We beg to differ.
Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino wants to end 2011 right — or at least his handlers do. Just a few days before the end of the year, Malacañang’s official survey firm, Social Weather Stations (SWS), which is owned and operated by friends and family members of PNoy, concluded the year with another “very good” rating…
Read More “President Noynoy Aquino: Is he the new Filipino god?” »
A bill is currently being debated in the United States House of Representatives that seeks to implement measures that will enable the US Government to control Americans’ access to “foreign” Web sites. The bill called the Stop Online Piracy Act (SOPA) has been criticised by big-name Internet business including the likes of Google, Twitter, and…
Read More “US Stop Online Piracy Act pits Silicon Valley vs mainstream media” »
A lot of people who have followed the investigation, apprehension, and building of a case against accused mass-murderer former Datu Unsay Mayor Andal Ampatuan Jr had made that topic the epicentre of everything about the Philippines that has to do with impunity. Ampatuan is accused of masterminding the massacre of 57 people in Maguindanao province,…
Read More “Template disasters, the backhoe and why Andal Ampatuan is like Typhoon Sendong” »
A spin-doctor is a person who publicizes favorable interpretations of the words and actions of a public figure, specially a politician. When another person has to speak on behalf of a public servant, it may be because the public servant is having a hard time responding to critics, which can also mean that whatever people…
Read More “PNoy wouldn’t need spin doctors if he took his job seriously” »
The Philippines has now become renowned for template disasters. These are disasters that are caused by systemic issues that are profoundly inherent to the country. They are templates and therefore, by design, are highly repeatable. They happen again and again. Here’s the template for the sort of tragedy unfolding in northern Mindanao today… Heavy rains…
The last thing a nation needs in time of extreme crisis is more political intrigue. It seems however, that the administration of President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III simply attracts that scourge of useless chatter and even fans its flames. The other night as, reportedly, “the nation mourns”, Noynoy was apparently busy “laughing at [the] jokes”…
Read More “Valerie Concepcion allegedly wows PNoy as Sendong strikes Mindanao” »
Last week, in one of my very rare fits of writer’s block, I said to myself, “Not to worry. The next Philippine political circus is just around the corner.” I kinda admit, it gets boring when I’m always right. Filipinos have so far proven that they are great at using the awesome power of democracy…
Consider the reality of democratic politics. Just about anyone can be President. Guys like former President Joseph “Erap” Estrada and current President Benigno “Noynoy” Aquino III are a testament to this truth. For that matter, any position in government that only requires that its occupant be elected by popular vote is subject to the tyranny…
Read More “Three really appalling ideas being spread by prominent Filipino opinion shapers” »