In Denial, and the Beholden Media

Since President Rodrigo R. Duterte took office, or even before it, there had been a lot of naysayers, considering that information nowadays is cheap and fast. I was one of them. Was.

There are two things I noted for not trusting the presidency early on:
1. Constitutional bodies like COA, CSC, and COMELEC are ineffective, if not so corrupt.
2. Duterte pledged to wage war against criminality. So much like all other government agencies that hire and promote by virtue of nepotism, we have an inept police.

Nevertheless, the Constitution says we have a President. The least we can do is respect him and give him a chance. There was a one time that I voted for president, and I voted for her again the second time although I am fully aware she will not win this time. All else, I knew were useless and futile.

From the start, too, Duterte doubted he will ever work well with the Philippine media. Members of Philippine media have a somewhat distorted orientation about their freedoms and rights (if they are even aware of it at all), and a feigned ignorance of admiting they work for a business. (I am sour-graping, mainstream media never wanted me! I am a reject! Satisfied? Now, let's proceed.)

But to explain this anti-Duterte stance of mainstream Philippine media, let us disect the background of the mainstream Philippine media:
1. ABS-CBN is owned by the Lopezes. Formerly listed as owned by Benpress Holdings, it has a bleak history of massive debts and should be answerable to taxpayers of this country, and investors in other countries. And if you so care want some juicy conspiracy theory bits, here.

 2. Philippine Daily Inquirer. This is formerly a newspaper with fearless news and balanced views. It has turned into a social oligarch magazine, with news and some opinions on the side.
3. Rappler's Raissa Robles.  Robles will write as she sees fit, personal or otherwise. Pnoy has won her favor, and she won't admit it, but that is how I see it.
4. As for the rest, they are still wrapped up in their comfort zones, never heard "p#+@^&mo" in their short lives, and never been mentally challenged in their professional and personal relations, so, let the snowflakes cry.

As for the Dutertards, they plod.  Reality is a war. We don't really know when we'll get hit.

Red Ribbon Mamon & Smart Perks

Let us set aside the seemingly highway robbery wireless / pocket wi-fi services we are currently experiencing at the moment and focus on "rewards".

Globe provides very timely rewards, in fact, you can get your SMS / call rewards even if you ran out of pre-paid loads.

Meanwhile at Smart...

I have several Smart numbers I use for wi-fi and phone services that at one time, I enrolled them to Smart perks. "Being Smart has its perks."

In February, I redeemed a Red Ribbon mamon (5 pieces) for - if I recall it right, 145 points. I received a message or a prompt that I will be updated of its status in the next 24 hours.

I never received the update.

In June 1, 2017. I called up the Smart hotline dedicatedly to inquire on this perks. I was able to talk to Deps. She checked on my record and while my account is open and I can see I've only got some 90 points left on my perks, she told me that she is sorry for the inconvenience or something like that. Gahd. You like the word: inconvenience. She told me that the points were returned. And lo! I have 200+ points back on my perks.

She asked me if I would like to try redeeming another, and I said yes, and on her end, she assisted me to redeem - calls for 100 points.

I got an SMS telling me a manager or something similar in status, will approve of the redeemed perks and that I will be updated in a while. It is June 4 and I never got an update.

Smart, you are sooo smart.

You meter our wifi usage at sky-high rates without us having an idea how, as if people in the Philippines earn shrewdly as much as you people at Smart. Cruel, if you ask me. And you have these perks that is what we can aptly call "paasa."

You're soooo smart!