We beg to differ.
The Philippines’ little community of communists will have to decide who the bigger enemy is — Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte or America. Looks like famed Filipino communist Renato Reyes already answered that question. Indeed, for years, Reyes and his comrades have been protesting the presence of US troops on Philippine soil. But now that Philippine…
[The following is a piece originally published in The Manila Bulletin on the 09th April 2000 and featured in Get Real Philippines on the same year. How many of the issues mentioned here remain the same unchanged ones today? Remember, this was written back in 2000.] * * * AN admired Filipino economist, based in…
Read More “The #Philippines suffers from acute intellectual bankruptcy and a lack of common sense” »
Nine United States Navy vessels that had planned port calls at their former base in Subic Bay, Philippines have reportedly had changes of plans opting to pass on their scheduled rest-and-recreation (R&R) there. According to Subic Bay Metropolitan Authority chair Roberto Garcia, the port calls from these ships were “put on hold until further notice”….
We already know the answer to that question. Back in 1991, Philippine Congress voted to boot Uncle Sam’s boys out of her shores for good. Since then, the Philippines had undergone a steep decline to irrelevance in the world stage. Along with that came tumbling her ability to defend herself. Indeed, one would have thought…
Read More “What will the Philippines do if America walks away?” »
If I were a businessman of any sort in the Philippines, I’d be fuming. In most NORMAL countries, the arrival of shiploads of young, cashed-up, and physically vigorous American military personnel would be greeted with joy and eyes flashing with $$ signs. Not in the Philippines though. The other day, the United States aircraft carrier…
Read More “Sorry, Joe. No more boom-boom in Manila and Olongapo City” »
I am Joseph Scott Pemberton. I’ve been that boy in the wrong place at the wrong time. I’ve been in dark alleys, rented rooms, and in the company of strange women. But I was lucky (like you’ve been lucky) that the person who could have harmed either of us just didn’t harm us at that…
The United States aircraft carrier USS George Washington sailed into Manila for a port call today after two days of exercises with the Philippine Navy. The Nimitz-class warship played a big part in the rescue and relief operations in the wake of Typhoon Haiyan (Yolanda) which ravaged the central islands of the Philippines in late…
Read More “What if US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was a Filipino-American navy man?” »
As expected, US Marine Joseph Scott Pemberton was a no-show in yesterday’s preliminary hearing on the death of Filipino transgender Jeffrey Laude in which he stands accused. Pemberton’s legal counsel Rowena Garcia Flores reportedly argued that her client’s presence was “not required” and that he “was still studying the complaint against him.” In response, chief…