We beg to differ.
It is in times of national tragedy that the character of a people and the society they form become most evident. Last night, a bomb detonated in the midst of a crowded night market in Davao City that reportedly killed 14 people and injured 67. Whilst there was general solidarity expressed across the country in…
I posted what, in my mind, was a tongue-in-cheek statement about the burial of former President Ferdinand Marcos Sr the other day that created a little buzz for a small clique of anti-Marcos advocates on Twitter. One thing I realised is that a lot of so-called “educated” members of Philippine society do not get dry…
In the upcoming ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit in Laos, President Rodrigo Duterte has an opportunity to meet other heads of state. Reportedly, the prospect of meeting Russian president Vladimir Putin is something Duterte looks forward to: Duterte, after meeting repatriated overseas Filipino workers (OFWs) at the Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal…
To be fair to “vice president” Leni Robredo, she’s got a few ideas that are worth looking at, like her suggestion that a rehab programme be set up to support President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. According to Robredo, this is the “missing” component in Duterte’s campaign to rid the country of the drug scourge……
Read More “Leni Robredo would rather talk to the media than discuss her ideas with Duterte” »
Last July 2016, both political parties in the United States had their respective National Conventions. The Republican National Convention (RNC) was from 18-21 July, while the Democratic National Convention (DNC) was a week later, 25-28 July. The Republican nominee for President is Donald Trump, while for the Democrats it is Hillary Clinton. Donald Trump is…
Around the time of its first 50 days, the presidency of Rodrigo Duterte’s predecessor, Benigno Simeon “BS” Aquino, was beleaguered by the Mendoza hostage situation and its fallout. The incident resulted in the deaths of eight (8) Hong Kong tourists; BS Aquino never apologized for it. The concepts of the “first 100 days”, and more…
Read More “Three fundamental weaknesses of the Duterte administration” »
Ninoy, Salamat sa demokrasya. August 21, 1983. “Handog ng Pilipino sa mundo…”, “Magkaisa at magsama…” Yaaawn… OK, change the channel please! Now that the Filipino people have been awakened to the reality that there are better channels to watch on their TV and that the many years of fairy-land “democracy” that Ninoy’s death at the tarmac…
Read More “Ninoy is NOT a hero: Let’s rename NAIA back to “Manila International Airport”” »
The phrase panem et circenses (bread and circuses) is often used to describe the way governments provide superficial appeasement to the governed. No doubt this describes the Philippine government and politics, with all their telenovela-worthy drama that the media is only too willing to shove a camera and microphone towards. One can also notice, however,…