In a comprehensive broadcast that encapsulates the growing fervor of the Philippine opposition, the online commentary program “Opinyon Online on GTNR” has launched a multi-pronged assault on the administration of President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr., leveling allegations of corruption, economic mismanagement, and political persecution, while explicitly calling for his removal from office.
The program, which serves as a nationalist sentiment, presented a narrative of a government in crisis, accusing it of being illegitimate, treasonous, and morally bankrupt.
A Government “Bending the Law” for Political Enemies
A central pillar of the critique focused on the legal proceedings surrounding Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa. Former Diplomat Ado Paglinawan, Herman Laurel and Joshua Pasion said that the Department of Justice (DOJ), citing an official referred to as “Chan,” is seeking to bypass Philippine extradition laws and Supreme Court rules to “surrender” the senator to the International Criminal Court (ICC) with undue haste. This was framed as a politically motivated maneuver to sideline a key political opponent, violating national sovereignty and due process. The program reinforced this by citing Russia’s view that the ICC is a tool of Western “neo-colonial dominance.”
The program centered on the potential surrender of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to the International Criminal Court (ICC). A key speaker, identified as Joshua, analyzed a statement from a DOJ official, Department of Justice Chief State Counsel Dennis Arvin L. Chan, who reportedly said the “faster approach would be surrender.”
According to Joshua’s Analysis, “They want to close the due process. They want to close our laws. They want to close the courts… This is the brand of the administration now: bending the law.” He argued this bypasses new Supreme Court extradition rules and the principle that “the custodial state must present the person to the competent national judicial authority.”
The hosts framed the ICC itself as a tool of Western imperialism, quoting Russian Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Maria Vladimirovna Zakharova, a Russian politician who serves as the director of the information and press department of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Russian Federation, who labeled it an instrument for “maintaining neo-colonial influence and exerting pressure on regimes they deem undesirable.”
Political Destabilization and “Tulfo’s List”:
- Core Issue: A list published by columnist Ramon Tulfo allegedly naming individuals involved in a plot to oust President Marcos.
- Program’s Argument: The list is a “blooper” and a fabrication designed to create a smokescreen, divert public attention from government corruption, and discredit the opposition, particularly figures associated with the Duterte family.
- Character Attack: Ramon Tulfo is heavily discredited, with hosts listing past controversies and legal cases to question his credibility. The government’s decision to investigate the list is portrayed as foolish and complicit.
The recent political destabilization surrounding “Tulfo’s List,” which columnist Ramon Tulfo published to allegedly name individuals in a plot to oust President Marcos, is decried by Ado Paglinawan as a complete “blooper” and a deliberate fabrication, arguing it serves as a smokescreen to divert public attention from significant government corruption and to unjustly discredit the opposition, particularly those linked to the Duterte family; this dismissal is heavily supported by a direct character attack on Tulfo himself, whose credibility is questioned by citing his long history of controversies and legal cases, while the government’s decision to officially investigate the list is portrayed as a foolish and complicit act in this transparent political maneuver.
The discussion, featuring former diplomat Ado Paglinawan, centered on the political and legal crisis surrounding the potential surrender of Senator Ronald “Bato” dela Rosa to the International Criminal Court (ICC), directly challenging Senator Ping Lacson’s opinion on constitutional immunity by arguing that such protection from arrest applies only within Philippine jurisdiction and is invalid against international bodies like the ICC—a point underscored by the Philippines’ departure from the Court in 2019; this constitutional debate was framed within the broadcast’s broader narrative of systemic corruption, which included strong allegations of graft within the administration and its ties to business oligarchs, a theme sharply personalized by a specific accusation against Senator Risa Hontiveros for allegedly failing to declare a directorship in a company owned by billionaire Enrique Razon, an omission linked to claims that her net worth suspiciously quadrupled from ₱60 million to nearly ₱250 million in three years, suggesting a profound conflict of interest.
Economic Mismanagement and “Plummeting” Investor Confidence
Speakers presented a dire assessment of the nation’s economic health, using stark data to illustrate their claims.
- The Economic Reality: The program highlighted a 40.5% collapse in Foreign Direct Investment (FDI) as a “huge blow.” They also cited business leader Sergio Luis Ortiz, who pointed out that the Philippines lags severely behind ASEAN neighbors in US imports, asking, “If we are a quote-unquote number one ally, why is our trade footprint so small?”
- The Host’s Interpretation: Geopolitical Analyst Herman Laurel connected this to a broader geopolitical stance, stating, “The United States’ only product is arms… We are swallowing the propaganda, hook, line, and sinker.”
