Ernesto Maceda and the Standard Today tag teamed in insinuating that Noynoy Aquino is autistic.
Last Tuesday, Maceda headlined his Mr. Expose column in the Daily Tribune – “Autism on the rise.”
His first sentence was
“Suddenly, autism is the hot topic in coffee shops and beauty parlors.”
Suddenly it is the talk of the town because Maceda said so? Did he hear it in the coffee shops and beauty parlors he frequents?
By the way, about a year or so ago I saw him coming out of Fitness First in Greenhills. A friend told me he exercised there regularly. Fitness First is the place where a lot of young buff males go to work up a sweat.
Anyway, in the next three short paragraphs of his column, he cited a couple of experts and statistics on autism, to make his reader think he was really concerned about the problem.
But his last sentence revealed his true purpose
“Autism is the talk of the town because of indications that a major national candidate is autistic. In the last mayoralty contest in Manila, such talk damaged the chances of a candidate for mayor.
He was planting seeds.
A few days later, Standard Today asked Aquino if he thought he was the one Maceda was talking about.
PRESIDENTIAL aspirant Senator Benigno Aquino III complained yesterday that critics and political rivals were spreading malicious and baseless claims that he was suffering from autism.
Aquino nearly blew his top when Standard Today asked him to react on talk in political circles that he was the unnamed presidential aspirant with autism that former Senator Ernesto Maceda had written about in his “Mr. Exposé” column in the Daily Tribune Tuesday.
A weasel makes an innuendo in his column in one newspaper, another newspaper raises it with Noynoy Aquino and reports it as news. Now you see how black propaganda works?
Well, at least Standard Today printed Aquino’s response
“Do I have to answer something like that?” Aquino shot back yesterday.
“To be honest, I have a degree from a very prestigious university in this country.”
Aquino, an economics graduate from the Ateneo de Manila University, said: “I am responding to something I don’t know I can be alluded to in any manner, shape, form whatsoever. And if these are the questions that you and your paper will propound to me, I would rather not talk to any of you anymore. Thank you.”
He then returned to his seat.
Now I don’t usually criticize Noynoy; but this time I will.
If I were Noynoy, my response to the question of the reporter from Standard Today would have been – “IF I AM AUTISTIC THEN ERNIE MACEDA IS NOT GAY!”
No tags for this post.
Senseless issues are now begining to appear in the election.
If Noynoy Aquino is autistic. Then, he is autistic. If Ernesto Maceda
is GAY. Then, he is GAY. I dont mind the sexual orientation of people. What they do in their private lives, is their business.
We should go back to real issues which are: squatters on the esteros,
widespread poverty, corruption, fast population growth, etc…
Hyden
But the whole point is Noynoy is not autistic. Maceda brought that up because Kris’ son is autistic. The idea is for the public to think it runs in the blood.
The point of the post is to show what Maceda did and that two can play the game.
Actually, I thought Kris’ son had Down Syndrome. I didn’t really see a reference to the child in Maceda’s or the Standard’s pieces, though, so I think you may be the first to draw the connection.
Many autistic people are quite capable of going to university; there is some evidence that Michaelangelo may have been autistic.
The only thing those two above observations signify is that it was really a pretty good black propaganda move. Noynoy’s response was correct — but the fact that he even had to spend a little time on it and issue that response is a win for the propagandists.
Yeah that’s true.
Plus this idea of reciprocation is just forcing this non-issue into an issue. Wag nang patulan ang dirt throwing.
I get what you’re trying to drive at, Manuel. They’re trying to bring down Noynoy by falsely insinuating that he’s autistic. What I don’t get though is, what’s wrong with being gay?
Mr. MB, I do not think that it bodes well for the maturity level of any candidate to stoop down to the level he or she is being dragged to. I am not pro-noynoy yet but I like the way he handled this question.
Now, i think the better question is, when will Noynoy’s platform be revealed?
lester2ki
after he completes his consultations with the people. when will erap villar and gino reveal their platforms?
The title of the blog’s been rather misleading as I thought I would reading more on Ernie being gay than a one Noynoy being autistic – in the real senses of the words (labels, stigmas, tags).
