Monthly Archives: December 2012

Philippines: Top Stories of 2012

Slightly edited version of an article submitted to The Diplomat The impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, the government’s “cold war” with China over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and deadly tropical storms were the top news stories in the Philippines in 2012. Accused of corruption, Corona was found guilty by the Senate […]

Posted in nation | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

RH is a basic human right

3rd reading explanation of vote to RH Bill Last week, I already mentioned my reasons for co-authoring and supporting the RH Bill. Today I wish to address some erroneous statements and assertions against this measure. First, reproductive health, critics aver, is a foreign concept. But what do they mean when they say it is foreign […]

Posted in speeches | Tagged | Leave a comment

November 2012: Protests Sweep Through ASEAN

Written for The Diplomat U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Burma and the 21st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh dominated news coverage in the region during the past month — and rightly so. Obama’s Burma trip put a global spotlight on the reforms being implemented by the […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Kabataan Partylist Votes YES to RH Bill

Vote explanation to RH Bill Mr Speaker, three days ago, December 10, pinagdiwang po ng buong mundo, kasama ang Pilipinas, ang International Human Rights Day. Ang RH po, kapag binaligtad ang acronym na ito ay HR. At ang ibig sabihin po nito sa pulitika ay Human Rights. And this is what the RH Bill is […]

Posted in speeches | Tagged | 2 Comments

Politics in the Time of Unli

These are unli times. Categories of the infinite pervade our everyday activities: bottomless, all-in, 24/7, unli, eat and drink all you can. Suddenly, a vision of limitless reality has appeared to be the new normal for people living in our small yet disordered society. The High Priests of Big Business are assuring us that an […]

Posted in media | Tagged | 1 Comment

Human Rights Declaration Falls Short

The document is a proclamation of governmental powers disguised as a declaration of human rights. This was the scathing reaction of more than 50 human rights groups in Southeast Asia to the recent unveiling of a Human Rights Declaration drafted by the 10-member nations of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN). The signing of […]

Posted in east asia | Tagged , , | Leave a comment