Category: Government

The Philippines’ outsourced justice system: why not outsource its executive and legislative branches too?

Posted on By benign0 2 Comments on The Philippines’ outsourced justice system: why not outsource its executive and legislative branches too?
The Philippines’ outsourced justice system: why not outsource its executive and legislative branches too?

According to Retired Senior Associate Justice Antonio Carpio, Philippine courts have no say in anything ruled by the “International Criminal Court” (ICC). Carpio is essentially saying that Philippine law enforcement officers and agents can act entirely under the authority of the ICC completely bypassing the Philippines’ judiciary. ‘Yung local courts hindi na kailangan because this…

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Government

Casino Operator Schemes to Control AMLC… What?!

Posted on By Oman No Comments on Casino Operator Schemes to Control AMLC… What?!
Casino Operator Schemes to Control AMLC… What?!

The Philippines is already navigating choppy economic waters. Fuel prices are spiking on the back of rising tensions from the US-Iran conflict, and the threat of a broader economic slowdown is no longer hypothetical. The last thing the country needs right now is to hand the Financial Action Task Force a reason to put it…

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Economy, Government

Token outrage and politically-motivated street rallies contribute very little to the reform agenda

Posted on By Ramon Ortoll 11 Comments on Token outrage and politically-motivated street rallies contribute very little to the reform agenda
Token outrage and politically-motivated street rallies contribute very little to the reform agenda

Long story short, the quick fix Inquirer columnist Randy David describes in his recent piece “Beyond the outrage” was tried before and it didn’t work. Calls for the president’s resignation or ouster and the installation of a national transition council or a civil-military junta aren’t options. That is, except for the leftist-militant groups which are…

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Economy, Government

Crooked budget process leads to crooked project bidding and is all run by crooked Filipino politicians

Posted on By Ramon Ortoll 44 Comments on Crooked budget process leads to crooked project bidding and is all run by crooked Filipino politicians
Crooked budget process leads to crooked project bidding and is all run by crooked Filipino politicians

The Blue Ribbon Committee hearing yesterday on the anomalous flood control projects didn’t offer much in terms of entertainment value. Erwin Tulfo insisting that the Department of Budget Management (DBM) and the Department of Public Works and Highways (DPWH) should have a say in how projects are allocated only exhibited his ignorance of the budget…

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Government

SMC’s Infrastructure Empire: How Flood Control Unlocks Trillion-Peso Land Values in the Philippines

Posted on By Oman 1 Comment on SMC’s Infrastructure Empire: How Flood Control Unlocks Trillion-Peso Land Values in the Philippines
SMC’s Infrastructure Empire: How Flood Control Unlocks Trillion-Peso Land Values in the Philippines

San Miguel Corporation controls the Philippines’ most extensive private land portfolio through strategic infrastructure projects, with holdings valued at over ₱1 trillion concentrated in flood-prone areas that would dramatically appreciate with improved water management systems. The conglomerate’s 2,500-hectare New Manila International Airport anchors a 12,000-hectare aerotropolis in coastal Bulacan, while proposed Manila Bay reclamation projects…

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Development, Economy, Government, Media

Marcos Returns from Washington with an UNFAIR DEAL for the Filipino people

Posted on By Ramon Ortoll 18 Comments on Marcos Returns from Washington with an UNFAIR DEAL for the Filipino people
Marcos Returns from Washington with an UNFAIR DEAL for the Filipino people

“It may be dangerous to be America’s enemy, but to be America’s friend is fatal.” Henry Kissinger President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has concluded his visit to the United States. Marketed as a reaffirmation of “ironclad friendship” between Manila and Washington, the trip was hyped by Malacañang as a breakthrough moment for Philippine economic and security…

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Business, Economy, Government

Marcos’s Communication Crisis: The Price of Instability

Posted on By Oman 3 Comments on Marcos’s Communication Crisis: The Price of Instability
Marcos’s Communication Crisis: The Price of Instability

The revolving door at the Presidential Communications Office is a critical vulnerability that is undermining President Marcos’s public trust and legacy. Three years into his presidency, President Marcos has yet to come to terms with his communication team at the PCO, having already sent home three secretaries and placing the fate of the fourth press…

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Government, Media, Politics

On Accountability and Bike Commute

Posted on By joeld 17 Comments on On Accountability and Bike Commute
On Accountability and Bike Commute

Why is it that privately employed people like me are required to get accounted down to every single centavo when company money is used? Sara did not have to. And we are talking of billions of pesos. She is just laughing it off. Why is it that when I get carried away with my emotions…

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Crime, Government, Politics, Society