Rogue Generals: A Different Post-EDSA Uno Philippines TL

[TheRomanSlayer]

Dole’s VP is Paul Laxalt

[gillan1220]

What would happen to drug lords in Latin America such as Pablo Escobar, El Chapo, and Felix Gallardo? I was rewatching Narcos on Netflix and I was thinking their drug enterprises would have been affected by the civil war in Mexico and what changes in U.S. foreign policy in Latin America since Colombia at this period was fighting both the M-19 and the FARC.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Jun 17, 2021 15:36:29 GMT gillan1220 said:

What would happen to drug lords in Latin America such as Pablo Escobar, El Chapo, and Felix Gallardo? I was rewatching Narcos on Netflix and I was thinking their drug enterprises would have been affected by the civil war in Mexico and what changes in U.S. foreign policy in Latin America since Colombia at this period was fighting both the M-19 and the FARC.

The drug war might be a lot worse under Chaparro in this case, since after the Zapatistas, he might also launch an actual shooting war against the drug lords. IOTL, Felipe Calderon had to rely on the Mexican military to wage war against the cartels. ITTL, we might see something similar to this, although Chaparro might feel frustrated if his American friends might try to make deals with the cartels for some unknown amount of profits made from the sales of narcotics for some other shady job. I could also see FARC being split between those who guard the cocaine fields and those who are more aligned with the Venezuelan hybrid love child of Salah Jadid and Saddam Hussein in Ramon Rodriguez Chacin.

And this might also complicate matters in terms of the narcotics trade in the Philippines as well, because the Tadiar regime, as we have already seen, have formed alliances with various crime groups. I wouldn't put it past Tadiar to gain an alliance with the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels if it meant that he could get some of the profits from the narcotics to buy more military hardware. Narcotics for weapons in place of oil for food.

[gillan1220]

Jun 18, 2021 2:07:16 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

Jun 17, 2021 15:36:29 GMT gillan1220 said:

What would happen to drug lords in Latin America such as Pablo Escobar, El Chapo, and Felix Gallardo? I was rewatching Narcos on Netflix and I was thinking their drug enterprises would have been affected by the civil war in Mexico and what changes in U.S. foreign policy in Latin America since Colombia at this period was fighting both the M-19 and the FARC.

The drug war might be a lot worse under Chaparro in this case, since after the Zapatistas, he might also launch an actual shooting war against the drug lords. IOTL, Felipe Calderon had to rely on the Mexican military to wage war against the cartels. ITTL, we might see something similar to this, although Chaparro might feel frustrated if his American friends might try to make deals with the cartels for some unknown amount of profits made from the sales of narcotics for some other shady job. I could also see FARC being split between those who guard the cocaine fields and those who are more aligned with the Venezuelan hybrid love child of Salah Jadid and Saddam Hussein in Ramon Rodriguez Chacin.

And this might also complicate matters in terms of the narcotics trade in the Philippines as well, because the Tadiar regime, as we have already seen, have formed alliances with various crime groups. I wouldn't put it past Tadiar to gain an alliance with the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels if it meant that he could get some of the profits from the narcotics to buy more military hardware. Narcotics for weapons in place of oil for food.

Tadiar allying with the Medellin Cartel, Cali Cartel, the empire of Felix Gallardo, and so on would be interesting. Not to mention, Iran has some deals with Venezuela and the Mexican drug cartels to undermine the U.S. in that hemisphere.

If Narcos does get made here, it would be interesting to see about the Tadiar connection. Might as well have Escobar get portions of Yamashita's gold.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Jun 18, 2021 12:45:42 GMT gillan1220 said:

Jun 18, 2021 2:07:16 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

The drug war might be a lot worse under Chaparro in this case, since after the Zapatistas, he might also launch an actual shooting war against the drug lords. IOTL, Felipe Calderon had to rely on the Mexican military to wage war against the cartels. ITTL, we might see something similar to this, although Chaparro might feel frustrated if his American friends might try to make deals with the cartels for some unknown amount of profits made from the sales of narcotics for some other shady job. I could also see FARC being split between those who guard the cocaine fields and those who are more aligned with the Venezuelan hybrid love child of Salah Jadid and Saddam Hussein in Ramon Rodriguez Chacin.

And this might also complicate matters in terms of the narcotics trade in the Philippines as well, because the Tadiar regime, as we have already seen, have formed alliances with various crime groups. I wouldn't put it past Tadiar to gain an alliance with the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels if it meant that he could get some of the profits from the narcotics to buy more military hardware. Narcotics for weapons in place of oil for food.

Tadiar allying with the Medellin Cartel, Cali Cartel, the empire of Felix Gallardo, and so on would be interesting. Not to mention, Iran has some deals with Venezuela and the Mexican drug cartels to undermine the U.S. in that hemisphere.

If Narcos does get made here, it would be interesting to see about the Tadiar connection. Might as well have Escobar get portions of Yamashita's gold.

I will cover more on Tadiar's alliance with Mexican and even Colombian drug cartels in the next update, as well as Tadiar's backing of the exiled Burmese officers who wanted to regain their power.

Anyways, here's the next update:

---

Chapter Sixty-Seven: A Sunset of Discontent

"Dear General Tadiar:

You may not know who I am, but I have known of your reputation. We have watched as you fought a war against the communist Chinese dictatorship and have almost risked your life to defend our country from Chinese tyranny. Yet, in your anger at the United States for refusing to help you in times of need, you turned to the country that had once invaded and occupied our nation. Your open door invitation to all the Japanese citizens to come and settle in the Philippines after many of our compatriots have died during the Chinese bombing has opened up old wounds that refused to heal. By doing so, you have also disrespected the memories of the many women who were forced to work as comfort women in brothels run by the Imperial Japanese military. In addition, your policies have resulted in Davao regaining its Japanese population to levels not seen since 1941, and our grandchildren and future grandchildren will eventually learn the kind of history that would have been approved during the war, and not today. On top of that, you had the nerve to invite a former Japanese Army officer who caused much grief to the citizens of Lubang Island to purchase land for whatever he wanted to do. Do you not have any shame in your heart for such actions, General Tadiar? It appears that your flirtation with the Japanese government is out of spite to America and out of intense racist behavior towards China, and your attempts to forcefully expel the Filipino-Chinese minority was thankfully stopped, because that potential crime would have condemned our nation beyond redemption. In your ideal world, I would have been sent to a labor camp, or killed like an unwanted dog, for I have fought alongside the Hukbalahap.

