Ron Lopez

Freelance text and video journalist based in Manila | ex-@AFP, @ABSCBNNews

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

@JeffreyOrdaniel Interesting panel! Congrats Jeff!

[Arnold Schwarzenegger @Schwarzenegger]

I don’t really do endorsements. I’m not shy about sharing my views, but I hate politics and don’t trust most politicians.

I also understand that people want to hear from me because I am not just a celebrity, I am a former Republican Governor.

My time as Governor taught me to love policy and ignore politics. I’m proud of the work I did to help clean up our air, create jobs, balance the budget, make the biggest infrastructure investment in state history, and take power from the politicians and give it back to the people when it comes to our redistricting process and our primaries in California.

That’s policy. It requires working with the other side, not insulting them to win your next election, and I know it isn’t sexy to most people, but I love it when I can help make people’s lives better with policies, like I still do through my institute at USC, where we fight for clean air and stripping the power from the politicians who rig the system against the people.

Let me be honest with you: I don’t like either party right now. My Republicans have forgotten the beauty of the free market, driven up deficits, and rejected election results. Democrats aren’t any better at dealing with deficits, and I worry about their local policies hurting our cities with increased crime.

It is probably not a surprise that I hate politics more than ever, which, if you are a normal person who isn’t addicted to this crap, you probably understand.

I want to tune out.

But I can’t. Because rejecting the results of an election is as un-American as it gets. To someone like me who talks to people all over the world and still knows America is the shining city on a hill, calling America is a trash can for the world is so unpatriotic, it makes me furious.

And I will always be an American before I am a Republican.

That’s why, this week, I am voting for Kamala Harris and Tim Walz.

I’m sharing it with all of you because I think there are a lot of you who feel like I do. You don’t recognize our country. And you are right to be furious.

For decades, we’ve talked about the national debt. For decades, we’ve talked about comprehensive immigration reform that secures the border while fixing our broken immigration system. And Washington does nothing.

The problems just keep rolling, and we all keep getting angrier, because the only people that benefit from problems aren’t you, the people. The only people that benefit from this crap are the politicians who prefer having talking points to win elections to the public service that will make Americans’ lives better.

It is a just game to them. But it is life for my fellow Americans. We should be pissed!

But a candidate who won’t respect your vote unless it is for him, a candidate who will send his followers to storm the Capitol while he watches with a Diet Coke, a candidate who has shown no ability to work to pass any policy besides a tax cut that helped his donors and other rich people like me but helped no one else else, a candidate who thinks Americans who disagree with him are the bigger enemies than China, Russia, or North Korea - that won’t solve our problems.

It will just be four more years of bullshit with no results that makes us angrier and angrier, more divided, and more hateful.

We need to close the door on this chapter of American history, and I know that former President Trump won’t do that. He will divide, he will insult, he will find new ways to be more un-American than he already has been, and we, the people, will get nothing but more anger.

That’s enough reason for me to share my vote with all of you. I want to move forward as a country, and even though I have plenty of disagreements with their platform, I think the only way to do that is with Harris and Walz.

Vote this week. Turn the page and put this junk behind us.

And even if you disagree with me, vote, because that’s what we do as Americans. https://t.co/eHFZ723I4H

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

Sabang, Puerto Princesa City. One of the prettiest sunsets I've seen so far. #philippines #palawan

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

@gaeacabico @nyu_journalism Congratulations!

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

The Philippine Air Force also used a Guided Precision Airdrop System (GPADS) to deliver goods to the troops as part of the capability demonstration.

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

Scenes at the Basa Air Base today as the #Philippine Air Force celebrates 77th anniversary, deploying FA-50 aircraft & other assets in a capability demonstration to retake an imaginary enemy-controlled territory. Pres Ferdinand #Marcos Jr. and other officials witnessed the event

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

Latest for @VOANews:

The likelihood of another violent clash between the Philippines & China will highly depend on the next steps Manila and the US will take, analysts said, as China tests their alliance.

