We aren’t gullible

By Alex P. Vidal

“Just being a commentator is not as easy as people think with going out there and talking for three hours. So, I don’t call myself a commentator: I call myself an analyst.” – Booker T

IF we are not careful, our minds will be poisoned by some self-proclaimed political commentators who have branched out in the social media, particularly in the political vlogs or video blogs, and swamped us with biased, misleading, and pathogenic commentaries and information.

It’s not bad to listen to them and watch their programs from time to time, but we must endeavor to also fact-check their statements and conduct our own independent research and critical analysis as much as possible.

To avoid being hoodwinked and misdirected, we must sharpen our minds and refrain from relying heavily on the words given by these voodoo political brainiacs hook, line, and sinker.

Many if not most of them are paid hacks, motivated by political vendetta and bigotry, false prophets masquerading as “political analysts,” or dark room operators tasked to sabotage the career and future candidacy of certain political personalities.

Some of them aren’t credible and are dangerous and toxic. As bogus media personalities, they are capable and will always underestimate and insult our intelligence.

Self-education and awareness must start with us. Let’s prove to ourselves we are not what they think: uto-uto or gullible.

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Pardon me but I didn’t know Lito Lapid is still serving in the Philippine Senate until today. If it was not reported that he recently told Senator Pia Cayetano “I love you” in jest, I wouldn’t know he’s still senator.

Despite his being reticent, this action star-turned-politician is really buenas in politics.

His being a “giant killer” began in 1992 when he became vice governor of Pampanga by ousting the incumbent Cielo Macapagal-Salgado. Lapid became full-fledged governor in 1995 when he trounced the incumbent Bren Guiao.

Like his fellow senators today who are facing cases for plunder and malversation of public funds, Lapid had his own share of shame in 2004 when he was charged by the Ombudsman in the fertilizer fund scam.

He was reelected in 2010. Lapid staged a comeback in 2019 and again in 2025. And that’s the reason why he is still senator until today.

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THE refusal of New York City Mayor Zohran Mamdani to grace the Big Apple’s annual Israel Day parade on May 31 was really a big deal.

Why? Because Mamdani’s refusal to participate marked the first time a mayor had boycotted the parade since it was first held in 1965.

New York’s Democratic party leadership alongside tens of thousands of Jews and allies from the city and the surrounding region joined the parade, which maintained its festive atmosphere and went off without a hitch.

Despite the boycott from the mayor and security fears that had prompted heavy precautions from police, the annual parade, officially called Israel Day on Fifth, saw Jewish and pro-Israel groups march up Manhattan’s Fifth Avenue.

The event kicked off in Midtown Manhattan with New York leaders led by Governor Kathy Hochul, Sen. Chuck Schumer, other members of Congress, Attorney General Letitia James, state Comptroller Tom DiNapoli, City Council Speaker Julie Menin and City Comptroller Mark Levine all addressed the crowd, alongside Jewish communal leaders.

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The Jewish Community Relations Council of New York, a communal group that organizes the parade, estimated that more than 50,000 participants marched, alongside thousands of spectators, in one of the event’s highest turnouts ever.

“Proud Americans, Proud Zionists” was the parade’s theme this year.

UJA-Federation of New York, a leading Jewish group in the city and one of the event’s sponsors headed by Eric Goldstein, acknowledged political complications surrounding the parade in recent years.

“This parade used to be a simpler time where we would march apolitically to acknowledge and celebrate the extraordinary achievements of this tiny, young nation,” Goldstein said. “We are increasingly isolated and targeted for being Jews. That said, today and every day, we must be proud, we must be public, we must come together.”

Mamdani’s absence, however, did not impact the event as marchers with the EndJewHatred activist group mocked the mayor by carrying life-size cardboard cutouts of Mamdani and his wife, both harsh critics of Israel, showing the pair posing with Israeli flags.

(The author, who is now based in New York City, used to be the editor-in-chief of two leading daily newspapers in Iloilo, Philippines.—Ed)