General Tadiar, I am writing this letter to beseech you to think of your actions. Your open alliance with Japan has resulted in many of our people protesting against your government, and one could often hear your name and Jose P. Laurel in the same sentence. You have also been accused of being a closet Makapili, mainly because of several major changes that you have imposed on the Philippines: namely, the adoption of an anthem that sounded similar to the one used during the occupation, and the introduction of fascist elements into our nation. We have already suffered from the dictatorship of Ferdinand Marcos, which is known for its kleptocracy. Why should we suffer from a military dictatorship led by you, when the rest of the world has moved on from the dangers of the Cold War? Will you continue to disrespect the survivors of the Japanese occupation by your continued alliance with them? Will you also continue to ignore the suffering of many comfort women who were forced to act as sex slaves to Japanese soldiers? Not only will we fight against your regime, but we will also fight to receive a formal apology from the Japanese government for its wartime actions.



Yours Truly,

'Lola Rosa' "


(Above: Rosa Henson, also known as 'Lola Rosa')

---

MANILA WRACKED BY ANTI-JAPANESE PROTESTS AS TADIAR REGIME PURSUES CLOSER DIPLOMATIC RELATIONS WITH JAPAN
Manila Times
March 12, 1999


(Manila) - For the third straight day in a row, the Philippines has been wracked by a series of anti-Japanese protests, which was often connected with the larger anti-regime demonstrations aimed at the Tadiar government. The protests were sparked by an open letter signed by a relatively new group calling itself the "Comfort Station Survivors Alliance", led by Rosa Henson, who also goes by the name 'Lola Rosa', which revealed their former status as sex slaves kidnapped and raped by Japanese soldiers during the occupation of the Philippines by Japan in WWII. The nationalistic nature of the anti-Japanese protests became more evident by the demonstrators' refusal to sing the newly adopted anthem of the Tadiar government, and their preference for the previous anthem, 'Lupang Hinirang'. Although the Philippines has recently celebrated its 100 year centennial independence with parades, and speeches by various members of the Tadiar government, last year's protests were caused by the difficulties that the Philippines faced with its post-conflict reconstruction, in light of China's attempt at an amphibious invasion, before US forces patrolling the East China Sea had fired a warning shot, which was aimed at deterring China from invading the Philippines.

"Although we have successfully celebrated our independence, the threat from Communist China is an indication that we must remain on guard in case the communist hordes come back to finish us off," says General Tadiar during the centennial speech. "We face opposition on all sides, both external and internal, and our armed forces is the only one that is capable of fighting these threats."

However, General Tadiar's planned meeting with Japanese government officials might have to be rescheduled to later on this year, in light of the open letter published by Lola Rosa. Moreover, it is not only the comfort women survivors who are calling for General Tadiar's resignation. A group of former drag queens who were also raped by Japanese soldiers were also calling for Tadiar's resignation, with known comfort gay survivor Walterina Markova (real name: Walter Dempster Jr.) taking the lead in the anti-regime demonstrations.

"Artemio Tadiar may or may not have been a friend of the LGBT community, but his open alliance with Japan is not only a sign of disrespect to our suffering during the war, but he has also spat on the graves of Filipino soldiers who fought in defense of their country against the Japanese Army," shouts Markova during a rally in Dasmarinas, while addressing other LGBT activists who came out in force. "If we do not make a stand, there may never be a chance for us to launch an uprising against the Tadiar regime!"

The official stance of the Japanese government regarding its wartime activities was that of denial, mixed in with its own justifications. However, other comfort women survivors from other parts of Asia that were occupied by Japan are also calling for the Japanese government to apologize for its actions, with many women from South Korea and China leading the charge. In addition, the Tadiar regime's pursuit of its closer relations with Japan had also angered its other important ally in East Asia. The South Korean government had issued a harsh criticism of the Tadiar regime's decision to open its doors to Japanese immigration into the country, in what South Korea's President Lee Hoi-Chang had called 'the road to the resurgence of the Japanese Empire'.

"General Artemio Tadiar is creating a situation that is similar to the late stages of the Joseon Dynasty, where he has invited the Japanese to help rebuild his country. By doing so, he has also openly invited many Japanese to come and settle in the Philippines, bypassing all legal procedures needed to be met. Make no mistake about this," comments President Lee, during a briefing in the South Korean Blue House. "We need to counterbalance the Japanese influence in the Philippines with a stronger policy of diplomatic cooperation between our two countries, and by pursuing a similar open door policy, we can help stave off Japanese presence in the Philippines."

---

LEE HOI-CHANG WINS SOUTH KOREAN PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION ON A PLATFORM OF CONTINUED CONFRONTATION WITH NORTH KOREAN DICTATORSHIP
Sydney Herald
December 19, 1997


President-elect Lee Hoi-chang addresses his supporters after his party won the 1997 South Korean election.

(Seoul) - In what is seen as the most shocking election in modern South Korea's history, Kim Dae-jung, who was favored to win the Presidency, had suddenly lost to his electoral rival in Lee Hoi-chang. Lee, who campaigned on a stronger response to the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis that originated in the Philippines, as a result of the dramatic hyperinflation that the Philippine peso had suffered, had won the election with a 40.2% vote, compared to Kim's 36.8% vote. Moreover, Lee had criticized Kim's proposed Sunshine Policy, which called for the political detente with the North Korean dictatorship based in Pyongyang, and had advocated for the recognition of the Vladivostok-based Provisional Government for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea as the transition government that will help peave the way to Korean reunification. In addition, Lee became a staunch critic of the Philippine dictatorship led by Artemio Tadiar, and his open alliance with Japan, given the Japanese government's denial of its wrongdoing during the war.

"Anyone who wanted to talk about a détente with a dictatorship that is responsible for many of our suffering is a complete idiot," says Lee in front of his supporters during his victory speech. "As your elected President, I will continue the policy of hostile confrontation with the communist bastards in Pyongyang until all of Korea is reunified, from Mount Paektu to Busan!"

