read them
41:55.9
or at least you can have
42:00.3
this is a conversation.
42:01.6
This is dialogue.
42:02.6
Socrates wouldn't go to Agor
42:06.4
I'm going to have
42:06.9
three points today.
42:07.9
That's not how you do it,
42:10.1
It's a conversation,
42:11.5
If you want to have
42:15.4
treatise on a certain issue,
42:16.8
I also have that.
42:18.1
But go and read my books.
42:19.6
Go and read my articles.
42:21.0
But if you're here,
42:21.8
this is going to be
42:24.4
I don't want to be drama.
42:25.5
I don't want to be emotional
42:26.3
or anything like that,
42:27.1
but I just hope you realize,
42:29.3
there's a lot of passion,
42:31.4
positive passion,
42:32.6
but there was also
42:33.1
a lot of frustration,
42:34.4
that has been driving us,
42:37.0
but for the good cause
42:39.7
the right thing here.
42:47.5
thank you so much
42:48.6
to all of you folks
42:53.0
YouTube has been a revelation.
42:54.9
YouTube has been big,
42:58.0
We're doing very well
42:59.6
Thank you so much.
43:02.1
looks like it's cyclical,
43:04.3
pag malapit na elections ulit,
43:05.5
buwan lik tayo dun sa mga
43:06.4
million views videos
43:09.3
some of the supporters
43:10.0
that are on YouTube
43:11.5
and other platforms,
43:14.3
there's some sort of
43:15.5
and we're trying to be
43:16.9
more active on TikTok
43:19.4
some issues with TikTok.
43:20.8
I'll try to raise this
43:21.8
with their management
43:23.0
let us see how things
43:24.5
because I want to make sure
43:27.9
in the best way possible
43:29.1
to get the message out
43:30.2
and more generations,
43:32.6
different generations
43:33.3
listening to the right message
43:35.2
this is what we're doing.
43:37.3
I'm into collaboration.
43:40.4
really into collaboration.
43:43.1
in petty competition.
43:44.8
it's post-ranking.
43:48.8
this is not supposed
43:51.9
it's just telling
43:54.8
we're on the right track,
43:58.9
for collaboration
43:59.6
because I don't like
44:00.3
petty competition.
44:01.5
I am for competition.
44:04.0
certain level of rivalry
44:08.4
Brian versus Lebron
44:15.3
yung efforts natin.
44:16.7
thank you so much for that.
44:19.0
Before tayo mag-drama,
44:21.9
melodramatic and all,
44:24.8
we're not gonna get
44:37.4
hindi ko na kasalan
44:38.5
kung medyo stylish tayo,
44:41.0
a little bit too experimental,
44:43.8
dun sa Tattler Ball
44:49.2
kasi diba may heel socks
44:50.4
na hindi na nakikita,
44:53.9
pag-usapan yung mga
44:54.6
Paris Fashion Week
44:56.9
but you get what I'm saying.
45:03.8
people na nagbubuljakan,
45:05.6
I'm not here to spread marites
45:06.8
and call people names
45:10.0
I have Chanel of 1970s
45:13.9
you appreciate yung mga split screen
45:16.9
na ginagawa natin.
45:17.8
It's just a new experiment
45:21.8
thank you very much,
45:27.5
really a great pleasure
45:28.7
sharing this year
45:38.6
I see your comments,
45:39.7
I'm responding to them,
45:40.6
I'm taking in all the information
45:44.7
thank you so much.
45:46.0
Thank you so much again guys
45:47.0
for all your support
45:48.7
Please just continue to do that
45:49.7
and support everyone
45:50.4
who's doing the right thing
45:51.7
because you never know,
45:54.4
we might get the perfect,
45:57.9
yung mga swak na leaders
45:59.6
para sa ating bansa.
46:00.6
Hindi lang politically,
46:01.8
but in every level
46:04.0
and in every field
46:07.8
kailangan natin yan.
46:15.3
all of this, right?
46:20.3
and you're not gonna get that
46:21.3
if we do not have
46:22.7
a proper understanding
46:23.6
of how societies run
46:25.2
in the 21st century
46:26.3
and how societies
46:27.2
are supposed to be run
46:28.3
in the 21st century.
46:30.8
And those are the things
46:33.6
and discussions and all.
46:35.0
Thank you very much.
46:38.4
a happy, happy new year.
46:40.5
tomorrow is Sunday.
46:49.1
is Sabbath for me.
46:50.2
So I always also advise
46:51.7
I know you can see
46:53.1
the eyebags and all of that.
46:55.1
I always make sure
46:55.9
that I have at least
46:56.8
one complete Sabbath day
46:58.2
in every sense of the word.
46:59.6
And at least on Fridays,
47:00.6
digitally speaking,
47:03.1
So as you can see,
47:03.7
I don't make that much comments.
47:05.8
Yung iba kasi nakascheduled.
47:07.6
Or wala akong post
47:08.7
almost 1 to 7 p.m.
47:10.7
Very limited yung mga posts.
47:11.7
Usually on Fridays,
47:15.8
take care of yourself.
47:17.4
you have some sort of
47:20.3
vocation balance,
47:26.7
And my sincere apologies
47:31.7
even inadvertently
47:34.8
that may have hurt
47:35.4
people's feelings and all of that.
47:37.6
whoever you voted for,
47:39.6
whatever you have said
47:43.2
as long as you're willing
47:44.9
as long as you're willing
47:45.6
to be self-reflective
47:46.8
and in some cases,
47:48.1
kung may contrition
47:51.0
will to redemption,
47:54.0
And nakita ko yun,
47:54.6
marami nang kakomment
47:55.5
minsan sa mga videos natin.
47:57.8
ganitong binoto ko.
48:00.3
ganyan nagsisisi ako.
48:02.0
at least there's that level
48:04.8
And at the same time,
48:05.9
also aminin natin
48:08.3
has been perfect,
48:09.9
has been perfect.
48:10.7
All of our presidents
48:11.4
have had their shortcomings,
48:12.7
some way more than others.
48:14.9
huwag rin tayo mag-feeling na,
48:17.2
dahil yung sinuportan nila,
48:19.1
palpak ng lumabas,
48:20.3
tapos yung sinuportan mo
48:23.5
don't assume that automatically
48:24.4
yung sinuportan mo
48:25.9
that person would have been perfect.
48:28.6
Governance is difficult.
48:29.9
Politics is always divisive.
48:31.6
This is a lot about emotions.
48:33.8
more about emotions
48:35.6
we have to be patient
48:36.4
and we have to be compassionate
48:37.7
because through patience
48:40.5
for critical things.
48:41.4
Thank you very much,
48:43.5
Maraming salamat.
48:55.8
and looking forward
49:02.6
in just over 24 hours,
49:04.2
depending on what time
49:08.2
Thank you so much.
49:11.4
Hasta pronto, okay?
49:12.9
Hope to see you guys.
49:15.5
And talk to you soon.
49:21.6
Thank you very much.
