Category: Economy

The SC can stop the trial if there is grave abuse of power by any branch of government

February 10, 2012 Ilda 139 Comments

The impeachment trial of Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato Corona has certainly divided the sentiments of the Filipino people. There are Filipinos who side with the prosecution in condemning the Chief Justice despite the absence of hard evidence; there are Filipinos who side with upholding the rule of law and respecting the institutions; and then…

Crime, Economy, Government, Media, Politics

Who ‘killed’ the Philippine banking industry?

February 10, 2012 benign0 13 Comments

Word hit the streets the other night that renowned “investigative journalist” Raissa Robles could be the “small lady” referred to by Oriental Mindoro Rep. Rey Umali as the “anonymous source” of an envelope allegedly filled with bank documents. We’ll get to that in a while. Do recall first how on the 7th of Feb the…

Economy, Media, Money Talks

Ill-gotten evidence used to prove ill-gotten wealth

February 8, 2012February 8, 2012 benign0 3 Comments

The Philippine banking system is out of luck. Trust is the key component of the social capital deficit that saps Philippine society of the substance and conviction needed to do things properly and aspire to greatness. Even as the honourable statesmen of the Philippine government debate its definition, the broader swath of Philippine society consistently…

Economy, Money Talks, Politics

AirAsia one-ups ‘bouncy’ Cebu Pacific flight attendants

February 7, 2012June 4, 2013 benign0 4 Comments

Southeast Asia’s biggest budget airline is set to open its Philippine operations following the recent approval of its air operator certificate (AOC) by the Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines (CAAP). AirAsia Philippines will be operating out of the Diosdado Macapagal International Airport in the former United States Air Force base in Clark Field, Angeles…

Economy, Glitz and Glamour

Impeachment and looming bank runs: Is economic plunder the real agenda of the Second Aquino Administration?

February 7, 2012February 7, 2012 benign0 29 Comments

Looks like the venerable Philippine Savings Bank (PS Bank) is the next hapless chump thrust into the circus spotlight. In the usual tradition of the way the prosecution habitually pre-empts any court order to authorise any of its police activities, an “envelope” delivered by a shadowy “small lady” allegedly containing Supreme Court Chief Justice Renato…

Crime, Economy, Government, Media, Politics, Society

Niel Tupas Jr gets the boot, Hacienda Luisita shares up!

February 6, 2012February 6, 2012 benign0 12 Comments

Well, not really. Hacienda Luisita Inc (HLI) is not a publicly-listed company and therefore we can only do thought experiments on how the price of some hypothetical HLI shares floating in the equity market would react to the news of Iloilo Representative Niel Tupas Jr’s removal as head of the prosecution team in the impeachment…

Economy, Government, Politics

Malacañang to GMA: PNoy’s popularity is better than your economic growth rate

January 14, 2012July 16, 2013 Ilda 98 Comments

I was anticipating what Budget Secretary, Florencio Abad would have to say about former President Gloria Arroyo’s (GMA’s) “It’s The Economy, Student!”, a paper about her achievements during her nine years in office. But I ended up laughing so hard after reading that the only thing Abad had to say was that President Noynoy Aquino…

Development, Economy, Politics

Gloriaâ€™s Schizophrenic Economy

January 14, 2012January 14, 2012 BenK 19 Comments

Because the job performance, leadership, and general behavior of the current President is so appalling I think those of us who make a hobby or an actual living of punditry tend to forget that there was a time, not really all that long ago, when his predecessor was every bit the inspirational target for scathing…

Economy, Politics