Although it isn't clear as to how Lee Hoi-chang had won the election this year, numerous rumors pointed at the role that Breitbart Consulting Ltd., led by Steve Bannon, had played in managing Lee's presidential campaign. Moreover, the mere mention of Breitbart has also garnered a furious reaction from within the South Korean public when it was revealed that Bannon and Paul Manafort were also managing several campaigns made by Japanese politicians, leading to the two men being accused of harboring pro-Japanese sympathies. However, supporters of President-elect Lee had dismissed the accusations by its opponents, calling it 'false accusations'. Various South Korean celebrities had also come out in support of both Lee, and Kim as well. In one of the rallies organized by the Grand National Party, a South Korean singer by the name of Park Jae-sang had started to sing various election songs that promoted the party.

"Father Lee, Father Lee, come and rebuild Korea once again. From Mount Paektu to Busan, Dokdo and the East Sea, Korea will be reunited once again!" sings Park during an election rally. "March for peace, stand united, for this is our national pride."

---

"I seem to recall the time when Tommy (Tebow) and I saw three agents from the dreaded National Intelligence and Security Agency take a few of our classmates from the classroom and assumed the worst. Suddenly, one of the agents told our teacher to gather all of us and to report to the academy's soccer field, where the other agents had brought four adults that were bound. We did not realize the importance of this, until years later when we would see it again. The gagged parents, as we later learned, were accused of holding an underground gambling ring, especially around the game of what the locals called jueteng. The Tadiar regime had banned gambling back in 1998, at a time when his political reforms were just beginning. He banned it, not out of tackling the problem of gambling addiction from the desperate adults, but out of practicality. He saw as a young child, and as a teenager, of how gambling debts could create conflict within the family. It grew more serious when one of Tadiar's generals showed up to explain to all of us why the children of those gagged parents had to choose between their guilty parents and their nation. It was because the parents were capable of falling astray, as Lt. Colonel Edgardo Doromal had told us, which might make them less patriotic. It was hard for one of our classmates to do it, but to our shock, one of the gagged parents confessed to holding the underground gambling ring as a way of earning enough money to help smuggle the child out of the Philippines, in which he would pay human smugglers to get the kids out. By then, all of us were thoroughly molded into what Tadiar calls the perfect patriotic youth, and it became easier for the child of the gagged parent to denounce his own family. It wasn't easy for him afterwards, but our dad managed to convince General Tadiar to take him in for adoption because his other relatives had already fled the country. Even as the internet continued to develop, the Tadiar regime also found ways of combating against exploitative parents who use their own children for amoral reasons. Such an act made it easier to brainwash the children into ultranationalist fanatics, which led to the wholesale atrocities committed in Korea during the 2002-2004 Second Korean War. Tadiar took advantage of the children whose parents were caught in their crime to mold them into the kind of patriotic citizen he wanted." Harold Ramsey, while testifying against Artemio Tadiar in the Hague, April 14, 2018. (The North American Professional Baseball organization, the NAPB Players' Association, and his team, the San Diego Padres, approved Ramsey's 20-day leave of absence upon the International Court of Justice's request as part of the International Criminal Tribunal for the Republic of the Philippines. Likewise, the ICTRP also summoned Vancouver Ramparts TE Tommy Tebow to testify as well, by talking to both the Ramparts and the NFL organization)

---

Portions from the Interview with Former Philippine Government-in-Exile Vice President Aquilino Pimentel Jr.

Global News Canada Interview, June 14, 2018

Discussing the Growing Role of Filipino Exiles in Western Politics

Interviewer: In what capacity did the Filipino exile community began to exercise their influence on the governments of the countries that they resided in? The children of the political exiles who have witnessed the fall of the Marcos dictatorship and the rise of Artemio Tadiar's dictatorship have started to grow up a little bit, but their parents have not yet begun to use their influence.

Pimentel Jr.: The political influence of the exiles was minimal, even throughout 1999. In the United States, Filipino Americans had played a role in keeping the Republican Party in power, despite its major role in the rise of Tadiar.

Interviewer: Was there a danger of the political exiles becoming a liability after the trial of the Sotto brothers and Joey de Leon continued on, despite Miriam Defensor Santiago's desire to suspend the trial due to Tadiar's growing infamy?

Pimentel Jr.: There was, and starting in April of 1999, the Whistler-based Philippine government-in-exile issued a decree, stating that any politician representing the government-in-exile must not have any criminal record, or any other record of incidents and arrests. While it did little to curb the behavior of more troublesome individuals like Ernesto Maceda, who was caught taking a bribe from a local Canadian businessman that we later found out to have ties to the Tadiar regime. In addition, we also learned that Australia had unwittingly hosted the resurrected Kilusang Bagong Lipunan, now under the leadership of Conrado M. Estrella III.

Interviewer: It is well known now that Australia had emerged as the first center of the pro-Marcos opposition to the Tadiar regime, but eventually shifted to South Korea. This is understandable, given that Japan was now a firm backer of Artemio Tadiar. What was your viewpoint on the Japanese-Korean competition over the Philippines in terms of influence in this case?

Pimentel Jr.: Both Japan and South Korea had a strategic interest in the Philippines. While Japan could certainly have Tadiar as an ally in which both nations would then bring Taiwan into the fold, and attempt a wider anti-China alliance, South Korea was smarter and realized that influencing the Philippines lies with the younger generation of military officers who are working for Tadiar. Even Tadiar and Lt. Colonels Aromin and Doromal did not realize that there were a growing faction of the Council for National Sovereignty that clamored for closer ties with Seoul.

Interviewer: Wouldn't that have been dangerous for the Tadiar regime if he learned about a potential challenge to his authority and the wider Filipino-Japanese alliance?

Pimentel Jr.: It was, and not only that, do you remember Hermogenes Esperon?

Interviewer: Ah, yes. The former Filipino officer who defected to what was then the Union State of Ukraine and Belarus. What of him?

Pimentel Jr.: Well, Esperon emerged as a surprise player in the growing division within the Tadiar regime, but he did not declare for either the Whistler-based government-in-exile, or the pro-Marcos Wollongong based government-in-exile that Conrado Estrella had proclaimed. Rather, he started to gather what remained of the members of the Reform the Armed Forces movement, which now contained the likes of Eduardo del Rosario, Cirilito Sobejana, and Gilbert Gapay. They opposed not only Tadiar's growing ties to Japan, but his flirtations with criminal groups that have operated in the Philippines. Even they were shocked when in May 27, 1999, Tadiar had announced that he and General Chaparro had signed a military alliance that went beyond mere diplomatic ties. The Mexican drug cartels were allowed to acquire a share in the Philippine narcotics trade, and in return, the Tadiar regime would send captured NPA fighters to Mexico, to be used as slave labor in helping with the drug trade.

