@mongster is a Manila-based activist, former Philippine legislator, and blogger/analyst of Asia-Pacific affairs.
Review of ‘The Quest for Peace: The GRP-NDFP Peace Negotiations’ by Raymund B. Villanueva. Published by Bulatlat Rodrigo Duterte promised peace and federalism but he ended his term without achieving both. He unilaterally scuttled the peace negotiations with the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP) and abandoned the idea of turning the Philippines into a […]
Written on February 2018 Our emphatic response is no, but some are flaunting the question as if the issue is already settled. That the Left is guilty of political opportunism by collaborating with the government of Rodrigo Duterte; that it shed its revolutionary credentials by joining Duterte’s Cabinet; and that it was already shamefully late […]
Published by Bulatlat The panelist at the SMNI forum with presidentiables echoed the rhetoric of the government’s anti-communist task force by asking the candidates if they consider the Communist Party of the Philippines (CPP)-New People’s Army (NPA) a friend or enemy of the Filipino nation. It reflects the kind of thinking that dominated the long […]
Published by Bulatlat Joma Sison said he became a Marxist after reading anti-communist books in schools. I wonder how many activists became more radicalized after reading analysts and columnists who specialize in denigrating the national democratic struggle. I remember a scholar who wrote that NatDem activists are supposedly only good at name-calling before accusing his […]
Published by Bulatlat The Philippine revolution has long baffled political scientists. It emerged in an archipelago dominated by an imperialist power and thrived even after the disintegration of the communist bloc. There’s no socialist rear offering refuge to armed revolutionaries. There’s no industrial base where Soviet-style insurrections can immediately take place. There are only islands […]
Published by Bulatlat Authorities often downplay the traumatic impact of disasters by celebrating the resilience of their constituents. They highlight the bravery of survivors, the will to overcome unending tragedies, and the instinct to find humor and hope in the face of adversity. However, not all have sincere motives. There are those who simply wanted […]
Published by Bulatlat In the 1990s we asked, what if members of the Leftist Democratic Alliance (DA) were allowed to serve their full term as Congress representatives in 1946? What could have been its impact on Philippine politics? We could only speculate an answer at that time but perhaps a better insight is possible now […]
Published by Bulatat The mere existence of a revolutionary movement provokes non-stop conservative reprisals. Counterrevolutionaries are dogmatic in rejecting the right to dissent since their ultimate aim is the complete subjugation of the people’s struggle. They equate the presence of radical activists with criminal destabilization. They see conspiracies, vicious plots, and a Red menace. Hence, […]
Published by Bulatlat There are several stereotypes of activists but the most uncommon figure is that of the community organizer. We are familiar with the image of activists raising banners with clenched fists. The grim and determined look of street protesters. The dignified posture of influencer dissenters made more visible on various social media platforms. […]
Published by Bulatlat It is President Rodrigo Duterte who normalizes the nasty propaganda offensive against the Left. The redbaiting president sets the tone parroted by subordinates and apologists. This is echoed even by bureaucrats who interpret the president’s anti-Left rhetoric as a motivation for career promotion. This is how redbaiting as a nefarious manifestation of […]
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