: PHILIPPINES

An assault currently rages in the Marvel Universe, a culmination of best laid plans charted in some far away galaxy no one knows exactly when. The shape-changing aliens known as Skrulls have infiltrated societies by posing as influential personalities and leaders, and in the process determined many of man’s destinies he wouldn’t have claimed for himself (and neither would he want to) sans the previously-unknown otherworldly intervention. Heroes turned on heroes who refused to cooperate with the US government in Civil War; violators of the Superhuman Registration Act, heroes and villains alike, are imprisoned in an off-world interdimensional detention facility unless or until they comply with the law; each US state was assigned a group of super powered individuals for surveillance and protection, by virtue of Tony Stark’s (Iron Man) Initiative; the Hulk was sent into outer space courtesy of his fellow heroes in Planet Hulk, only to return with a cadre of the universe’s fearsome warriors to exact revenge on those conspirators, thereby endangering the whole Earth and its populace, in World War Hulk. Amidst the chaos the Skrulls waited for the right moment to turn Secret Invasion into a full-blown assault.

The invasion has reached a third world corner of the globe as well; as Secret Invasion issue 5 revealed (see figure 1), the current occupant of Malacanang is a Skrull herself (I believe this comes as no surprise). It is a fate not undeserved; the aliens must have taken notice of the preponderance of local franchises of hit foreign programs and foreign commodities or brands that they just could not let the opportunity pass to include this country in their assault; Filipinos were more than willing to accept with open arms what is foreign or alien, anyway.

Figure 1. Skrull GMA at center.

Prior to said revelation the signs that GMA is an alien creature posing as this country’s leader (albeit an illegitimate one) are already too apparent to be ignored. For one, her countenance and legendary temperament are truly out of this world (see figure 2). Also, the duplicitous politics she and her minions practice (disdain for the just and righteous yet obliging to malefactors and co-conspirators; the collection of exorbitant taxes later “doled out” to poor beneficiaries in trickles, but given to political allies in thick envelopes or paper bags as “government assistance for projects”; the unwavering attempts to tamper with the Constitution to remain in power beyond what the law allows; the callousness to remain in the US, presumably to seek out and confer with other Skrulls, while major parts of the country were ravaged by a typhoon; the blatant disregard for human life as evidenced by the killing of journalists and activists and the systematic corruption in government, much to the detriment of the needy, among other things), coupled with the use of the brain-numbing rhetoric of alleged national development contrary to the country’s actual situation (see figure 3) betray her actual intentions for the Filipinos. Her more recent actions of selling the country’s resources to the highest bidder through mining and oil explorations and the surreptitious attempts of dividing the country’s territory through the faulty Memorandum of Agreement (MOA) her government entered into with a terrorist group for them to govern a “state within a state,” the suspension of which fomented the war currently raging in Mindanao, all the more point to her sinister nature.

Figure 2. Skrull-GMA

Figure 3. Ramdam ang kasinungalingan

The country’s misfortunes do not end with the aforementioned. Highly classified documents reveal that GMA has struck a deal with a race of techno-organic alien entities to further strengthen her hold on power. In exchange for their cooperation GMA assured them of an endless supply of human labor for slavery, as well as the country’s supply of steel and metal, raw materials vital to their existence.

The leader of said race is the being known as Bayani Fernando, the current chair of the very powerful Metropolitan Manila Development Authority (MMDA) tasked to implement “beautification” projects in the metropolis under the “Metro Gwapo” campaign.

Fernando had been hard at work since day one, implementing their takeover of the country in phases. For a start he has drowned cities in unaesthetic pink and blue as a way of conditioning the citizens for the impending occupation (blue being the preferred color of Fernando’s race, pink for the Skrull empire). More recently he has plastered the city with posters that allegedly aim to teach citizens to obey laws, yet are actually tools for brainwashing (see figure 4).

Figure 4. BF is watching you

To control the human populace (thereby reducing the number of would-be detractors or critics) and to drain the country’s oil reserves he placed innumerable U-turn slots in major and minor thoroughfares, thereby increasing fuel consumption of vehicles as well as the risks to pedestrians. Concrete barriers or permanent concrete road fixtures (see figure 5), hardly visible at night and rarely noticeable by motorists unfamiliar with the “beautified” areas of the city, ensure that loss of human life is kept to a maximum. The road rage that results from his erratic “traffic solutions” are also calculated to pit motorists against one another, in the hopes that violence would ensue.

Figure 5. Waste of taxpayers' money

The project is also successful in wasting people’s chronal resources, since travel time has significantly increased. Countless man-hours that could be used for other worthwhile purposes (including plotting how to combat the invaders) are now appropriated for transit.

Having more affinity for machines than human beings he has likewise decreased sidewalk widths, totally eliminating them in some areas, for road widening projects. Flora that strategically line sidewalks to mitigate carbon emissions and to provide shade for pedestrians also suffer from his anger towards organic life, as these are mercilessly uprooted or cut to make way for a lane or two devoted to vehicular traffic. Doesn’t anyone wonder that in this day and age of global concern for the environment because of worsening climate change Fernando continues with his “concretization” and steel fortification of the urban landscape, at the expense of lush vegetation?

Steel footbridges are erected for healthy pedestrians who can walk, yet limit the mobility of the handicapped. Coupled with his disparaging statement in a forum where he advised these individuals to just stay in their homes since they are unable to move around without implements, this move betrays Fernando’s disdain for sickly or disabled individuals unfit to serve as slaves once they take over the country. Better to thin their ranks now (through road accidents or health deterioration as a result of physical inactivity) instead of dealing with them later on.

Contrary to press statements and releases, the steel fences and loading/unloading bays (see figure 6) were put in place not for pedestrian safety but for human containment. By limiting mobility the aliens are prepping the Filipino subjects for docility and imprisonment. Furthermore, these were also designed to facilitate frequent human contact to increase the chances of spreading communicable diseases, and to spur violence because of inconvenience and flaring tempers.

Figure 6. Concentration camps on the road

Ever so subtle in his ways, last year BF unveiled his troops in Marikina City (where he started his political career) in the guise of inanimate steel sculptures to "warm the humans up" to their future conquerors. They will be activated come the right time to subjugate humanity (see figures 7-21).



Given the sheer inhumanity of the MMDA’s projects, many have wondered on BF’s "humanity." As if his steely resolve, cold demeanor and generic-to-the-point-of-being-robotic statements are not indications enough, there's more than meets the eye when it comes to the MMDA chairman. A recently declassified document provides proof of BF’s otherworldly nature. In an unguarded moment at the height of revelry BF was pictured in his true form (see figure 22):

Figure 22. Bayani Fernando: the real Man OF steel.

(Photo credit: respective owners. These were taken from Google results.)