Tag: democracy

Why Jejomar Binay running for president is a good thing for Philippine ‘democracy’

November 12, 2014 benign0 35 Comments

Here’s a timely reminder to all political “experts” out there. Philippine ‘elections’ are really all about winnability. Specifically, at this time in particular, who’s gonna WIN in the 2016 presidential elections. So far there is only one horse running the race — current Vice President Jejomar Binay. So unless someone steps up to mount a…

Media, Politics

A country under an inutile gov’t: The #Philippines 12 months since Typhoon #Haiyan struck

November 10, 2014November 10, 2014 benign0 29 Comments

The marking of the first year’s anniversary of the visit of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) to the Philippines in November 2013 is a bittersweet one. While the disaster devasted millions of Filipino lives, its most appalling legacy is the vast open wound it left in the Filipino’s collective psyche — the realisation that theirs is an…

Culture, Development, Environment, Government, Media, Religion, Society

How to stop Jejomar Binay from winning the 2016 presidential elections

November 5, 2014 benign0 42 Comments

There are only two ways to beat Jejomar Binay in the coming election (1) field a presidential candidate who can pose a credible challenge to him or (2) throw him in jail. The way things are going, it is likely that neither will happen. Pretty much every politician that can even be half a challenger…

Crime, Politics

Rubbish at the Manila International Airport: Nakakahiya sa mga Kano!

October 27, 2014 benign0 28 Comments

When I posted that photo tweeted by former Bureau of Customs chief Ruffy Biazon of the rubbish mess left by passengers in a lounge at Manila’s Ninoy Aquino International Airport (NAIA) Terminal 3, I didn’t realise what a big wave it was going to make. Indeed it was interesting to note how deeply-revolted many Filipinos…

Civics, Crime, Culture, Education, Lifestyle, Society

Why Voters Should Not Vote for the ‘Right’ Candidates

October 11, 2014 Hector Gamboa 17 Comments

There is a saying that goes: “Insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, and expecting a different result”. Of course if we think about it, it’s not entirely true. Tom Chivers, assistant comment editor of The Telegraph in the United Kingdom, correctly points out the flaw of the cliché. He points out…

Government, Politics

Filipinos need to stop inserting themselves into Hong Kong’s #UmbrellaRevolution

October 7, 2014October 8, 2014 FallenAngel 15 Comments

Or any other country’s democracy-oriented drive, for that matter. Admittedly, watching the unfolding of the Hong Kong protests – dubbed the Umbrella Revolution – gets one’s curiosity easily piqued. Given that the protesters have been issued an ultimatum to clear the streets, outside observers are hoping that things don’t end tragically. When the world recalls…

Culture, Government, Politics, Society

What Filipinos need to learn from Hong Kong’s #UmbrellaRevolution

September 30, 2014September 30, 2014 benign0 55 Comments

A lot of Filipinos have been following closely the massive pro-democracy protests that have rocked Hong Kong in recent days. After Beijing announced that it will be vetting candidates for the coming 2017 election there, Hong Kong residents have taken to the streets by the hundreds of thousands, virtually paralysing the prosperous former British colony…

Politics, Society

Who the next president of the Philippines should be

September 9, 2014 benign0 32 Comments

It’s election season again. So, as expected, a lot of people ask us who we think should be president. Personally I think that is a rude question. Ballots are cast in secret for a reason — because who one votes for is none of anyone else’s business. To be fair, good manners are really not…

Government, Politics, Society