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)
mañanita 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.