jailed for liking binay freeze order on facebook_ _ inquirer opinion

5/18/2015 JailedforlikingBinayfreezeorderonFacebook?|InquirerOpinion

http://opinion.inquirer.net/84991/jailedforlikingbinayfreezeorderonfacebook 1/18

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SISYPHUS LAMENT

Jailed for liking Binay freeze order on Facebook?

12:09 AM | Monday, May 18th, 2015

Oscar Franklin Tan @inquirerdotnet

Philippine Daily Inquirer

A+AA-

AS A Court of Appeals order froze assets of Vice President Jejomar Binay and his alleged associates lastweek, his lawyer Claro Certeza sent an astounding letter to the Inquirer threatening prosecution shouldthe paper report the freeze order and the petition of the Anti-Money Laundering Council (AMLC) forthis order. Certeza invoked the breach of confidentiality provision in the Anti-Money Laundering Act,which bars media from reporting the contents of an initial suspicious transaction report made to theAMLC. The Inquirer published Certezas letter and my fellow columnist Mon Tulfo branded him a clown.

It is painfully obvious that the Inquirer did not violate the Anti-Money Laundering Act (Amla) since itreported on something else, namely a petition by (and not an initial report to) the AMLC before a courtand the courts resulting order.

Regardless, court decisions are quintessentially public. It is unthinkable that anyone could be stoppedfrom reporting them short of the most compelling reasons of national security or to protect a childvictim.

It is worth dissecting why Certezas letter made us so indignant. Remember, when you share the freezeorder on Facebook, you invoke the same rights as the Inquirer.

It is valid to prohibit disclosure of initial reports to the AMLC. The right to privacy includes the right tofinancial privacy and it is certainly in the public interest to maintain this in our financial system. Theharm done by a hasty disclosure is irreversible; the reported transaction may be inaccurate or justified,

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or a wrongdoer may be alerted to a possible freeze. However, once an investigation is concluded andgovernment bodies take formal action, one cannot justify keeping the conclusions secret, especiallywhen they deal with a high official so intertwined with the public interest.

Recall the Hello Garci scandal where recordings allegedly of former president Gloria Arroyo calling anelection commissioner about rigging the 2004 elections circulated in public. Some argued that thosewho played the recordingssome made them ringtones!were liable under the Anti-Wiretapping Law.The debate became moot when the recordings were played on the floor of Congress and gainedparliamentary immunity. Recall the ill-informed #NonLibelousTweet campaign, where Twitter usersspread insincere compliments because they believed outright criticism of government would makethem liable for cyberlibel. Replace the Anti-Wiretapping Law or the Cybercrime Act with the Amla and itis all the same debate.

Scholars debating Hello Garci cited the US Bartnicki case, where a radio station played a tape of aunion president telling his chief negotiator that if their demands were not met, were gonna have to goto their, their homes To blow off their front porches, well have to do some work on some of thoseguys. The recording was made without their consent but the radio station had nothing to do withmaking it, and received it from a union critic who claimed a copy was left in his mailbox. The USSupreme Court ruled that free speech trumped their anti-wiretapping law and media cannot bestopped from reporting truthful information of public interest, such as a possible threat of unionviolence, even if the information was obtained illegally by an unknown third party.

Relating Bartnickis logic to the freeze order, there are few things of higher public interest than a highgovernment officials integrity, and one of the most fundamental reasons to protect free speech in ademocracy is precisely to discuss ones leaders. That such great public interest means free speechwould trump the Amla and other laws is why legal luminariesfrom former University of thePhilippines law dean Pacifico Agabin to Senate President Franklin Drilonimmediately opined that noone may be prosecuted as Certeza proposes, and we instinctively know this. Incidentally, if we acceptCertezas theory, we would have to silence people commenting in favor of his client, not just critics, asprohibiting only one side of a debate is even more distasteful than prohibiting the debate altogether.

Beyond free speech, even without a freedom of information law, our Constitution already enshrinesour right to all information of public concern. Any citizen may demand a copy of the AMLC petition andCourt of Appeals freeze order solely on the basis of this single phrase in our Constitution, then freelycirculate these public documents as part of free speech. Further, our post-Edsa Constitutionprominently emphasizes that, Public office is a public trust, a phrase justices attributed to Certezawhen he recently appeared before the Supreme Court regarding the suspension of Makati Citysmayor.

