Author Archives: admin

Disgusting Congress ‘game of thrones’

By admin | October 4, 2022

Published by Bayan Metro Manila It is sickening to watch politicians playing a petty ‘game of thrones’ over Congress speakership, pork barrel allocations, and partisan politicking ahead of the 2022 elections. This revolting spectacle is taking place amid worsening hunger, unemployment, and poverty levels in the country caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. Millions are scrambling […]

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The Philippines in 2022: Elections, Omicron, and a Delayed Recovery

By admin | September 26, 2022

Written for The Diplomat The year 2021 ended tragically for the Philippines as Typhoon Rai (known locally as Odette) battered the southern part of the country, including prime tourism destinations. Recovery had barely begun when the Omicron variant once again plunged the country into panic, in addition to triggering a new set of mobility restrictions. […]

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IFEX Regional Brief: October, November, December 2021

By admin | September 3, 2022

October 2021: A Nobel for journalism, a mass release of prisoners, and a raft of repressive new laws. Maria Ressa became the first Filipino Nobel laureate for her work as a journalist and truth crusader. Journalists were among the prisoners released in Myanmar, but 20 are still in detention. Several laws that could undermine freedom […]

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When analysts get it wrong about the Philippine Left

By admin | August 26, 2022

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 […]

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Defund Duterte’s disinformation machinery

By admin | August 20, 2022

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer The Duterte administration’s so-called “whole-of-nation” approach in dealing with the communist movement has been exposed as nothing more than a costly “coordinated inauthentic behavior.” It is infuriating that public funds were utilized to spread disinformation targeting activists, leftists, and other critics of the government. The military said it supports […]

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Political Dynasties Dominate Philippines Election — Again

By admin | August 15, 2022

Written for The Diplomat The election victory of Ferdinand Marcos Jr. in this month’s Philippine presidential election reflected the continuing dominance of political dynasties in the country’s political life. The return of the Marcoses has reminded many about the dangers of a single family monopolizing political power. The social problems engendered by the dominance of […]

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Duterte’s deadly legacy

By admin | July 30, 2022

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer The specter of unabated killings is the brutal legacy of the Duterte administration. President Duterte waged a bloody war on drugs that led to thousands of killings. Most of the victims are suspected petty drug users, peddlers, and barangay bystanders. The police went on a deadly “tokhang” rampage but […]

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Muog na Buo: Song of the resistance

By admin | July 16, 2022

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 […]

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Introducing the Colors of the Philippine Election

By admin | July 7, 2022

Written for The Diplomat Candidates in the ongoing Philippine presidential campaign have relied on certain colors as part of their political branding. By choosing a particular color, candidates aim to unify supporters and mobilize them to reach out to more voters. Their success or popularity in the campaign trail is made more visible through the […]

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IFEX Asia Regional Briefs: July, August, September 2021

By admin | July 3, 2022

July 2021: #FOEwatch in Malaysia, Hong Kong freedom in ‘tatters’, Kem Ley, and arrests in Vietnam. Artists and activists summoned by Malaysian police, the continuing fight for justice five years after Kem Ley’s death in Cambodia, Hong Kong media freedom in ‘tatters’, alarming arrests and convictions in Vietnam, released journalists share their prison ordeal in […]

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