We beg to differ.
A stoic friend commented about the incestuous nature of Philippine politics. On one hand we have septuagenarians running for the two top posts who are competent and qualified. On the other, we have forty-somethings who are not. What does this say about our politics and leadership development in political institutions? We’re not at par with…
One of the items on Rodrigo Duterte’s platform of government in 2016 was federalism. This has remained unfulfilled largely due to the Senate being the stumbling block to constitutional amendments. The 1987 Constitution doesn’t state explicitly of both houses of Congress voting as one or both, with a 3/4 majority is required to deem an…
Neoliberals like Richard Javad Heydarian are the first to put the blame for the Philippines’ troubles on the so-called “bobotantes“. In his Inquirer column “The foolish myth of ‘bobotante’ voters”, he points out that “authoritarian nostalgists shouldn’t forget that their idols wouldn’t have made it to Malacañang without the support of a plurality of urban…
Political reforms aren’t forthcoming any time soon. The perfect opportunity to institute them was just after the 1986 “revolution” when Cory Aquino established a revolutionary government after she was installed as President. Unfortunately, this was wasted because the commissioners to the Constitutional Commission basically reinstated the political system in place before the 1973 Constitution was…
The Presidential system, in the case of the Philippines, is a hit-or-miss phenomenon. You get a random Joe to run for the highest office in the land in a once-in-a-lifetime chance and hold said office for 6 years. If he’s bad, at least he’ll get to ruin the country for only 6 years. If he’s…
Before we get into the meat of this post, I think an explanation on the term “bucket list” is owed towards those out of the loop. A bucket list is a list of activities a person intends to do before they die or, idiomatically speaking, before they “kick the bucket.” This is not to say…
Read More “The Philippines’ “Bucket List” – a vision for a better country” »
Gilbert “Gibo” Teodoro who served as Defense Secretary under former President Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) was President Rodrigo Duterte’s (PRRD’s) initial choice for Defense Secretary. However, Gibo declined for undisclosed reasons. Recently, he signified his intent to run in 2022 but would not disclose the office again. What does Gibo bring to the table as a…
This article is substantially based on an article I originally wrote in November, 2010 entitled “Applying the Right Fix: Charter Change and the Philippine Condition.” While the essential points made in the original article are still valid today, the Philippines is not exactly the same country it was two-and-a-half years ago, for better or worse;…
Read More “The Impractical Elitism of an Incorrect Perspective on Reform” »