Our principles of free speech must transcend politics and some things must remain sacred. I have



nothing against the Binay legal team and agree that there was no need for Certezas cocounsel, UP lawprofessor Sandra Olaso-Coronel, to have had her integrity questioned for raising the condonationdoctrine, a doctrine taught as gospel truth in law schools, at the recent high court hearing (althoughthe teams other propositions have many less established bases in law). I simply hope that in thefuture, no one even dares to consider attacking free speech in the way we just saw.

We must internalize that we are indubitably free to use the Hello Garci recording as a ringtone, totweet and blog about Sen. Tito Sottos legislative achievements, and to upload the freeze order for allour Facebook friends to see, and that anyone who threatens prosecution over these threatens the veryheart of our democracy sanctified by the blood of patriots.

* * *

React on Twitter (@oscarfbtan) and facebook.com/OscarFranklinTan.

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Addacomment12comments

MarianoPatalinnjug TopCommenterYonkers,NewYork17May2015

IamsurethatbothVPJejomarBinayandAttorneyClaroCertezaaswellastheBinayfamilywillreadthishighlyenlightening"lecture"ofInquirercolumnistOscarFranklinTanonwhattheconstitutionalrighttoFREESPEECHaswellastoaFREEPRESSreallymeans.

BysendingthatthreateninglettertotheInquirerthreateningprosecution,AttorneyCertezaobviouslyisignorantofthesetwofundamentalconstitutionalrights.OnewouldthinkthatVicePresidentJejomarBinay,whoisalsoalawyer,wouldknowaboutthesetwoconstitutionalrightsandthusshouldhavestoppedhislawyerfromsendingthatthreateninglettertotheInquirer.ThesetwomustalsoknowthatthepublisherofTheInquirerisRAULPANGALANGAN,formerDeanoftheCollegeofLawoftheUniversityofthePhilippines.

Incidentally,waybackinthelate1800s,THOMASJEFFERSON,theauthoroftheDECLARATIONOFINDEPENDENCEwrotethathewould"preferaFreePresswithoutaGovernment,thanaGovernment



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INDEPENDENCEwrotethathewould"preferaFreePresswithoutaGovernment,thanaGovernmentwithoutaFreePress."

AttorneyClaroCeretezamustbeassumedtohavecomeacrossthisfamousstatementofThomasJeffersoninLawSchool.

[email protected] FollowPost18hoursago13

LeoParas TopCommenterTrinityCollegeO,nahimasmasankanaba,aTONGniKlaringCerbeza,sir?HindikasiklaroangutakmoporkebinabantaanmopangipagsakdalangPDIkungipupublikanilaangAMLCexpartepetitionsaCAatnagUTOSnamangifreezeang242bankaccountsniNognogdynastyatdummies.

Sinobakasesaakalamo,KlaringCerbeza,angmaspaniniwalaanngpubliko,angopinyonmooangUTOSngkorte?Itigilmonanga'yangPAIKOTmo,puede?ReplyLike FollowPost15hoursago7

RodericDikitananPMICOLLEGES(QUEZONCITY)youcanrun,butyoucan'thide....that'showpowerfulmediais!

walanakayongkakampi.ReplyLike FollowPost11hoursago5

CrisantoSicatPsbasitunyingsakasiroquenabinayaran,...ReplyLike 11hoursago1

MarianoPatalinnjug TopCommenterYonkers,NewYork.17May.Now,withthisilluminatinglecturebyLawDeanandInquirercolumnistOSCARFRANKLINTAN,AttorneyClaroCertezashouldknowwhatthemeaningoftheconstitutionalrightstoFREESPEECHandtoaFREEPRESSreallymeans.IwonderwhenhepassedtheBarExams.MARIANOPATALINJUG.Lapulapu1927@yahoo.comReplyLike FollowPost18hoursago4

SalvadorBoieSanoContreras TopCommenterArellanoUniversitySCshouldpunishlawyerslikeCertezawhowilldoanythingandeverythingforhisamo.ObviouslyhisamoisBinayandBinayismoney,moneymoney.ReplyLike FollowPost16hoursago4

