In 2016, actress Agot Isidro earned the ire of President Rodrigo Duterte’s supporters after she called him “psychopath.” Now, she posed another question about the President’s beef with America.
“Kung ang drugs galing sa China, bakit tayo galit sa America?” Isidro tweeted.
[ads2]
As of writing, her tweet has been liked over 1,000 times.
It also got a wide range of responses from other Twitter users.
One said it was all down to the Balangiga Bells that the President said was taken from the Philippines as a war booty in 1901.
Kasi yung balangiga bells nga! hehehe
— Ren Hur II (@RenHu2) July 31, 2017
[ads1]
During his second SONA, President Dutrete asked for the return of the bells.
“They are ours. They belong to the Philippines. They are part of our national heritage… Please return the bells. That (seizure) was painful for us,” Duterte said.
Another Twitter user suggested that it was because the US denied Duterte’s application for a US Visa before.
coz they denied his visa 🤨
— Jesse Certeza (@tsongq) July 31, 2017
But one Twitter user posed a question relevant to Isidro’s question: “O kaya kung ang drugs galing China, bakit close tayo sa China?”
O kaya kung ang drugs galing China, bakit close tayo sa China?
— Rene Guidote (@ReneGuidote) July 31, 2017
It could also be a case of “keep your friends close and your enemies closer,” as per a Twitter user.
Keep your friends close and your enemies closer?
— Jeffrey Jim Mempin (@jeff0940) August 1, 2017
But one noted that Duterte’s reaction is comparable to those who profess to hate China but still use China-made products.
the same way na galit ka sa China pero yung mga appliances sa bahay nyo made in China. 😂😂😂
— IntrovertedGeekⓟⓗ (@SirIsaacNewtonz) August 1, 2017
Someone pointed out both the US and China’s faults against the Philippines.
“Kase nga masyadong nangingialam ang America sa internal affairs ng Pinas. Ang China naman nang-aagaw ng isla,” the Twitter user said.
Kase nga masyadong nangingialam ang America sa internal affairs ng Pinas. Ang China naman nang-aagaw ng isla.
— I❤️KaPe☕️ (@keepcalmsaykape) August 1, 2017
Responding to Isidro’s question, a Twitter user posted a link to a May 2016 New York Times article about why Duterte hated America – when an American was charged with possession with explosives after an explosion at a Davao City hotel but managed to leave the Philippines.
— BV (@bvergara) July 31, 2017
Bashers also got themselves involved in Isidro’s Twitter thread. But more than getting bashed, Isidro was also the subject of several fake articles in the past. We busted some of them, including those stories about the police finding P680 million worth of drug money in her house and her dating drug lords. She also had to deal with impersonators on Facebook.
As for China being the source of a huge chunk of the illegal drugs in the Philippines, even Duterte himself once said that China is the home of many of the “big fi sh” in illegal drugs.
On July 31, the Senate blue ribbon committee, led by Senator Richard Gordon, looked into the alleged involvement of the Bureau of Customs in the shipment of P6.4 billion worth of shabu from China.
Sources: ( inquirer.net , philstar.com , scmp.com , cnnphilippines.com )
[ads3]