We beg to differ.
Who does she think she is? It seems Rappler CEO Maria Ressa believes (1) she is above Philippine law, (2) that she can simply reframe several charges against her into a single “press freedom” crusade, and (3) that engaging the services of an “intrnational human rights lawyer” will make her position before any Philippine court…
Read More “Maria Ressa is being the quintessential ARROGANT American” »
Filipinos demand respect. Trouble is, they don’t know how to earn it. This dynamic is clearly evident in the relationship between China and the Philippines. The Philippines has all the paperwork to substantiate its entitlement to respect. It has, for one thing, a ruling from an international tribunal to wave at China when engaged in…
The brouhaha over House Representative John Bertiz not removing his shoes for a security check at the Manila International Airport is, itself, evidence that rules and the Law don’t really rule in the Philippines. In a modern society of laws, such a display of arrogance would have been swiftly dealt with and not have required…
Read More “House Rep. John Bertiz’s arrogance mirrors the character of the Filipino people” »
Well, to be more specific, they are reluctant to call out, on the spot, wrongdoing with strangers, and especially with persons of higher social rank, and persons of authority. When it comes to a person of lower social rank – perceived or real – than themselves, quite a few Filipinos won’t hesitate to give a…
Read More “Why are Filipinos reluctant to call wrongdoing out?” »
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is already two years into his term. While he is not the first presidential candidate to be elected on the promise of change, he is possibly one of the few under whom Filipinos feel that it is genuinely happening. Duterte has done quite a few things differently from his predecessors. He…
Read More “Rodrigo Duterte may inspire Filipinos, but he cannot change them” »
Filipinos like to talk big around the lofty word “integrity”, but do they really know what it means to be a person of integrity? Apparently not — because to be a true person of integrity involves consistency from the ground up. Take this circus surrounding the plight of Supreme Court “chief justice” Lourdes Sereno. One…
When there are so many pressing issues to write about, it gets so confusing sorting out which one to prioritise. There’s the issue about the controversial dengue vaccine Dengvaxia, there’s this issue about China’s continuing military construction on the disputed islands along the South China Sea (or “West Philippine Sea”) and there is also this…
It’s not hard to observe everything that’s been in the public consciousness recently, and come to one unavoidable conclusion: the cultural inertia of Filipinos will outlast any presidency. Even the current administration under Rodrigo Duterte. Politicians will always be politicians. In times where public sentiment has tipped against the incumbent, the people are easy to…