BertOnayanAfrica TopCommenterPittsburg,CaliforniaComplaintshouldbelodgedinitiallywithPhilippineBarAssociationtoremoveCertezafrommembershipforabuseofauthorityandlackofprofessionalethics.Shame!ReplyLike 14hoursago8

BongKarass....hindiBrod,Binayisnotmoney,notatall....youshouldsay:"BINAYISKAWATANNGMONEY,MONEY,MONEY!!!!"....ReplyLike 14hoursago3



87Comments InquirerOpinion kurikong

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NKdefector 31minutesago#BINAYRESIGN

andafterthat

#JAILBINAY

Reply

INFALLIBLE_RP_MEDIA 44minutesagoJUSTICEPHILIPPINESTYLEWILLBEMOREOFTHESAMEINNEXTADMINISTRATION.

OUTSOURCETHEPHILIPPINEGOVERNMENTTOPYONGYANGNOW!

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NKdefector 32minutesago>INFALLIBLE_RP_MEDIAYESSIR!

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marciano3rd anhouragoTheremustbedocumentsthatshowtherealownersofthemoniesinthe237bankaccounts(minusthe5thatBinayadmitsishis).Obviouslytheseareinthehandsofalawyer(s).BinayanddaughterAbbyarelawyers,right?Certezaisalsotheirlawyer,right?Willweeverknowthetruth,whatwithsomanylawyers!!

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INFALLIBLE_RP_MEDIA anhourago>marciano3rdTRUTHINTHEPHILIPPINESISILLUSIVE.THEU.P.LAWYERSCANNOTPROVETRUTHWITHEVIDENCEONLYWITNESSESANDAFFIDAVITS.

SICKCOUNTRYFORSICKPEOPLE.

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marlet 4hoursagoverywellsaid

FernandArevalreanta 4hoursago

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FernandArevalreanta 4hoursagoNakupowhhh!...maramingmaipapakulongkapagnagkataonsalawakatlalimngorganisasyonniBinay.Yarikayomgaayup!

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HeinS 4hoursagoGREEDYBlackHole.

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RICKYVALDEZ 6hoursagopuedebangmademandasicertezadahilsasulatnyanamaypagbabanta?

1

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TyTinio 6hoursagoehdisubukannicertezaparamakitaniyalimitsngkayabanganniya.ohpleasedotryattyyabang.

2

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mynnyx 5hoursago>TyTiniotakotyanparehassilanibinaynawalangbayag,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,,

2

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gusm 7hoursagoThisistoofunnyasastorybutscaryforthiscountryifBinayeverbecomespresident.Binay'slawyerisusingthreatandintimidationtosilenceeveryone.ThisisjustahintofBinay'sdictatorialsteak,oratleastoneofhisminions.

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lostsoul808 7hoursagoWRONGMOVEaTONGney...PDIneverbacksdownoncetheypublishedanItem...

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MacAnthonySemaaCasamorin 9hoursagoProfessor@oscarfbtaniscorrect.ThisattackontheheartofDemocracyundertheMostSacredBillofRightsofourConstitutionisaprecursortoaPreEDSADictatorship.Ifwewouldbesuccumbedtotheseattacks,wewouldseeanothertyranttramplingourSpiritsastheFilipinoPeople...

#NoToNognog#WeAreTheFilipinoPeople#DictatorNeverAgain#ProtectFreedomOfSpeech#UpholdArticleIIISection4

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cquinit62 10hoursagoIfMr.BinayisnotapublicservantmaybeMr.Certeza'sargumentiscorrectbutsinceMr.BinayisapublicservantthepublichavealltherighttoknowtheAMLCreport.

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joseal 11hoursagoBINAYISDOOMED...ANDSOISHISDYNASTY.

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for_Prosperity 11hoursagoGotohell,Certeza!kasidemonyoipinagtatanggolmoe.

