2016 maybe over, yet it is worth looking back at the blog articles that matter, particularly the 10 most popular blog articles published from Bro. Eli Soriano’s award-winning blog, controversyextraordinary.com.
For his avid readers, there is always something to look forward to every week and discuss with fellow netizens – Bro. Eli’s timely, socially-relevant discussions of topics with biblical insights.
As we come near the end of January 2017, let us rewind 2016 and allow us to present to you the 10 most read blog articles of Bro. Eli:
10. “Dear Pres. Duterte: Pls Name Religious Group Conduit of Illegal Drugs Inside Prison”
The blog article is an open letter by Bro. Eli Soriano which urges President Rodrigo Duterte to reveal the name of the influential religious group that reportedly has been conduit to the entry of illegal drugs and prostitutes in the New Bilibid Prison (NBP).
Bro. Eli, through the article, pointed out that there is a danger when the reported conduit will not be named.
According to him, other religious groups’ reputation, who are sincere and genuine in their conduct of charitable causes in prison facilities, will be affected and tarnished.
Since its publication in August, the blog entry has already garnered over 8,000 page views.
9. “If I Were The President”
Published only a few months before the Philippine Presidential Elections, Bro. Eli in this article gave the then incumbent President Noynoy Aquino some biblical advice on upholding the Constitution.
He also suggested for the consideration of human conscience and for the Chief Executive to continue serving the citizens.
By this time, former President Aquino’s satisfaction ratings plummeted, weighed down by a string of debacles including the Mamasapano massacre and Typhoon Yolanda controversies.
This blog article garnered over 9,000 pageviews.
8. “Greed and Shamelessness in the South China Sea Issue”
Just a few weeks after the inauguration of President Rodrigo Duterte and before entering a historic alliance with China, this blog article was published to offer an insight on the beautiful history of China and Philippine relations.
Amidst an international arbitration ruling at The Hague that ruled that the mainland country has no historic title over the South China Sea waters, China remains adamant to hand the Philippines the disputed territories there.
As of this writing, the page already attracted 10,376 views, making it as the web blog’s eight most popular article.
7. “Religious Threat to Democracy”
At the 7th spot on our list, this blog entry gives us a glimpse of the political influence of this religious group that continues to pose some threats to the country’s democratic ideals.
Posted in January last 2016, this article gave people an idea on what to expect for in the National Elections in May of the same year.
Bro. Eli also provide readers an intriguing discussion of the dynamics of politics and religion in this country, particularly the unbiblical imposition of ‘bloc voting’ among their members.
The article racked up 10,983 pageviews.
6. “Judging the Killings: Not to Blame Duterte but Sum up the Truth”
President Rodrigo Duterte’s campaign to eradicate the spread of illegal drugs in the country shows that he is dead serious to make this happen.
The blog article offered a few suggestions on how best to view the campaign, which includes not quickly blaming the administration for all the killings.
Moreover, Bro. Eli pointed out that there were some incidents of killings that could be the works of those who are themselves involved in the illegal drug trade. He clarified that he does not condone the inhumane killings.
The blog article attracted 11,642 views.
5. “The Secret of Fighting Depression”
The increased rate of people suffering from depression is alarming. According to the World Health Organization (WHO), 350 million people worldwide suffer from this mental disorder.
In the United States alone, there are at least 16 million adults with depression, which translates to 6.9 percent of the population.
To cope with depressive episodes, some people resort to drug addiction, smoking cigarettes and weeds, and binge drinking – all unhealthy and deadly solutions.
Bro. Eli republished this article from his previous blog site to offer some biblical advice to the global malaise.
The article attracted 11,632 pageviews.
4. “President Rodrigo Duterte and Power that God Allows”
President Rodrigo Duterte has earned a mix of criticism and acclaim across the globe, brought largely by his drug war, foreign affairs policies, and his criticisms of the society’s elites and hypocritical religious orders.
But above all these, Bro. Eli wants to offer what the Bible says as ‘the most important ingredient of peace, justice, and order’ which he wrote and explained in this article.
Admitting that while he did not endorse Duterte during the national elections, he expressed his hope for the new Chief Executive.
The article is a sort of open letter that hopes for the citizens of the land to unite in support of the new president. The pageviews for this article surged to 17,547.
3. “Donald Trump: Pls Learn a Little History about Filipinos”
In his campaign trails prior to being President of the United States, Donald J. Trump had been widely criticized for his controversial statements against women and people from other races and cultures. Even Filipinos were reportedly not spared by Trump’s tirades.
It was during one of his campaign rallies where he listed the Philippines among those who Trump considered to be terrorist countries.
Trump pledged that should he become president, he will ban people from these terrorist countries from entering the United States.
In his blog article, Bro. Eli belied this claim, citing the strong US-Philippines alliance for several decades now.
He also highlighted the positive qualities of the Philippines, such as its being historically a hospitable nation and its world class citizens.
This article garnered 19,002 page views as of the end of 2016.
2. “Hypocrisy in Church, Journalism, Politicians, All”
With 24,446 pageviews and counting, this article provides some biblical insights on the realities in society exposed by President Rodrigo Duterte, such as that of mainstream media’s biased reporting on the new government’s law and order policies.
Bro. Eli agreed with the President that some news organizations wear some veil of hypocrisy, which is not unlike other institutions of men, such as politics and religious groups.
1. “The Dangers In Believing the Power of INC Votes”
As the most visited article in this list of 10 most popular blog articles of Bro. Eli, garnering a total unique view of 53,374, this one focuses on his observation about the political clout of this religious organization and its bloc-voting practice.
Bro. Eli addressed a common misconception that this religious group’s bloc voting practice can help a politician win during elections.
The preacher claimed that the landslide win of President Duterte was not due to bloc voting because the former Davao mayor was already winning in polls prior to the May elections.
To God be the glory!
Written by: Ma. Therese Quita
