Author Archives: admin

Duterte, Duque, and the IATF generals

By admin | June 18, 2022

Published by Bayan Metro Manila As health workers press for a two-week timeout, we assert that it’s time to go for Duque, IATF generals, and even President Rodrigo Duterte. We share the observation that the government’s COVID-19 response has been largely ineffective in containing the spread of the virus. We blame the inept leadership of […]

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The Philippine Government’s Distrust of Fact-Checkers

By admin | June 7, 2022

Published by The Diplomat The Philippines’ Office of the Solicitor General has threatened to file a case in the court if the Commission on Elections (Comelec) does not unilaterally revoke its Memorandum of Agreement with news website Rappler on pursuing voter awareness and fact-checking campaigns ahead of the national and local elections scheduled for May […]

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Resilience and resistance in the Philippines

By admin | May 21, 2022

Published by Bulatlat Authorities often downplay the traumatic impact of disasters by celebrating the resilience of their constituents. They highlight the bravery of survivors, the will to overcome unending tragedies, and the instinct to find humor and hope in the face of adversity. However, not all have sincere motives. There are those who simply wanted […]

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Senators suppressing free speech

By admin | May 14, 2022

Published by Bayan Metro Manila As Terror Law takes effect, senators are setting a dangerous precedent in suppressing free speech Bong Go filing a case against a student for sharing ‘libelous’ posts on social media. Ping Lacson accusing critics of the Terror Law of spreading disinformation. And Senate President Tito Sotto prioritizing the passage of […]

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The books I read in 2021

By admin | May 7, 2022

Published by Bulatlat 1. UP Diliman: Home and Campus by Narita Manuel Gonzales (Editor), Gerardo Los Banos (Editor). Remembering the early years of the churches in Diliman, tribute to Father Delaney, and the lives of pioneer residents in the campus. 2. China’s Long Revolution by Edgar Snow. Documenting the changes a few years after China’s […]

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IFEX spotlight: Resisting Asia’s digital authoritarians

By admin | April 20, 2022

Written for IFEX Reflecting on events from the first half of 2021, IFEX’s Asia and Pacific Editor explains how recent massive citizen protests and pushback against Asia’s digital authoritarians can provide lessons on what we need to do to support the region’s pro-democracy movements and human rights campaigns. Read more

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Congress complicit in enabling Duterte’s terror regime

By admin | April 12, 2022

Published by Bayan Metro Manila After passing the Terror Bill which President Rodrigo Duterte recently signed into law, Congress voted to reject the franchise application of ABS-CBN. Duterte is the chief executioner spreading hate, fear, divisiveness, and misery in the country; but Congress proved to be a willing partner in legitimizing the suppression of civil […]

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Three Decades of Election Protests in the Philippines

By admin | April 9, 2022

Written for The Diplomat Election protests have shaped Philippine politics for the past three decades and there are signs that the upcoming 2022 presidential elections will be similarly divisive. In 1986, the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos was accused of rigging a snap presidential election. A protest walkout by election computer programmers drew sympathy from the […]

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Two decades of the Left in Congress

By admin | March 30, 2022

Published by Bulatlat In the 1990s we asked, what if members of the Leftist Democratic Alliance (DA) were allowed to serve their full term as Congress representatives in 1946? What could have been its impact on Philippine politics? We could only speculate an answer at that time but perhaps a better insight is possible now […]

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The Philippines in 2021: Duterte’s Flip-Flops and Women Holding the Line

By admin | March 15, 2022

Published by The Diplomat The year 2021 saw Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte make a series of dramatic political flip-flops that characterize his final year in office. Meanwhile, several women have earned national and international recognition for their advocacy and achievements amid the pandemic and rising authoritarianism. Read more Why are Schools Still Closed in the […]

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