Interviewer: Some would say that the junior officers had started to have second thoughts on their support of General Tadiar, but all of them agreed that he was a preferable option to the governments-in-exile. Unfortunately, one of Tadiar's ardent supporters who was known for his extremist views and had joined Faeldon's Fatherland Freedom Party had started to gain notoriety for his kind of anti-Chinese protests that went even beyond what Tadiar had accepted. Did you think that Tadiar was playing with fire when he befriended Elly Pamatong?

Pimentel Jr.: I think so, and even Aromin and Doromal were skeptical from what I heard. There was that video where Pamatong was whipping an unmoving carabao, and in that video, Elly Pamatong had decried the Philippines under Tadiar as a nation in decline, and when he has enough support, he would restore the Republic and become President. Well, that ended rather badly, as Tadiar had him arrested but decided that he was better as his ally. Since then, Tadiar and Pamatong had an unofficial alliance, and in 2006, Tadiar decided to appoint Pamatong as the Prime Minister of the Philippines. That role had been in disuse since the Marcos years, and Pamatong got the next highest position in the country.

Interviewer: Filipinos overseas were terrified when they learned about Pamatong, and given that many of them lived in Europe, Australia, and North America, they started comparing him to the likes of Mussolini, Hitler, and prominent National Bolshevik Party of the East Slavic Federation Vladimir Zhirinovsky. Indeed, many of the political exile community had started to petition their governments to extend the sanctions on the Tadiar regime to include Pamatong, but it failed when Pamatong himself revealed that he did not own a single property overseas. Do you think that the Pamatong phenomenon had played a role in the increase for support for such parties like the Libertarians in the United States, and Social Credit in Canada?

Pimentel Jr.: I don't know the answer to that.

Interviewer: Can you make an honest guess?

Pimentel Jr.: (frowns) I would say that the majority of the political exile community had seen the corruption within the mainstream parties and switched their support for minor ones by the start of 2000. Keep in mind that this was when Kemp had been re-elected, but it was a costly re-election, as Texan libertarianism became stronger as a result of Governor Perot's policies there. I would also say that the Filipino community in Texas had played a role in Perot's election as well as the local South Africans, but immediately switched to the Libertarians once Perot's corruption was uncovered, and his connection to the Tadiar-Chaparro network of crony capitalism became well known. I'm rather surprised that Hillary Clinton, the widow who used her husband's death to launch her own political career, had become the icon of the anti-establishment movement around the world. And it was the very same Filipinos in America who grew angrier at the collusion between the various factions of the American government that allowed Hillary Clinton to become famous and the icon of the 20th and 21st century. She was to the Americans what Cory Aquino and Loren Legarda was to us Filipinos: an empowered icon of change.

[gillan1220]

Who could blame Tadiar tough? If your strongest ally left you, you head to the strongest country in the region that could counter the bully.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Jun 20, 2021 4:14:21 GMT gillan1220 said:

Who could blame Tadiar tough? If your strongest ally left you, you head to the strongest country in the region that could counter the bully.

True, but this also opens a literal cans of worms beyond geopolitics. It's one thing that Tadiar is turning to Japan as his next best option, but to actually adopt the same mindset as the Japanese government. That is exactly why we might see in the upcoming years a power struggle within the Tadiar regime: Tokyo-backed generals vs Seoul-backed generals. Add to the pro-Aquino and remnants of the pro-Marcos struggles against Tadiar, we might see another civil war in the horizon.

It also helps that OTL relations between the Philippines and South Korea are good, so ITTL it might be a lot stronger. Loren Legarda might also take issue with Tadiar's pro-Japanese stance here at some point.

Also, the anti-Japanese protests in the Philippines ITTL is easily tied to the anti-government protests there. This is why you might see the likes of Faeldon and Hermogenes Esperon (who led the loyalist forces that stopped Faeldon's coup IOTL) being on the same team.....against Tadiar. 

[gillan1220]

Jun 20, 2021 4:17:43 GMT TheRomanSlayer said:

Jun 20, 2021 4:14:21 GMT gillan1220 said:

Who could blame Tadiar tough? If your strongest ally left you, you head to the strongest country in the region that could counter the bully.

True, but this also opens a literal cans of worms beyond geopolitics. It's one thing that Tadiar is turning to Japan as his next best option, but to actually adopt the same mindset as the Japanese government. That is exactly why we might see in the upcoming years a power struggle within the Tadiar regime: Tokyo-backed generals vs Seoul-backed generals. Add to the pro-Aquino and remnants of the pro-Marcos struggles against Tadiar, we might see another civil war in the horizon.

It also helps that OTL relations between the Philippines and South Korea are good, so ITTL it might be a lot stronger. Loren Legarda might also take issue with Tadiar's pro-Japanese stance here at some point.

Also, the anti-Japanese protests in the Philippines ITTL is easily tied to the anti-government protests there. This is why you might see the likes of Faeldon and Hermogenes Esperon (who led the loyalist forces that stopped Faeldon's coup IOTL) being on the same team.....against Tadiar. 

Also in OTL PH-Japan relations are great especially in the face of a rising China.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Yeah, and this complicated power struggle will definitely shape up the latter years of the junta. We are probably getting back to Burma in the next update or so.

[gillan1220]

There's another rogue commanders you want to add especially for Mexico and Colombia:

• Guillermo Gonzales Calderoni - the controversial commander of the Mexican Judicial Police. A "friend" of the DEA but was also known to be corrupt. Died in 2003 in Texas after being assassinated.
• Carlos Castaño Gil and Fidel Castaño - Head of the anti-Escobar vigilante group known as Los Pepes and the Peasant Self-Defenders of Cordaba and Uraba (AUCC) and United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Received support from the CIA and were known to commit various human rights abuses.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Jun 20, 2021 8:19:09 GMT gillan1220 said:

There's another rogue commanders you want to add especially for Mexico and Colombia:

• Guillermo Gonzales Calderoni - the controversial commander of the Mexican Judicial Police. A "friend" of the DEA but was also known to be corrupt. Died in 2003 in Texas after being assassinated.
• Carlos Castaño Gil and Fidel Castaño - Head of the anti-Escobar vigilante group known as Los Pepes and the Peasant Self-Defenders of Cordaba and Uraba (AUCC) and United Self-Defense Forces of Colombia (AUC). Received support from the CIA and were known to commit various human rights abuses.

