@mongster is a Manila-based activist, former Philippine legislator, and blogger/analyst of Asia-Pacific affairs.
Part 1: postblogism To see is no longer to believe. There was a time when people had to look up into the sky to search for answers about the mysteries of life. We raise our eyes to the heavens looking for clues about our existence. Astronomers and astrologers gaze at the stars and planets to […]
*Keynote speech delivered at Mandarin Oriental last June 23 during the launching of the YOUthink session of the Department of Labor and Employment and the National Youth Commission Good morning, honorable speakers and resource persons, colleagues, ladies and gentlemen. I would first like to congratulate the Department of Labor and Employment, the National Youth Commission, […]
…written for The Diplomat. The Red Shirts’ campaign to force the resignation of Thai Prime Minister Abhisit Vejjajiva got as bloody as it could last month—what could be bloodier than protesters donating 1000 litres of their own blood to splatter on government offices? The protests, by the United Front of Democracy Against Dictatorship, established protest […]
Malacanang Palace, supposedly the palace of the people, is now the fortress of a paranoid president. It is already reinforced with defenses that prevent ordinary Filipinos and foreign tourists alike from visiting or even taking a glimpse of the official residence of the most important public official of the land. Gate 7 of the palace […]
The poor are glamorized victims during elections. They become VIPs – Very Imporant Poor – as candidates try to woo their support. Election then becomes a contest between politicians offering the best pro-poor platform. But platforms are not enough. Often the winners are those who distributed cash gifts and other small value items. During elections, […]
Part 1: The Committed Generations Part 2: Senior Citizen activists Part 3: Veterans The Philippine-American War claimed the lives of one million Filipinos and nearly wiped out the country’s carabaos (we had to import water buffaloes from Indonesia after the war). In Balangiga, Samar Province, no adults were allowed to survive. Those who died in […]
Local politicians often complain about the duties they are expected to accomplish as public servants. Professor Alex Brillantes explains the situation at the local level: ‘For many people, local governments ARE the government. They are the frontline, the firing line. People go to them for help, advice and assistance from womb to tomb.’ And as […]