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newguineicebeer_2009 11hoursagoThereasonwhyAttyCertezathroughVPBInaythreatenedthemediatoreleasetheAMLACreportsimplybecauseitwilldefinitelycauseanotherchaostoVPBinay'spresidentialambition

2

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totan 2hoursago>newguineicebeer_2009andofcoursetheheftyATTORNEY'SFEEheisexpectingforwritingtheletter

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NormanFernandez 12hoursagoCertezahasmadeafoolofhimselfbythreateningtosuePDI,andheisconfirminghisfoolishnessbynotdoingwhathethreatenedtodo.I'msureBinayispayinghimalotofmoneyforbeingacourtjester.

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Fulpol 12hoursagothereisabreachofconfidentialityprovision..butpriortoexecution,youreportedit..thatisverymaliciousofPDI..

itislikeachildwasrape..PDIreportedthatPNPhuntedthesuspect..andthesuspectsays,"herapethechild"..thesuspectevenmentionedthenameofthechild..andPDIreportedit..thiscaseseemednotmaliciousbutveryirresponsible..

butforthecaseoffreezeorder..thatisverymalicious..1

marlet 3hoursago>FulpolbakityungnangungupitsatindahannatetelevisedpaehitongsiBinaybilyongbilyonangninakawehbawalitelevised!Mgabaliwkayo!Alamkongalamnyonamagnanakawangamonyongsinungaling!Kunggustonyongmagtulogtuloganmagisa

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magnanakawangamonyongsinungaling!Kunggustonyongmagtulogtuloganmagisakayo!mgapulpolangutak!

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newguineicebeer_2009 11hoursago>FulpolIftheissueinvolvesnationalconcernthereisnosuchthingasmalicious....ifallissuesabouttheambitiousBinaywillbetreatedasconfidential..thenthatissomethingmalicious...

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thecynicalidealist 5hoursago>newguineicebeer_2009Iagreewithyouthere.Issuesofpublicconcernshouldalwaystrumpprivaterights.

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BingGarcia 12hoursagoOfthose224accounts,howmanywereactuallyVPBinays?Icounted19,ofwhichsevenarejointlyheldwithothersfivewithhiswifeElenita,andtwowithhisfinanceman,GerryLimlingan.These19accountsareinBDOUnibank(4,includingthe2withLimlingan),LandBank(2),Metrobank(1),SecurityBank(4),BPI(5,heldjointlywithElenita),PNB(2),andRCBC(1).Hisson,MayorJunjunBinay,haseightaccountsinfivedifferentbanks.Together,theyaccountfor27ofthe224accounts.AbigailBinayandNancyBinaysaccountswerenotmentioned,simplybecausetheywerenotnamedineithertheSenatehearingsorthechargeswiththeOmbudsman.SolitaMonsod

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buninay1 13hoursagoHedgyRoque

HesayshelostitwithHighCourtagainstGloriaLabanderathistimehebetshisbottompesowithLabanderongMaperaBecauseasErapsaidthroughthehorse'smouthnabungangeraItisjustweatherweatherinourcountrytheenemiesareout,etsapuera.

ThewayheprosecutescrimesismarkedwithadvocacyfatigueheseemstoexpireatthedropahatheisnotabogadongastigwhoshalldefendthetruthasifhebelongstothefamedJusticeLeagueouttodestroytherogueelementsbreakingthemlikeatwig.

HeisHarryRoquethesocialconsciousdecampanillalawyerheputPembertonbehindbarsandtheAmpatuansintheslammerbutwhenitcomestoBinaythegoldenboyvacuumjuicerhemeltslikeacandlestickbeforearagingbullfirethrower.

HelendshisgoodnameintheserviceoffellowembattledUPLawalumniputtinghisreputeonthelinetoearnbrowniepointsfromJojoBinay

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seemore

puttinghisreputeonthelinetoearnbrowniepointsfromJojoBinay

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOBAUTISTA"BOTE"BINAYIN2016!

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TheSquire 12hoursago>MannyPasadaNotoBBM,NotoLacson,NotoTrillanes..noto..

Well,thatdon'tleavemuchchoices,afterall,noeducatedanddisciplinedmanwanttogetinvolvedinpolitics,andweareleftwithcorruptA,orB,orC,or..

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOBALOLOYBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOJERRYLIBINGANBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOTOBYTIONGGOBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOCERTEZABINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOJUNJUN"CAKE"BINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTONANCY"CAKE"BINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOABIGAIL"BULATEANDCAKE"BINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOANY"ANAY"BINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTONOGNOGBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOMANDARANBONGBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOLIERBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOCORRUPTBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOGANIDBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoNOTOBINAYIN2016!