I could see one of the two Colombian paramilitary officers as another Tadiar like candidate since Chacin is slotted to become the Latin American Assad.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Chapter Sixty-Eight: Let Loose the Hypebeasts of War

PRESIDENT LEE HOI-CHANG MAKES FIRST TRIP AS HEAD OF STATE TO UNITED STATES, WITH MEXICO BEING NEXT ON THE LIST
The Korea Times
April 5, 1998

(Seoul) - Newly elected President of the Republic of Korea, Lee Hoi-Chang, in his first few months of his administration, has paid a visit to the United States, where he is expected to meet with his American counterpart in President Jack Kemp. However, also arriving in the United for a meeting with President Kemp is one of General Mario Arturo Acosta Chaparro's aides, a Lt. Col. Julian Guerrero Barrios. Barrios has been sent to the United States upon Chaparro's recommendation for a meeting with top US military officials to request for more aid, and assistance with Chaparro's ambitious military, social, and economic reforms. The Kemp administration is currently dealing with the ongoing military occupation of Cuba, as well as finishing up a war in Nicaragua, which was turning into a major air campaign, as the US Air Force is busy bombing key military and civilian targets in the region. Topping the list of President Lee's agenda in his meeting with President Kemp is the re-affirmation of the Korean Republic's alliance with the United States, as well as to convince them to give diplomatic support for the Vladivostok-based Provisional Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, the official title for a rival pro-democratic reform minded government-in-exile that seeks to overthrow the communist dictatorship in Pyongyang.

"The Republic of Korea stands on the front lines of an emerging new cold war in the world, and we will continue to cooperate with the United States in containing the threat of communism in surviving communist dictatorships," says President Lee, during the press conference in the White House. "The ever present danger from communist China and the dictatorship in Pyongyang remain a dangerous menace to our own security."

Following the visit to Washington, President Lee and the Korean delegation will accompany Lt. Col. Barrios back to Mexico, where he and General Chaparro will meet for the first time. Moreover, General Chaparro is interested in reforming his military, not on the Chilean model, as General Artemio Tadiar had done for the Philippine military, but on the Korean model. In addition, seven Korean economists have also accompanied President Lee on the trip to the United States and Mexico, to help negotiate additional trade agreements between the two countries. It is expected that President Lee would also negotiate for the sale of weapons and other military hardware to Mexico, as General Chaparro is still dealing with the ongoing communist insurgency in Mexico's troubled southeastern regions.

"I welcome the Korean initiative in helping us to bring the civil war in our nation to a triumphant end, and with the help of both the Republic of Korea and the United States, we will put an end to the communist threat for good," says General Chaparro in anticipation for the upcoming Korean-Mexican diplomatic summit tomorrow.

---

SPANISH GOVERNMENT OFFERS TO SEND TROOPS OF SPANISH FOREIGN LEGION TO REPLACE US OCCUPATION FORCES IN CUBA AND NICARAGUA, AMIDST GROWING REPORTS OF ATROCITIES AND OTHER WAR CRIMES
Sydney Herald
June 19, 1998

(Madrid) - The Spanish government under Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar has called for the replacement of US troops on occupation duty with soldiers from the Spanish Foreign Legion, amidst the growing reports coming out of Havana and Managua of American atrocities and other war crimes perpetrated by anti-communist vigilante forces in revenge for their humiliating defeats at the hands of their left-wing opponents. Citing a growing humanitarian crisis in US-occupied Cuba and Nicaragua, the Spanish government has also condemned American 'barbarism' in dealing with civilians and captured communist sympathizers, who are being sent to American internment camps in Chattanooga and other areas of the American South. Moreover, official reports made by not only US Supreme Commander of the Cuba Invasion force, General Paul Van Riper, but by several International Red Cross workers, have also revealed how captured Cuban and Nicaraguan POWs are being tortured so severely, they simply shot them after extracting information out of them. Even more bizarre was a rumor of the CIA's role in transporting some of these POWs to the Philippines, where the Tadiar regime has a secret laboratory where they are conducting medical experiments on live human subjects.

"The United States, in its quest to rid the Western Hemisphere of the evil ideology of communism, has turned to methods not seen since the Franco dictatorship. For a nation professing to be the greatest nation in the world, this is a travesty on their reputation," comments Prime Minister Aznar. "President Kemp should actually display the same kind of civilized behavior that the US is insisting that other nations should follow in terms of behavior."

Anti-American protests have erupted throughout Spain in response to the brutal atrocities committed against innocent civilians, which was often dominated by left-wing activists. However, in an ironic twist, Spanish nationalists have also come out and rallied against the US occupation of Cuba and Nicaragua, but also chanted anti-Castro and anti-Sadinista slogans as well, causing a friction within the protesters, who were not happy at the sight of Spanish nationalists. The resurgent Falangist movement led the right-wing faction of the protesters, calling for a new Crusade against American imperialism, as well as showing support for Mexico's military dictator, Mario Arturo Acosta Chaparro, in his quest to bring the Mexican Civil War to an end.

"We should be sending volunteers from within the Spanish military and the Spanish Foreign Legion to Mexico, not just Cuba! Our cultural brothers and sisters in Latin America are suffering from the boot of Anglo-Saxon Protestant imperialism, and it is our duty as Roman Catholics to help fellow Catholics resist the Protestant monster that is the United States!" an unnamed Falange Espanola de las JONS (1976) activist shouted while flying the Falangist flag in front of the US Embassy in Madrid. "Moreover, we should also take this opportunity to help our national comrades in the Philippines with the construction of their own Falangist movement as well, for we are great friends with Nicanor Faeldon."

