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.

Southeast Asia’s Elder Statesmen

Wednesday, January 18th, 2012

Lee Kuan Yew of Singapore, Mahathir Mohamad of Malaysia, King Bhumibol Adulyadej of Thailand, Sultan Hassanal Bolkiah of Brunei and Juan Ponce Enrile of the Philippines – all have something in commons: they belong to Southeast Asia’s prominent club of senior citizen statesmen. Politicians may be getting younger, but it doesn’t mean the old guard […]

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No Country for Young Politicians

Thursday, November 17th, 2011

There are no young politicians in the Philippines. Politicians are getting younger but their politics remain old. The new faces, the fashionable and adorable ones, come from the same old boring brand. According to the Asian Institute of Management Policy Center, seventy-seven percent (77 percent) of legislators aged 26-40 belong to political dynasties. They are […]

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Octogenarians and soldiers

Sunday, April 18th, 2010

Albay province governor and presidential adviser Joey Salceda is happy to note that candidates in the 2010 elections are younger compared to those in previous elections. The average age of presidential aspirants in 2004 was 60.25. The candidates were Fernando Poe Jr., 65; Panfilo Lacson, 57; Raul S. Roco, 63; and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo, 56. The […]

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