Netizens can’t help but notice how Jimmy Bondoc acts like a cult member with regards to his adoration of President Rodrigo Duterte.
Just recently, Bondoc organized an online tribute concert for Duterte since he believed that the President is already overworked and yet he still criticized for how he’s handling the government.
The concert featured some of the most diehard Duterte supporters who shared the same sentiments and adoration for Duterte.
In a Facebook post prior to the concert, Bondoc was all praise sfor Duterte reiterating how Duterte works for the good of the country despite bashing and criticism.
“Ang pagmamahal po namin kay Pangulong Duterte ay totoo. Hamakin man po ng iba, alam po ng mga taong malapit kay Pangulo na talagang ibinigay na ni Pangulo ang lahat para sa bayan, kaya siya MINAMAHAL ng taumbayan. Naranasan na nya ang lahat ng kutya, paninira, pananakot at pananakit. Pero lumalaban pa rin. KAKANTAHAN NATIN ang PANGULO dahil kung hindi tayo, sino? Hindi naman po ito ginagawa ng mainstream media. Hindi rin magawa ng ibang supporters dahil papaano nila sisimulan? Karaniwan, napakadaming pera ang kailangan upang gumawa lamang ng isang musical, kahit ganito ka-simple.”
https://www.facebook.com/jimmybondoc2/posts/4672337776110485
In another Facebook post after the concert, Bondoc again boasted of the support for Duterte. He said that the concert has proven Duterte’s organic following.
He also added that Duterte was the one to be credited for his “continued heroism” causing “organic and spontaneous VOLUNTEERISM spirit of the DDS”.
“I can honestly say, with the cleanest and clearest conscience, that the support for PRRD is purely organic, as proven yesterday. I can try to put up any other show for any other cause, asking the same group of people to help, but the results would never be the same.” Bondoc wrote.
“But credit where credit is due – that success was because of PRRD’s continued heroism, and the organic and spontaneous VOLUNTEERISM spirit of the DDS,” he added.
https://www.facebook.com/jimmybondoc2/posts/4678095568868039
Meanwhile, some netizens share their disgust and even poked fun at the concert and Jimmy Bondoc’s cult-like attitude.
In a tweet by netizen @pebbleschururut, she made fun of the number of viewers of the online concert. While Jimmy boasted of an organic following of Duterte, it’s quite odd to gather only 4k viewers in a concert dedicated to the alleged “well-loved President”. It’s a prevailing narrative that Duterte commands 16 million followers, so the 4K viewers don’t add up to the claim that all of the DDS followers are organic.
“4.8K VIEWERS WALA LANG NATAWA LANG AKO#budol #sipsippamore #SingingForPresidentDuterte”
https://twitter.com/pebbleschururut/status/1299998579008831489
Another netizen @dumidyeypee also reacted to Jimmy Bondoc’s post about the concert saying, “Ito ang tinatawag na kulto.”
Ito ang tinatawag na kulto. pic.twitter.com/guiTh2BG6g
— jp✖️ plus why (@dumidyeypee) August 30, 2020
Netizen @VButchoy meanwhile also likened Bondoc and other Duterte supporters to cult members who follow blindly no matter what.
“#SingingForThePresident is filled with cult members who chose to kiss the ass of the most incompetent “leader” who is “working” from home instead of raising funds to aid the debts of the country or to help those who are suffering because they got hit hard by this crisis. CIRCUS.”
#SingingForThePresident is filled with cult members who chose to kiss the ass of the most incompetent “leader” who is “working” from home instead of raising funds to aid the debts of the country or to help those who are suffering because they got hit hard by this crisis. CIRCUS.
— Butchoy (@VButchoy) August 30, 2020
Meanwhile, the official hashtag #SingingForThePresident made it to the top trending topics, the majority of tweets are about the issues being hurled to the Duterte admin.
Look what is trending in the Philippines!#SingingForThePresident pic.twitter.com/z1yNaOpOjb
— Duterte Watchdog presents: Sic semper tyrannis (@DuterteWatchdog) August 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/PunchTheLies/status/1299967576127213568
https://twitter.com/acedapogi/status/1300032604494733312
https://twitter.com/JopetTuason/status/1299956397891706881
https://twitter.com/MHusengBatute/status/1300089231298060288
#SingingForThePresident is peak kulto energy. pic.twitter.com/2KCZZv3iRu
— JC Punongbayan, PhD (@jcpunongbayan) August 30, 2020
EJKs#SingingForThePresident
Photo: Raffy Lerma pic.twitter.com/boBUZQjEPq— Miss Maggie (@MiaMagdalena) August 30, 2020
https://twitter.com/MrFrankBaraan/status/1299965786732158977
https://twitter.com/PhilosophyNook/status/1299959097131851776
They are effing #SingingForThePresident pic.twitter.com/l4od4Pe7Si
— TondoGirl (@TondoGirl) August 30, 2020
The concert also made headlines when one of the supposed performers denied involvement in the show.
When Jimmy Bondoc initially released the invite for the online concert, Paolo Santos was included as one of the performers in the poster. However, after a few days, Paolo took to social media to deny any participation in the said concert.
In a Facebook post, singer Paolo clarified that he is not participating in the online tribute for Duterte.
Paolo Santos was one of Duterte’s supporters during his 2016 campaign.
