Tuesday, July 14, 2020

PRIORITIES OF A TYRANT WANNABE IN THE TIME OF CORONAVIRUS

unfinished notes from the Philippines 
by Leo Cosmiano Baltar






wordplay (or what to name incompetence)
a. lockdown
b. community quarantine 
c. enhanced community quarantine 
d. modified enhanced community quarantine 
e. general community quarantine 
f. modified general community quarantine


travel ban (except China) 


 ̶f̶a̶c̶e̶ masking his political intentions 


police and military over medical frontliners


Bayanihan to Heal as One Act 
(or more special powers that will be abused) 


mass t̶e̶s̶t̶i̶n̶g̶ arresting 


COVID-19 public address past 1 am 
(or late night tantrums on televisions 
with unlimited cursing) 


social [class] distancing 


money money money 
(or public funds that did not materialize 
& other trillions of debt)


maƱanita fiasco: a party gathering 
involving a police chief and his 
cops even when it is not allowed 
but they will not be arrested 
according to the president


jeepney phase out under the 
guise of modernization


[not] listening to doctors & experts


taxing online sellers


more cops to shoot the virus


 ̶c̶o̶n̶t̶a̶c̶t̶ tracing the communists 
(or red-tagging advocates & activists) 


media  c r a  c k d o  w n 
exhibit a: ABS-CBN network 
exhibit b: Rappler 
exhibit c: alternative media


anti-terror law (or daily martial law) 


House Bill 4953, declaring the balangay 
as the national boat of the Philippines


̶f̶l̶a̶t̶t̶e̶n̶i̶n̶g̶ ̶t̶h̶e̶ ̶c̶u̶r̶v̶e̶  & other delusions


changing an airport's name 


bullying effective local leaders


quarantining basic civil and human rights 
& other fascist dreams


Leo Cosmiano Baltar is a Filipino writer, a poet, and an activist. He is currently taking his bachelor's degree in journalism at the University of the Philippines Diliman. When he is not writing, he is thinking of what to write next.