Well then, if Noynoy is autistic, it sits well with a large voting populace that gleaned from their crippling voting taste, they seem not to care at all what consequences it will bring to vote one on mere ‘transfer of popularity’ from one individual unto another.
If in that sense, well, let autism begin. Come to think of it, presidents with dictatorial bents, are almost to be seen as quite ‘genetically’ autistic. Now name them.
The reasons half-witted “debates” about candidates’ mental condition prevail are quite straightforward:
(1) There is nothing more intellectual than this to work with (such as specific categorical positions on any matter asserted by polticians);
(2) The electorate lives for vacuous media fodder like this; and,
(3) Our most esteemed political analysts and pundits give airtime and bandwidth to moronic “issues” like this (as evident in this blog post).
If you want to tip the scales against smear campaigns like this, the only solution is to introduce a field of debate with sufficient heft and substance. And that means channeling the National “Debate” to what position our politicians take on issues of relevance to national development.
In other words:
Platform, plez™
It’s simple, really™ — though not for the small-minded.
Here’s another example of more vacuousness at work in Noynoy’s campaign and Big Media’s contribution to propagating the moronisms it dishes out.
For some reason some Bright Boys thought Noynoy’s latest “innovation” — campaigning over a vBlog was such a brilliant idea that it deserved to be given airtime over ABS-CBN’s videoloid Bandila and trumpetted on an entire blog post over at Jolog Central.
What’s up with that?
All together now:
Kahol ng Bayan
Marahil nga na nakakabagot
Ang mga suliranin ng ’sang Lipunang
Sa kabiguan lamang nauuwi
Mula munting pakitang-taong ambag
Hangga’t sa mula pusong alay na palag.
Makabuluhang resulta’y di inaasam
Sa mga kilusang kinakamkam
Bagama’t punto ng pag-alsa
Kahit pinuno’y di alam
Basta’t “sugod” ang kanyang damdam.
Ngunit saysay ng sigaw di malaan
Pagka’t kailan ma’y walang nakamit
Na pag-unawa sa pinagmulang prinsipyong
Makabuluhan kung mayroon man.
Sa mga susunod na kabanata
Ng kasaysayan ng bansa
Ang paglitis ng madla
Di magtutugma sa iba
Kundi sa malinaw na pangamba:
Pinoy nga naman talaga,
Parang aso umasta
Matangkad lang kapag naka-upo
Sa tawag ng amo lang tatayo.
[Dedicated to the Filipino "Revolutionary"
by benign0, Lyricist Extraordinaire]
Welcome to politics the way it is played in the US. Deceit and sound bites, reality shows and innuendo. The gullible suck it up, chatter mindlessly about the latest dirt, and Pantene their hair as the intellectual world slides down a fast chute to hell.
Joe
I love that BenignO does not get the irony of lamenting the vacousness of it all with two successive comments. he even wrote a song. talk about giving airtime to moronic punditry.
He’s gay or not so what?
AngelAndriel,
“A friend told me he exercised there regularly. Fitness First is the place where a lot of young buff males go to work up a sweat.”
Just sticking with the issue. His Gay!
Nothing wrong with that. So, what!
i think gay is perfectly alright that’s why one does need to hide in a closet if one is gay
these mudslinging fiasco every campaign period shouldn’t surprise anybody.
after all, ano ba ang talagang dahilan ng kampo ni erap kung bakit sila tumakbo?
ano ba?
Another part of series on garbage article.
What if Maceda suffer from autism and Noynoy is gay?
As long as they are capable people who can do the job. I wont
mind. I prefer people like them than corrupt and deceitful people who are straight…
Siguro nga, dahil sa autism kung bakit ayaw magpamilya ni bachelor Noynoy. Para hindi maipasa iyong genes.
Where did Ernie Maceda hear the news? Reading between the lines in his first statement, I guess it would inside a beauty parlor
mismo!
that’s sexual discrimination, news in barbershops are just as unreliable.
It’s not sexual discrimination. It’s stereotyping.