We beg to differ.
The time to say goodbye to Philippine President Benigno Simeon Aquino is finally here. It is hard to believe it has been six years. To some, it has been the most unbearable six years. The number of people who couldn’t wait for his term to end grew significantly throughout his term. In the beginning, there…
Read More “Goodbye to a rule-breaker. Goodbye Noynoy Aquino!” »
There is something fundamentally wrong about Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Commissioner Rowena Guanzon’s defense of the decision of the COMELEC en banc to bend election rules to accomodate the Liberal Party’s late submission of its Statement of Contributions and Expenditures (SOCE). According to COMELEC rules, all candidates and their nominating parties had until the 8th…
The next time you well up with outrage at the sight of a Filipino pissing on a public sidewalk, think of this day, the 16th of June 2016. The Philippines after all is not and never has been a nation of laws. This was proven yet again today when the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) en…
One thing’s for sure, the Philippines’ elite Establishment is unnerved by the show of power that was leading presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte’s insanely successful miting de avance held Saturday, 7th May 2016 at the Luneta. More than anything else, it was renewed Filipino nationalism on display, with the red-white-and-blue colours dominating above any semblance of…
Read More “Duterte’s promise of change: it is Filipinos’ duty to ensure it is delivered lawfully” »
Pakiusap is a very Filipino term. At best, it is (1) an appeal for consideration taking into account unforeseen circumstances. At worst, it is (2) a request that rules be worked around presumably for a greater good. In the Filipino setting, both cases are usually premised by flawed thinking. Take the earlier case, an appeal…
Read More “The Filipino ‘pakiusap’ mentality needs to eradicated!” »
Philippine senator and 2016 Presidential aspirant Grace Poe who was once very popular among Filipino voters is now becoming another polarizing figure after the Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Second Division cancelled her Certificate of Candidacy for the presidency. Their decision is based on grounds that she is not a natural-born citizen and has not met…
Read More “Grace Poe should drop out of the presidential race for the sake of unity” »
My fellow writers here in GRP have explained that someone iron-handed like Rody Duterte has become popular for the wrong reasons (or maybe the right reasons, but in the wrong way). Duterte is seen as a figure like Ferdinand Marcos, who is thought to have enforced order through harshness in Martial Law. There are people…
When thinking of the character of the Filipinos, I am reminded of a taxi driver who said, when you’re in the city, you can’t be “mabait.” Instead, keep making “tutok.” Maybe he meant asserting yourself, but it could also mean that you should be mean and aggressive to others. Perhaps you have heard of some…
Read More “Does Duterte-Fanaticism Personify Filipino Nastiness?” »