With input from @CollinSLKoh @DonMcLainGill95
https://t.co/OufJNrQqaq

[Collin Koh 🇸🇬🇺🇦 @CollinSLKoh]

Clearly Beijing believes it can dial up the water cannon attack knowing this won’t trigger the PH-US MDT. Time to define with greater clarity what constitutes “armed attack”, else serious injuries or fatalities could well be expected in future similar attacks.

[The Wall Street Journal @WSJ]

Watch: Philippine resupply missions to outposts in the disputed South China Sea are increasingly dangerous. Aboard a Philippine Coast Guard ship, @felizysolo reports on an hours-long confrontation between China and the Philippines. https://t.co/fezytouwKv https://t.co/fezytouwKv

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

We visited Naval Base Camilo Osias, one of the new sites accessible to US🇺🇸military under an expanded pact with PH 🇵🇭

Not much was happening there but it will soon get a facelift to accommodate US soldiers and weapons.

And that worries some people.

Latest video for @VOANews

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

As China intensified its harassment of much smaller Philippine vessels in disputed parts of the South China Sea, the Philippines is turning to information warfare to level the playing field. On video assignment for Voice of America with @GalloVOA https://t.co/WDTwUFNeFo

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

I joined another mission to send provisions to BRP Sierra Madre, a rusting ship that serves as #Philippines🇵🇭 outpost in #SouthChinaSea.

In the process, our ships were chased and blocked many times by China 🇨🇳 vessels. Filmed/VO for @BenarNews Full video: https://t.co/m85vDzuegA

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

Japan and the Philippines announced the start of negotiations for a key defense pact, a move analysts say is largely prompted by China’s increasingly aggressive behavior in disputed waters. My story for @VOANews with inputs from @DonMcLainGill95 & others. https://t.co/Nf8JUVt2rS

[Armed Forces of the Philippines @TeamAFP]

LOOK: Videos of the latest collision incident during a regular rotation and resupply mission in the West Philippine Sea on Sunday, October 22.

#AFPyoucanTRUST

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

@ariesarugay @ISEAS Congrats sir!

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

@CollinSLKoh Hi Dr. @CollinSLKoh ! I'm a journalist from Manila and I'm hoping I could talk to you for a story. May I send you a DM please? Thank you!

[Reuters @Reuters]

WARNING: GRAPHIC CONTENT
Reuters videographer Issam Abdallah was killed while working in southern Lebanon on Friday. Issam was part of a Reuters crew providing a live video signal https://t.co/r6BHxuSROn

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

@michaelwhudson @GuardianUS Congratulations!

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

The Philippines said it has removed a ‘floating barrier’ installed by China in Scarborough shoal, following an order from President Marcos.

The 300-meter floating barrier has prevented Filipino fishermen from entering the shoal, according to the PH Coast Guard.

[Jay Tarriela @jaytaryela]

Philippine Coast Guard Successfully Removes Hazardous Floating Barrier in Compliance with Presidential Instruction

In compliance with the instruction of the President, the Chairman, National Task Force for the West Philippine Sea (NTF-WPS), Sec. Eduardo Año, has directed the Philippine Coast Guard (PCG) to execute a special operation to remove the floating barrier that obstructed the Southeast entrance of Bajo De Masinloc (BDM).

The barrier posed a hazard to navigation, a clear violation of international law. It also hinders the conduct of fishing and livelihood activities of Filipino fisherfolk in BDM, which is an integral part of the Philippine national territory. The 2016 Arbitral Award has affirmed that BDM is the traditional fishing ground of Filipino fishermen. Thus, any obstruction hindering the livelihoods of Filipino fisherfolk in the shoal violates the international law. It also infringes on the Philippines' sovereignty over BDM.

The decisive action of the PCG to remove the barrier aligns with international law and the Philippines’ sovereignty over the shoal.

The PCG remains committed to upholding international law, safeguarding the welfare of Filipino fisherfolk, and protecting the rights of the Philippines in its territorial waters.

[Ron Lopez @ronlopezph]

Thailand to clamp down on cannabis use in major U-turn on drug policy - story for @guardian https://t.co/zxCMc8H8mh