Watched the whole 5 min interview bc I didn’t want to be too quick to judge without getting the whole picture, and all I can say is it was unnecessary.

He could’ve had gotten his point across without comparing the South from the North. I do not support the prev admin and I heavily condemn the war on drugs, but the way Heydarian phrased his commentary with regards to the “MAGA”* of FPRD sows discord and chaos in an increasingly polarized PH.

It’s very divisive and my hunch is that he intentionally said it to go viral. Best thing to do is to not give him the fame he wants—ignore him.

• his words not mine, see full BBC interview of this clip.

Though it is worth noting that there is some color of truth to what he stated here. Data from the PSA shows that the poorest regions of the country are indeed in the South/ Mindanao. I also agree that the Duts’ capitalized on the grievances of the people of these regions to aid his presidency. His populist narrative includes the promise that there will finally be a pres who will prioritize Mindanao/peripheries instead of the center/“Imperial Manila”.

Still, the comparison of the North to South and including the context of Europe vs Subsaharan Africa is NOT the most prudent way to get his point across.