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MannyPasada 13hoursagoJailedforlikingBinayfreezeorderonFacebook?

GOAHEADMRATTYPUPUL,MAKEMYDAY!1

rockelle 17hoursagoHindinghindimananalosikawatanbinayitaganyoyansabato.Angmgadahilan:1.Kilalanangtaongbayannapusakalnamagnanakaw2.nakayeloangninakawnaperadahilsaimbistigasyunngAMLC,walangpambilingbotongmgabobotanteatwalanarinpangkampanya..walarinsasamasaUNAparty.3.TuloyanghearingngSBRCsamgawalangkatapusanpagnanakawngpamilyanognog4.Maynaghuhudasnasamgamiletantenggrupo,GruponiBabaluRenatoReyesvsGruponiTeddyCasino.hindinagkasundosahatianngbayadgalingkaykawatanbinay,Atwalanarinpambayadsianaysamgamilitantegrupo.gutomnasijuanachange.

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rinpambayadsianaysamgamilitantegrupo.gutomnasijuanachange.5.BistadonatutangchinasikawatanbinayatgustongibintanianaybinayangspratlyoilandgasreservedatlahatngyamanngWestPhilippinessamgaintsiknakumunista.6.OilandGASispower.HindipapayagangAmericanamakuhangchinaangyamanngWestPhilippinesSeaKUNGmananalosisakimbinay...7.Gisingnagisingnaangtaumbayansamgakahayupanginawangpamilyangkawatanbinaysamgakapuspaladnabobotante.......nakakasuka.........

8.Walangpalusotyuncondonationngmgalimatiknabinay.SupremecourtwilltrashtheTROgivenbytheCA(cashAgad)justices.9.dahilsanasafreezeryunnakulimbatnaperanglintiknabinay,walanarinpambayadsasurveyparamalutoangtinigngtaumbayan....

10Nakumaramipangdahilanparabumagsakanghoodlumnasibinayupak..

11.nauubusannangalibiangmgabinayattagapagsalitadahilsupalpallagiangmgamananakawnabinaysamgapalusot...

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brunogiordano 18hoursagoOPINIONFORSALEkahitwalangVALUE.

OBVIOUSisangSCAMngmgaLAWYERSatPROFESSORSngLAWitoparasamgaGULLIBLEnaMANDARAMBONG.

1

Thiscommentisawaitingmoderation.Showcomment.

felixb. 13hoursago>INFALLIBLE_RP_MEDIAheyyouinfalliblerpmediaorwhatevertheeffyoucallyourself.youbettershapeuporshutup.youhavebeenspewingvenomandrabieshereondisqusandwe,wellmeaning,thinkingandrealstakeholderswillnotputupwithyourtrashstuntsanymore.iwillgiveyoutenreasonswhyyoushouldceasefromcommentinghere.1.youaredumbandyouideasaregutterlevel2.yourgrammarispoor,publicliteraryexpressionofopinionshouldbecomplementedwithskillfulgrammar,propertensesandcorrectspelling.youowethattothosewhowillreadyourline3.youarenotarealstakeholderonwhatishappeninghereinthePIsinceyouaresittingthereoverseasrestingonyouunevenlazyballs4.youhaveterriblebiasandprejudicethatisborderingonselfdeclareddelusionalsupremacy5.youcannotrelatetoreality6.yoursenseofhumorstinks7.youdonothaveupvoters8.youdonothaveconvictions

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Fatalsweatshop26comments WheredidBinaywealthcomefrom?257comments

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8.youdonothaveconvictions9.youdonothaveprinciplesnorphilosophies10.youarefuglyandyourgirlfriendisfuglier

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RogerRabbit 9hoursago>felixb.Felixyouforgottoincludethatheisaloonytryingtopassuphistime:)

Thiscommentisawaitingmoderation.Showcomment.

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RogerRabbit 9hoursago>INFALLIBLE_RP_MEDIAThisishowaloonyinamentalinstitutionspeakssopleaseforgivehim!!!!

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jailed for liking binay freeze order on facebook_ _ inquirer opinion

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