Nicanor Faeldon was one of the many Filipinos who traveled to Spain back in 1996, as a part of a humanitarian delegation that sought humanitarian aid to the war-raved country after the 1995 Spratlys conflict in which the Chinese Air Force had mercilessly bombed both the Philippines and Vietnam. Yet, Faeldon was invited by the Falange de las JONS to Spain for an ideological tour as well, resulting in his conversion to Falangism and espousing a pan-Hispanic mindset. In the Philippines, Faeldon and his followers in the Fatherland Freedom Party had staged a patriotic rally in opposition to the American occupation of Cuba and Nicaragua, and at the same time, like their Spanish counterparts, had denounced the former Castro regime and the ex-Sadinista regime in Nicaragua. However, Faeldon's movement had begun to be surveilled by the Tadiar regime, because of the latter's fear of Faeldon becoming a more dangerous opponent to his regime. In addition, Faeldon had started to distance himself from the Tadiar regime for his growing links with organized crime groups that were allowed to operate throughout the country.

---

Op-Ed: The Evolution of Filipino Fashion Trends and the Rise of Filipino Sub-Culture
by: Victor Hernandez
PolitBlog, published May 5, 2017

"Growing up during our years in exile in Argentina, we have witnessed the growing influence of Latin American fashion trends in some of the Filipino immigrant community throughout all of Latin America. Yet, having escaped from the brutal military dictatorship of Artemio Tadiar, only to arrive at the Mexican shores and witnessing the rise of Mario Chaparro as the Mexican military dictator, we continued our journey into South America, before landing in Argentina. Why do I say this? Because the Latin American influence on Filipino fashion trends have been a huge success in that we were able to reconnect some of our Spanish heritage, and with it, we have been able to rebuild some of the lost links between the Philippines and the wider pan-Hispanic world. Even as early as 1998, Spain under Prime Minister Jose Maria Aznar had realized that the reason why the United States became a massive cultural hegemon was because of its ability to project its cultural influence on the world. Realizing the massive potential of harnessing the cultural legacy of the former Spanish Empire, Prime Minister Aznar launched the "La Hispanidad" diplomatic initiative, as a means of improving diplomatic relations with the nations that made up of its former empire. It was this initiative that led to Aznar's call for the Spanish Foreign Legion to replace US occupational troops in Cuba and Nicaragua for the purpose of national reconstruction, to which the Kemp administration had bluntly rejected on the grounds that Spain's offer to bring in the Spanish Foreign Legion would violate the Monroe Doctrine. Still, Spain's diplomatic overtures to the wider Latin American community did not just stop at politics. Movie festivals and international collaboration projects with the Latin American nations became more common, and fashion would inevitably follow. Spanish men and women after 1999, would start adopting some of the latest fashion trends from places like Mexico, Argentina, and Chile, while Spanish fashion designers would start working in cities like Buenos Aires, Mexico City, and even Lima, Peru, where Peruvian fashion trends are forming a niche of their own.

It isn't surprising that the Filipino exile community in Latin America had followed suit, with young teens opting to leave the top part of their shirt unbuttoned. It is not only trendy, but practical as well, because of the traditional Latin American heat wave. Even back in the Philippines, where Tadiar's grip on power is strong, Latin American fashion trends have caught on, but in areas of the school uniform, all elementary and high school students would wear the same kind of uniform as the Falange Espanola de las JONS have for its members. It also helped that synthetic fiber like polyester became one of the main backbone of the revived Filipino textile industries, as polyester was mainly used in most school uniforms and blending both cotton and nylon proved to be popular for military uniforms, which inevitably spread its influence to the civilian clothing sector. Blended polyester and cotton is mainly used in the production of casual shirts, while denim or dungaree cloth are also used to make various vests. Moreover, polyester-based clothing is often worn by both the political exiles and the growing sub-culture of the Tadiar dictatorship called the stiffhounds. What is a stiffhound, you may ask? Stiffhounds are a group of people that often obsess with the condition of their clothing, no matter how much money they paid with it. Even if there was a large hole in some of their pants, they'd just repair it because they don't have the financial resources to buy a new one. Stiffhounds have become a growing subcultural group during the middle stages of the Tadiar dictatorship, as its economic condition made it impossible to import any kind of clothing. Yet, the exiles have looked down on the stiffhounds and viewed them as cheap and frugal, ironically comparing them to the frugal nature of their Chinese rivals. In return, the stiffhounds have grown to despise the counter sub-cultural group that emerged among the exile community. Hypebeasts, as the stiffhounds called the fashion brand chasers, would often look for the most desirable brand of clothing, regardless of how expensive their merchandise would be. Hypebeasts, and their fellow sub-cultural group in the exile community in the jejemons (named for their internet slangs), have become the dominant sub-cultural groups of the Filipino exile community. However, stiffhounds are also common in the exile community as well, as their preference for cheaper priced clothing in thrifty shops have made them the target of ridicule. Yet, stiffhounds in the exile community have made more connections and friendships with their local peers, and at one point, Filipino teenaged stiffhounds have actually dominated the high school cultural clique. The stiffhounds would also interact with different high school cliques, making them more popular than the typical jocks of the school.

Unfortunately, stiffhounds and hypebeasts would often get into fights with each other over mere trivial things, but would unite as an ethnic group if they came under attack from different ethnic and racial groups. Hypebeasts of the exile community would find common ground with high school truants, while stiffhounds would build rapport with the so-called geeks and nerds. Moreover, in various shopping centers, business owners would often file complaints with local police on the disturbances made by the hypebeasts, which is why stiffhounds have avoided shopping centers like a plague. Don't tell that to the stiffhounds who endured the middle and late stages of the Tadiar dictatorship, for they were attracted to the newly built AEON shopping malls that were built by the Japanese. The influence of Japanese fashion trends had enriched the already diverse fashion options for Filipinos living under the Tadiar dictatorship, and it is not rare to see Filipino teens wear both Latin American style shirts and Japanese style jackets. Frugality almost went out of the window when economic sanctions were lifted on May 27, 2006, but AEON was able to open up a store that sells second hand clothing to poorer Filipinos, and the second hand clothing normally come from places like Japan, North America, Europe, Latin America, and Oceania. It is akin to Canada's Value Village, but far larger. Konbinis, or Japanese convienience stores, have emerged in both the Philippines and surprisingly enough, the Korean Federal Republic, despite the historical rivalry and hostility between Korea and Japan. It is the Konbinis in the Philippines where stiffhounds could be found, shopping for second hand clothing. Stiffhounds in the exile community would also be found in thrift stores, and it is not surprising that groups like Exiled Barkada had its roots in their stiffhound culture. However, Coalskins and Sunbaked Boyz have consisted of members who come from both the stiffhound and hypebeast sub-cultures, and their popularity has helped heal the divisions between the stiffhounds and hypebeasts. A Filipino all-female group, Dalagang Dagat, consisted of seven female singers, of which two were stiffhounds and the rest were hypebeasts. Dalagang Dagat is also an exile-based musical group, though modeling themselves after K-Pop bands. Yet, in places like the Balkans, stiffhounds would have adopted the same fashion trends as their Balkan hosts. The dizelasi sub-culture in the Balkans had a major effect on the Balkan Filipino exile community, as they provided the inspiration for Exiled Barkada."

