election year: Uggh

The election is next week here in the Philippines, and when the powers that be decided that pushing the "thug" lable on Duterte didn't work, they just discovered he might have hired ghost employees....

no time to investigate of course, and of course no one else in the race is under suspicion (not).

but the accuser is Trillianes, who has a reputation for being a straight arrow against corruption.

and note another favorite is also accused:

“It’s clear that Duterte has hidden wealth. He has the same modus [operandi] as that of Vice President Jejomar Binay,” Trillanes said. “You believed me when I investigated Vice President Binay. So why doubt me now? I have not released any unfounded information.” “If you will still vote for Duterte despite him being rude and corrupt, it’s up to you. I have not been remiss in exposing who he is,” Trillanes said.
 Read more: http://newsinfo.inquirer.net/783505/plunder-raps-vs-duterte#ixzz47q0wR23c 

 and of course, the hope of the elite is to elect the "american girl", Poe, who has her campaign slogan a government with love( may puso).

who was given her own "My love" article in the LATimes yesterday, complete with the fake story of her being a foundling. (sniff sniff) adopted by a rich actress (sniff sniff...oh how wonderful).

She is squeaky clean! She loves you! Her mother loves you too! And she promises free lunches for all those poor school kids! (money which, like about one quarter of the aid for the typhoon victims, will be diverted into the pockets of rich local politicians).... hmmm...maybe her critics are right: She has lived in the US too long to understand the Philippines....

which might be why she is the only candidate who polls the PC positions pushed by the US embassy on the Philippines: Divorce, population control, and same sex marriage and no comment on abortion (Well, after all, he mom didn't chose it, and as her rumored birth mom was rich there would have been no problem getting one).

here in the provinces, gays are part of society, and same sex marriage would be welcomed as a scam for a lot of folks to get a green card, but if the US is any hint in the manner, the Obama administration sees "Same sex marriage" is just another way to destroy the powerful Catholic church.. (most Americans aren't aware of the American money, both NGO and via the embasssy, used to push these agendas on third world countries, including funding astoturfed groups to push the agenda on the social media and news papers).

which is why when it comes to US politics, I agree with DavidWarren's despair on Trump, but I wonder: Where are all the articles about the despair of prolife Democrats who might see Hillary as worse than Obama: Pushing his anti Christian policies, but with 100percent more corruption...

related item: StrategyPage on "national interests".

for the Philippines, that means maybe the US will send China a "nasty letter" or move a Navy ship or two through the international shipping lanes off the coast of the Philippines, as Obama has done while China destriyed the  shoals and fishing ecology to build strategic islands because, hey the Mings let pirates control these areas 400 years ago...

One doubts Hillary will do anything differently, but Trump has more business connections and experience here than she does. He, like Duterte, would probably find a compromise in the matter...keeping China at bay, and China, playing the long card, will figure why go to war, when you can wait a few years until they get the peaceniks back in office.