(Note: This is a hugely revised version of a post from JP Abecilla’s Conservative Philippines page that is now deleted.)
The Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is a self-proclaimed leftist, while the Former Manila City Mayor Isko Moreno Domagoso is taking a centrist or moderate view on politics. On the other hand, Cebuano blogger, influencer, and political commentator JP Abecilla is a strict conservative and a culture warrior. What are these things all about?
Political Name-Calling
Aside from the terms DDS (Die-hard Duterte Supporters) and Dilawans (Liberal Party supporters, now called #KakamPinks or #Pinklawans), we also usually hear about leftists, liberals, centrists, and conservatives (a.k.a. rightists).
Before, DDS people commonly accused JP Abecilla, a Filipino blogger, of being a Dilawan while some leftists and Dilawan folks tend to tag him as a DDS. It is now rare for a visitor to his Facebook page to call him either a Dilawan or a DDS. Many social media users can now identify JP as a conservative.
Thus, if someone still connects a conservative like JP to either a DDS or a Dilawan, the person only proves that he or she is ignorant of what we call political spectrums.
Political Spectrum
In the political spectrum, there are what we call left-wing and right-wing ideologies. However, some individuals don’t choose a side, tagged as moderates or centrists.
To illustrate, the ideas are:
- Left-wing = Far-Left and Center-Left
- Moderate = Center
- Right-wing= Center-Right and Far-Right
Take note that there are radicals from left to right and even at the center. The LP (Liberal Party) of the Dilawan stands from the center to the center-left of the left-wing spectrum. Because of the influence of leftist politicians, like Risa Hontiveros and the Makabayan Bloc, liberals tend to embrace lots of leftist ideologies and practices.
On the other hand, the PDP-Laban of the DDS is in the center-left and far-left of left-wing politics. Thus, PDP-Laban is more prone to the left ideologies than LP. Duterte’s admin is even connecting with the Communist Party of China (CPC). Moreover, Duterte himself also claimed that he is a leftist-socialist.
With conservatives, we stand from the CENTER-RIGHT to the far-right of the RIGHT-WING spectrum. Therefore, it’s wrong for both the DDS and Dilawan to connect us to any of their groups.
Political Color
When it comes to color identity, liberals are universally linked with yellow. Leftist Duterte is recognized with the red color. Conservatives, on the other hand, are popularly known for their blue color.
Isko Moreno Domagoso is a unique politician who doesn’t want to identify himself with any of the political colors. Though he adopted the blue color, Domagoso is not really a conservative person. He has a mix of different ideologies from the political spectrum. This is why JP identifies him as a centrist or moderate politician.
I hope this will end the ignorance, let alone the stupidity, of trolls. Many DDS don’t even know that Duterte is a leftist-socialist even though they are good at red-tagging political groups, which are nearer to the ideologies of the politicians they support.
LP supporters are now the most confused individuals, especially when Leni Robredo adopted the pink color and run for president as an independent candidate. Of course, I know what is happening with them, but KakamPinks stay ignorant as they always are.
(PS: This is just an introductory of posts and articles we’re planning to write and elaborate on the various political ideologies in the Philippines.)
Related Post: Isko Moreno Domagoso: The Centrist Gambit
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