---

"The stiffhounds we had for classmates were a lot quieter than the annoying hypebeasts who are disturbing the hallways with their loud antics. The hypebeasts would sometimes skip their class, only getting the homework from their peers who were fortunate enough to attend class. Most of the time, the hypebeasts have acquired a bad reputation in all of the schools around the Greater Vancouver area. Yet, the stiffhounds are surprisingly not anti-social, since we saw two of them play gridiron football with some of the popular guys on the field, and I knew one stiffhound who played midfielder for our high school team. He was just as fast as the other players, but his flexible body was something that attracted college and university scouting teams. However, the hypebeasts we have for classmates would eventually go on to become actors, performers, singers, etc. Their future earning power would allow them to purchase the legit merchandise, instead of relying on knockoffs. Eventually, down the years, I have seen various hypebeasts spend their money like there's no tomorrow, and inevitably, they fell into financial woes and often turned to alcohol to soothe their own problems. Suddenly, the frugality of the stiffhounds were slowly being understood by every hypebeast who have been placed in a position of financial dominance, as most of the stiffhounds that went to school with us emerged as business leaders, even politicians in their own right, as well as emerging entrepreneurs. That new CEO of the new tech giant, Kaya Tech., was a stiffhound in his youth, and had been raised by parents who fled from the Philippines after the Filipino Civil War was over. Kaya Technology was the brainchild of Agapito Cadig, and his main products were new personal computers and cellphones. However, keep in mind that Kaya Technology was founded out of a basement workshop in the main town of Whistler, not Whistler Village where the headquarters of the Aquino-aligned Philippine government-in-exile is located. So technically, Kaya Technology has churned out phones like the Cadig Rotem Cell Mark 1, and the latest model in the Mark 5, but they were also equipped with the various anti-radiation orgo piece on it, to ensure that the radiation effects were slowed down." An anonymous former student who commented on the influence of the stiffhounds and hypebeasts in the Filipino exile community, May 29, 2017. (Kaya Technology would be founded on May 27, 2007, one year after UN sanctions on the Philippines were lifted)

---

Portions from the Interview with Former Philippine Government-in-Exile Vice President Aquilino Pimentel Jr.
Global News Canada Interview, June 15, 2018

Discussing the Presence of Exiled Former Dictators in the Philippines

Interviewer: One of the most controversial aspects of the Tadiar regime is that the Philippines has emerged as a safe havens for deposed dictators who fled from their homeland to avoid prosecution for crimes against humanity. From Iraqi generals who took part in the atrocities committed against Iraq's Kurdish minority to the Burmese generals who were given safe refuge by Tadiar himself after the Burmese Civil War that led to the rise of a pro-Chinese puppet regime. It is also in the Philippines that the presence of the Private Military Contractors became a reality, and these guys were also used by the Tadiar regime to create connections with various organized crime groups. What was the reaction of the government-in-exile to the news of these deposed dictators showing up in the Philippines?

Pimentel Jr.: To be honest, we were horrified. The idea that deposed dictators could just show up in the Philippines was beyond disgusting. That was the reason why cities in the West was wracked by the Filipino exile community, who held rallies denouncing the Tadiar regime. In Australia, there was that awkward moment when Aquino supporters and Marcos loyalists have marched together against Tadiar. Yes, they even burned that horrible looking rag that Tadiar called the new Philippine flag.

Interviewer: And yet, Tadiar had remained in power until 2016, when he formally stepped down, and losing his diplomatic immunity in the process. If there was one thing that Tadiar managed to accomplish for the exile community, he has managed to unite the two opposing factions against him. Was there any trouble within the pro-Marcos faction of the exile community?

Pimentel Jr.: Well, the resurrected Kilusang Bagong Lipunan under Conrado Estrella III has also called for a new uprising against Tadiar, but the Australian government was keen on acting as the potential go-to guy for Tadiar that Prime Minister John Howard had to issue an edict of expulsion to Estrella. Luckily for him, the former South Korean government offered to shelter the pro-Marcos faction, but the troubles didn't end there. Hermogenes Esperon and the resurrected Reform the Armed Forces Movement did not like the presence of the former Marcos loyalists in what was then South Korea. Yet, Esperon did not trust the US or China for that matter, and only relied on the South Korean government for patronage. At the same time, South Korean President Lee Hoi-chang was keen on undermining the Tadiar dictatorship for its open flirtation with the Japanese government.

Interviewer: It is a bit strange that the former South Korean government has taken an interest in the Philippines, given that both nations are staunchly allied to the United States. Yet, in his quest for a more sophisticated attempts at reunifying the Korean peninsula, President Lee has continued his predecessor's policy of maintaining ties with the Vladivostok-based Provisional Government of the Democratic People's Republic of Korea, and at the same time, he has given covert military aid to the North Korean People's Liberation Front, before it was renamed the Reunification Army. Yet, the Reunification Army was wise to not accept any aid from General Tadiar, and avoided the political fallout that struck the Vietnamese government-in-exile, when radical elements of that movement had formed an alliance with the Tadiar regime, and received training for the aborted attempt to invade Vietnam. Why do you think that the deposed dictators found the Philippines to be the best place for them to hide out?

