Mong Palatino

Blogging about the Philippines and the Asia-Pacific since 2004

About

@mongster is a Manila-based activist, former Philippine legislator, and blogger/analyst of Asia-Pacific affairs.

Archive for May, 2010

McElections

Sunday, May 30th, 2010

Part 1: Senate Race – A Virtual Campaign Part 2: Burgers, Fries, Coke, and Politicians Part 3: Opinion Polls – “A Science without a Scientist” Remember Ramon Magsaysay’s famous line – “Can we defend it in Plaza Miranda?” There was a time when politicians were capable and willing to engage in public debates, often in […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Last Philippine President?

Wednesday, May 26th, 2010

Written for The Diplomat…. Barring any unforeseen events or extra-legal surprises over the coming days and weeks, Sen. Benigno Simeon ‘Noynoy’ Cojuangco Aquino III of the Liberal Party will likely be proclaimed the next president of the Republic of the Philippines. Noynoy topped the exit polls and unofficial canvassing of the May 10 elections and, […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Flashpoints: Philippines and Thailand

Thursday, May 20th, 2010

I’ve written several articles for The Diplomat about the Philippine 2010 elections. Some of them have been reposted in this blog. In the past week, I submitted these short election updates: 1. So Far, Not so Bad 2. Disenfranchised Voters 3. Philippine Elections: The Good, the Bad, and the Funny 4. Replace or Retain Voting […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Price of freedom

Sunday, May 9th, 2010

…written in 2007 If you believe in democracy, then vote on May 14. If you want deserving candidates to win, then encourage others to vote as well. If you want to remove incompetent leaders, then volunteer to guard the counting of votes. This is our duty as responsible citizens. Our vigilance is the price of […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Family feuds

Thursday, May 6th, 2010

Membership in a political party isn’t required to win in Philippine elections since political families are more influential in delivering votes for their relatives and anointed candidates. In small municipalities, the candidate who belongs to the biggest family is sure of winning in the polls. If there are several big families in a city or […]

Read the rest of this entry »

Battle of the mothers

Wednesday, May 5th, 2010

Mothers are effective campaigners on behalf of their politician children–they can gather sympathy votes by displaying their love for their children and they can vouch for the sincerity and humanity of their politician children, especially those embroiled in controversy. Last Monday, 86-year-old Curita Villar addressed the media for the first time at her Las Pinas […]

Read the rest of this entry »