A comprehensive critique of the Philippine economy points to a confluence of alarming indicators, including a devastating 40.5% collapse in Foreign Direct Investment net inflows, a severely lopsided trade dynamic with its ally the United States—which imported a mere $14.2 billion from the Philippines compared to over $136 billion from Vietnam and $63 billion from Thailand—and an impending power rate hike, all of which are collectively cited as direct evidence of the peso’s decline and profound systemic economic mismanagement.
On Corruption and “Chacha”: “A Self-Serving Plot to Cling to Power”
Allegations of systemic corruption were a central theme, linked to a proposal for a constitutional convention (“Cha-cha”).
- The “P1.2 Trillion” Scandal: The hosts repeatedly referenced an alleged “P1.2 trillion” corruption scandal involving the “BBM gang,” claiming it was being overshadowed.
- Accusation Against an Opponent: A specific allegation was leveled against Senator Risa Hontiveros, accusing her of a conflict of interest and a rapid increase in wealth due to an undeclared directorship with billionaire Enrique Razon.
- On Charter Change: Joshua argued that the push for a parliamentary system is a plot to “extend the term of current officials, disqualify Sara Duterte from the 2028 elections, and potentially install former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo as Prime Minister.” He condemned it as “pang-sariling interest lamang” (for self-interest only).
Corruption allegations formed the cornerstone of the broadcast’s narrative, which relentlessly cited an alleged “P1.2 trillion” graft scandal implicating the “BBM gang” to portray the Marcos administration as presiding over a system of massive corruption enabled by a powerful class of “oligarchs”—a group including figures like Enrique Razon, the Lopezes, and Manny Pangilinan, who are depicted not as legitimate businessmen but as exploiters with deep, subversive ties to Western powers; this systemic critique was given a sharp, personal focus through a specific allegation against opposition Senator Risa Hontiveros, who was accused of a grave conflict of interest and unexplained wealth accumulation, claiming her net worth quadrupled due to an undeclared directorship in a company owned by billionaire Enrique Razon.
The program frames the renewed push for a Constitutional Convention to adopt a parliamentary system not as genuine reform, but as a self-serving and undemocratic plot orchestrated by the Marcos administration and its ally Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, designed primarily to consolidate their own power by cynically circumventing presidential term limits, strategically blocking Vice President Sara Duterte’s anticipated succession in 2028, and altering the nation’s economic provisions to favor foreign ownership at the expense of national sovereignty.
A “Pro-China, Anti-US” Foreign Policy Prescription
The program advocated a radical shift in foreign policy, praising China and condemning the United States.
- Contrasting Aid: The hosts praised China’s delivery of concrete aid totaling $2.4 million after a typhoon, while expressing deep skepticism over a promised $1 million package from the US, which they called an empty promise.
- Philosophical Divide: Laurel contrasted the two nations, stating, “China’s philosophy is people-centered… The US philosophy is only profit-seeking.” He described the US-Philippines alliance as preparing for a “war we cannot win.”
The program’s foreign policy analysis promoted a unequivocally pro-China and anti-Western narrative, strategically contrasting China’s tangible, “people-centered” cooperation—such as its prompt delivery of a $2.4 million disaster relief package—against a caricature of the United States as offering only empty promises and exploitative alliances, exemplified by the dismissal of the new Philippines-US “Task Force Philippines” as an empty gesture that fails to serve core national interests. This foundational dichotomy is expanded into a broader ideological framework that legitimizes Russian condemnations of institutions like the International Criminal Court as mere tools of Western neo-colonialism, while simultaneously recasting China’s assertive international actions as laudable resistance, thereby constructing a unified global struggle against a common hegemonic adversary and positioning the Philippines within this anti-Western coalition.
Call to Action: Protests and a “Moral Revolution”
The program culminated in a direct and urgent call for political upheaval, explicitly instructing listeners to join the “3-Day Peaceful Rally for Transparency” and to occupy the streets indefinitely, remaining “as long as Marcos does not leave Malacañang.” Framing the administration as morally bankrupt and the entire ruling class as irredeemably corrupt, the hosts declared the nation to be in a state of collapsed social order, necessitating a “moral revolution” that they hoped would garner military support. This radical stance was powerfully underscored by the broadcast’s final message and the playing of a revolutionary song, collectively affirming the government’s illegitimacy and championing its removal by popular action as the only acceptable resolution.#
