Author Archives: admin

Has the Impeachment of Vice President Sara Duterte Been Defeated?

Written for the Diplomat As politicians secretly negotiate the terms of the impeachment, various groups are demanding transparency, vowing to hold public vigils and pressure the Senate to proceed with the impeachment trial. The impeachment may be in limbo and held hostage by transactional politics, but the campaign for truth and accountability is very much […]

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Rodrigo Duterte as VP is anti-democracy variant we should resist

Published by Philippine Daily Inquirer (June 7, 2021) The PDP-Laban’s internal squabble is its problem, but the group’s resolution urging President Duterte to run as vice president should be condemned outright. It has to be named for what it is: a shameless maneuver to extend Mr. Duterte’s term beyond 2022. The PDP-Laban is no ordinary […]

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Congress Hearings Reveal Sordid Details of Duterte’s Drug War

Written for The Diplomat While the International Criminal Court (ICC) is investigating the role of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte in the bloody enforcement of the “war on drugs,” the House of Representatives has decided to also look into the matter and establish linkages between the drug-related killings and the use of illicit money for […]

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The Marcos-Duterte Rift is Getting Nastier and More Personal

Written for The Diplomat The political rivalry of the Marcos and Duterte families has become fiercer, nastier, and more personal. The two powerful dynasties formed a coalition and clinched a landslide victory in the 2022 elections, but this so-called “uniteam” imploded in the last quarter of 2023 until the rift intensified and led to an […]

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Start your day with coffee and a Global Voices story

I joined Global Voices in July 2006. After almost two decades, I am still part of the GV newsroom as an author and editor for Southeast Asia. I was having a video call with my daughter in December 2024 during the GV summit in Kathmandu when I realized she was only a year old when […]

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No peaceful retirement for Sinas, a notorious human rights violator

Published by Bayan Metro Manila General Debold Sinas should be held accountable for his bloody human rights legacy instead of being appointed to a civilian position in the bureaucracy. His ‘mañanita scandal’ should at least make him ineligible from getting a new post in the government. He has bigger sins that should warrant an immediate […]

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What’s Next for Philippine Politics After Duterte’s Arrest

Written for The Diplomat Former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte is now in the custody of the International Criminal Court (ICC), marking a significant step forward in the pursuit of accountability and justice for the extrajudicial killings perpetrated by state forces during his bloody campaign against illegal drugs. How will Duterte’s arrest in Manila and detention […]

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Coup Plot Dismissed in the Philippines

Written for The Diplomat Retired and active officers of the Armed Forces of the Philippines and the leadership of the House of Representatives have expressed support to Philippine President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. after former President Rodrigo Duterte called for military action against the incumbent government. The Marcos-Duterte rift might appear to be a mere […]

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IFEX Asia brief: July, August, September 2024

July 2024. Student protests, post-election reforms, impunity, and journalists on strike in Asia-Pacific. Protests turned deadly in Bangladesh, a list of concrete measures to uphold free speech in India, media killings in Pakistan, and journalists declared a strike in Australia. August 2024. South Asia in focus: Youth-led uprising, women’s rights crisis, and internet disruption. It […]

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Community actions offer hope and alternative

Published by Bayan Metro Manila Community pantries and clean-up drives offer concrete solutions that directly alleviate the hardships of our people, while disproving the claim of the government that only repressive lockdown models are effective in containing COVID-19 cases. The establishment of community pantries in recent days highlighted the slow and inadequate arrival of aid […]

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