Author Archives: admin

The Marcos-Duterte Rift is Getting Nastier and More Personal

By admin | August 26, 2025

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

By admin | August 3, 2025

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

By admin | July 29, 2025

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

By admin | July 2, 2025

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

By admin | June 30, 2025

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

By admin | June 20, 2025

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

By admin | June 1, 2025

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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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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