Pimentel Jr.: Well, the diplomatic isolation of the Philippines has worked to the advantage of those deposed dictators in that Tadiar would certainly not extradite them on orders of the international community. The deposed Burmese junta would then be reorganized by Tadiar, and thanks to their interaction with Nicanor Faeldon and the Fatherland Freedom Party, the deposed Burmese junta would now have an opportunity to create the rat lines that the anti-Chinese resistance movement within Myanmar would use to escape to the Philippines. In fact, the presence of the anti-Chinese resistance fighters who fought on the loyalist side of the Burmese Civil War would form the core of what would become the foreign volunteer equivalent of the Territorial Defense Guard, called the International Expeditionary Guards. Three Burmese regiments of the Volunteer Guards would be formed, with their own Burmese officers who would be trained by the exiled South African Army veterans of the Bush Wars. The 1st Burmese IEG Regiment would be named the "Maha Thiha Thura", named after the Burmese commander who defeated the Qing invasion of Burma, while the 2nd Burmese IEG Regiment would be named the "Ne Myo Sithu", and the 3rd Burmese IEG Regiment would be named the "Teingya Minkhaung". They were used by the Tadiar regime to re-ignite the civil war in Myanmar while the 2002-2004 Second Korean War broke out, and it was one of the only successful ventures of the Tadiar regime that actually resulted in the downfall of the pro-Beijing puppet regime, and the restoration of the old junta, though they kept the reforms that the pro-Beijing puppet regime had introduced, and that they were no longer ruling according to socialism, but National Syndicalism.

Interviewer: I seem to recall the Kemp administration's angry response to the return of the old Burmese junta, but the election of Carol Moseley-Braun had changed the dynamic in SE Asia, as she stuck to her promise to impose sanctions on the Big Five that led the resurgent Burmese junta, as well as to impose some of its strictest rounds of sanctions on Burma, but her assassination resulted in the Russians calling for lifting of sanctions on Burma. Do you think that SE Asia today is always teetering on the brink of a military coup whenever any kind of government in SE Asia is facing destabilization?

Pimentel Jr.: (sighs) I honestly think that the long influence of Artemio Tadiar on SE Asia as a whole would be something that future historians will debate for a long time. It did appear that Indonesia was poised to become the major SE Asian superpower that could potentially challenge both the United States and China, but its decision by Sukarnoputri's successor, Hamzah Haz, to approach both Japan and the reunified Korean Federal Republic in 2009 for a closer economic integration of the entire Asia-Pacific region that would challenge both China and the US, had nearly resulted in his downfall. Yet, at the same time, even Thailand was warm to the idea of getting closer to Tadiar, as his ruthless suppression of the communists was appealing to the Thai generals.

Interviewer: All right. (looks at the piece of paper) Moving on. How was the presence of the PMCs in SE Asia had affected the international narcotics trade in this case?

Pimentel Jr.: That is simple: Tadiar's alliance with organized crime groups had allowed him to acquire a share of the profits from the narcotics trade throughout SE Asia. The Golden Triangle was the source of opium production, and only 3% of the arable land in the Philippines was dedicated to the cultivation of opium. There were even segments of the Philippine military that spent some of its time making methamphetamine for commercial sales in the illegal drug market, but cannabis was a huge cash crop for the Tadiar regime.

Interviewer: How so?

Pimentel Jr.: You see, there were various European based mafia groups who were interested in expanding their operations in the Philippines, but even they were shocked by Tadiar's offer to train them how to build IEDs for their turf wars. Normally, their operations would have been more covert, and the idea of an organized crime group making IEDs was beyond what they could do. Their paranoia was justified when in 2009, there was an incident in Aparri where a boatload of IEDs that arrived from Japan had exploded in the port, killing over 34 people. I think that was how the international community managed to force Tadiar to hold free elections in 2016, but their main error was giving him enough time to train some of his junior officers how to manipulate the political process. As for the cannabis, the irony of Tadiar's plans to set aside parts of the Philippine agricultural land for cannabis production was that half of the exports after 2007 went to the West, where various doctors who were interested in the positive benefits of medical marijuana were happy to receive them.

Interviewer: Do you think that the drug trade had also benefited the other warlords that resided in the Philippines? It was reported that the Japanese Yakuza controlled most of the drug trade in the Philippines, followed by the Korean Kkangpae and even the Mexican and Colombian drug cartels got in on the action. They were only united in keeping Chinese crime groups out of the Philippines, but other than that, they had a code where they agreed to not fight each other and to form what would become the most dangerous multi-national criminal alliance in the world, and they had the backing of the Tadiar regime. The fact that multi-national crime groups only became a thing in the Philippines after 2003 proved that they too, could become a political player in their own right. Even Loren Legarda had trouble dismantling that multi-national criminal alliance though.

[gillan1220]

In this timeline, the hypebeast and jejemon culture exists in exile communities. They still receive the same amount of ridicule as OTL.

[stevep]

   Well interesting development with a pan-Hispanic movement possibly occurring in response to Kemp's excesses.  Possibly a lot more bloodshed in Latin America going to result unless the US comes up responsible government again and the talk of the assassination of Kemp's successor by the criminal gangs doesn't sound good.  Neither does that talk of Taidar helping criminal gangs with more powerful weapons.  Likely the IRA or extreme elements of it if the OTL Good Friday Accords come into play could be one of the groups that benefit which probably means more people dying in the UK.

[TheRomanSlayer]

Jun 27, 2021 8:25:19 GMT gillan1220 said:

In this timeline, the hypebeast and jejemon culture exists in exile communities. They still receive the same amount of ridicule as OTL.

Only this time we can add the lack of fiscal discipline to the hypebeasts. The stiffhounds ITTL are practically the anti-hypebeasts, and they're the most frugal ones. Yes, I can imagine some customers calling mall security if the hypebeasts pulled this stunt in a country like Canada.

Jun 27, 2021 11:43:14 GMT stevep said:

   Well interesting development with a pan-Hispanic movement possibly occurring in response to Kemp's excesses.  Possibly a lot more bloodshed in Latin America going to result unless the US comes up responsible government again and the talk of the assassination of Kemp's successor by the criminal gangs doesn't sound good.  Neither does that talk of Taidar helping criminal gangs with more powerful weapons.  Likely the IRA or extreme elements of it if the OTL Good Friday Accords come into play could be one of the groups that benefit which probably means more people dying in the UK.

I don't think the IRA might be willing to get help from Tadiar, despite both Ireland and the Philippines being Catholic. It might create needless political fallout that the IRA doesn't need, and Tadiar is more focused on SE Asia and Latin America. I mean, there were instances where the Mexican military had to go to war against the cartels because the local police force are corrupt, and this is before the creation of a new Mexican national police.

And speaking of EURO 2020, I think it's time I cover another OMAKE on the EURO tournament, this time we get to see if TTL's England would be able to defend their title.