Author Archives: admin

What’s Old and New in the Midterm Philippine Elections?

By admin | May 16, 2025

Written for The Diplomat The Philippine Commission on Elections (Comelec) says that that it has received 43,033 applications for the midterm elections scheduled for May 2025. Each voter will select 12 senators, a district representative, a partylist representative, and local officials in each province, city, and municipality. A total of 18,280 elective posts will be […]

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The Politics of ‘Ayuda’ in the Philippines

By admin | May 1, 2025

Written for The Diplomat Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. signed the 2025 national budget with a provision for the “conditional implementation” of some items, including a controversial “ayuda” (aid) program for the poor. It is unfortunate that “ayuda” has earned a negative connotation when it is an emergency lifeline that could make a difference in […]

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Banning Joma Sison on social media sets a dangerous precedent

By admin | April 27, 2025

Published by Bulatlat The repeated removal of Jose Maria Sison’s social media accounts is another example of the tech industry’s complicit role in enabling censorship at the behest of authoritarian regimes. Sison is now banned on Facebook. Keywords linked to his name and the groups he founded are flagged and arbitrarily used as a basis […]

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Resign Duterte

By admin | April 12, 2025

Published by Bayan Metro Manila President Rodrigo Duterte is nowhere to be found amid the surging COVID-19 cases and the build-up of Chinese vessels in the West Philippine Sea. The public health crisis alone warrants not just his attention but visible leadership to assure Filipinos that he is on top of the situation and that […]

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IFEX Asia brief: April, May, June 2024

By admin | April 1, 2025

April 2024. Journalists who ‘crossed the line’, digital repression, blasphemy prosecutions, and marriage equality bill. India goes to the polls amid continuing media harassment and content blocking. China’s repressive model of media and internet governance is increasingly being imposed in the region. A worsening rise in blasphemy prosecutions in Pakistan. Good news: Thailand parliament passes […]

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Sara Duterte Decries ‘Political Harassment’ Against Her Family

By admin | March 6, 2025

Written for The Diplomat Philippines Vice President Sara Duterte has described the decision to remove 75 police personnel from her security detail as “political harassment.” “Let us spare our people from all the lies. Let us call it what it is – a clear case of political harassment,” Duterte said in her four-page open letter […]

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Midterm Elections and the Prospect of Impeachment in the Philippines

By admin | February 14, 2025

Written for The Diplomat Election season has officially begun in the Philippines, with the filing of candidacies of prospective candidates for the midterm polls scheduled for May 2025. But aside from election-related activities, the prospect that Vice President Sara Duterte could face impeachment is expected to dominate the local news and political scene until the […]

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IFEX Asia briefs: January, February, March 2024

By admin | February 1, 2025

What’s new and old in 2024: Repressive laws, attacks, and election disinformation in Asia. New media laws in India, Sri Lanka, and Nepal could negatively impact access to information. Afghanistan’s media situation remains precarious amid intensified state-backed attacks. Filmmakers in Myanmar and Malaysia face criminal charges. As political forces resort to restrictions and disinformation in […]

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Use NTF-ELCAC funds to give relief during extended ECQ

By admin | January 28, 2025

Published by Bayan Metro Manila The government should tap the funds intended for the National Task Force to End Local Communist Armed Conflict and instead use it give urgent relief to families affected by the extended enhanced community quarantine and other lockdown restrictions across the country. The emergency situation should compel the Duterte government to […]

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The Marcos-Duterte Rift Widens in the Philippines

By admin | January 21, 2025

Written for The Diplomat The Marcos and Duterte political families in the Philippines have been publicly criticizing each other over the past four months, threatening to further undermine the “unity government” headed by President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. As the two dynasties maneuver for influence, an increasing number of Filipinos are outraged that these political […]

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