Category: Government

Was the EDSA ‘gun poking incident’ solved only because it was in the spotlight?

September 8, 2014September 9, 2014 benign0 9 Comments

So the mysterious EDSA “gun poking incident” is finally solved. The incident which was caught on camera and went viral over social media involved eight police officers from the La Loma Police Station in Quezon City. The Inquirer reports… Arrested were commissioned Quezon City Police District (QCPD) ‎officers Chief Inspector Joseph de Vera and Senior…

Crime, Government, Lifestyle, Media

Why Metro Manila’s horrific traffic will NEVER be ‘solved’

September 8, 2014 benign0 46 Comments

Just what we need. More requests for “patience” and “understanding”. That is what Malacanang beseeches Filipinos to show while the government pays lip service to the decades-long but fruitless effort to “solve” Metro Manila’s infamously hellish traffic. According to Malacanang mouthpiece Herminio Coloma Jr, the government puts foremost importance in the livelihood of Filipinos and…

Development, Economy, Government, Lifestyle

Changed situation in Golan Heights renders UN peacekeeping mission there irrelevant

September 5, 2014 benign0 20 Comments

It seems the real question that needs to be asked with regard to the role of Filipino troops deployed to United Nations peacekeeping missions in the Middle East is this: Is it our war? As the term “peacekeeper” implies, UN “peacekeeping” missions protect peace within their respective areas of responsibility. When there is no longer…

Government, Politics

Noynoy Aquino cannot take all the credit for the Philippines’ economic gains

September 5, 2014 Ilda 27 Comments

Can the Philippines Afford a Single Aquino Term in Office? This was the question posted by The World Post blogger, Daniel Wagner recently and a question a lot of Aquino supporters have been passing around lately. Not only is the question idiotic, it is also pointless. It is idiotic because it assumes that President Benigno…

Development, Economy, Government, Media, Politics

Continued loss suffered by Gilas Pilipinas in the 2014 FIBA Wold Cup mirrors Philippine history

September 4, 2014 benign0 73 Comments

Regard for sport mirrors society. And nowhere is this more evident than in the Philippines. Last night, Gilas Pilipinas was handily beaten by Puerto Rico in the FIBA Basketball World Cup in Spain after literally dropping the ball — losing an early lead it enjoyed over the first half of the game. The game was…

Culture, Development, Economy, Government, Media, Politics, Society

The Philippines As Hacienda Luisita and Why Kris Aquino Loves Jojo Binay

September 1, 2014 P. Farol 23 Comments

All that really matters to the political and economic elite is that they continue to be the political and economic elite for as long as possible. The Philippine Constitution (pick any of one of them), the government (it doesn’t matter what form), the legislature, the court system, and all other institutions are there precisely to…

Development, Economy, Government, Politics

Why the Torre De Manila Issue Is For the Bird Brained

August 29, 2014September 13, 2014 P. Farol 30 Comments

(Updated. 091314) A friend supposedly saw an English speaking Filipino cultural activist licking his chops and gloating over his supposed victory over the enemies of the cultural elite which he claims to represent. The so-called social media “thought leader” announced his victory saying that his/her protest against the Torre De Manila has reached the senate where it is…

Culture, Development, Economy, Environment, Government, Media

DOTC Secretary Jun Abaya’s epic MRT public relations fail

August 29, 2014 benign0 14 Comments

Not surprising. Political observers gave Department of Transportation and Communication (DOTC) Secretary Jun Abaya a unanimous Fail in his most recent public relations stunt. Yesterday, the 28th August, Abaya stepped up to a self-imposed challenge to prove Manila’s decrepit Metro Rail Transit was “safe”. The MRT has been beleaguered by recent high-profile mishaps, among them…

Development, Government, Lifestyle, Politics