Author Archives: admin

Will ‘Dutertenomics’ Bring Progress to the Philippines?

By admin | December 7, 2016

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s foreign policy pronouncements have spurred intense interest and debates abroad, but few are commenting about his economic agenda. Right or wrong, Duterte has chosen to define the first year of his presidency by pursuing his so-called ‘War on Drugs’ and declaring a “separation” from the United States, an old ally and […]

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What The Hague is CARHRIHL, CASER, and JASIG? An overview of Philippine peace documents

By admin | December 1, 2016

Published by Bulatlat CARHRIHL, JASIG and The Hague Declaration – these are important peace documents signed by the Philippine government and the National Democratic Front. If the peace talks will resume next month, the next agenda should tackle CASER. What is the meaning and significance of these terms? If these agreements are crucial to the […]

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What ASEAN Can Learn from Thailand’s Student Massacre

By admin | November 26, 2016

Forty years ago on October 6, more than 40 student protesters were killed inside the Tha Prajan campus of Thammasat University. The identity of the killers is unknown to this day but the attack was led by state forces and an anti-communist mob. The casualties could be higher because no official probe has been made […]

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Negotiating Peace in Southeast Asia

By admin | November 18, 2016

Peace talks have been successfully initiated in Thailand, Myanmar, and the Philippines – three Southeast Asian countries where local wars and ethnic armed conflicts have been in existence for several decades. The peace initiatives in Thailand, Myanmar, and the Philippines are off to a good start. Will it all lead to the resolution of armed […]

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Myanmar’s Radical Buddhist Group Gets Rebuked

By admin | November 2, 2016

Myanmar’s nationalist Buddhist group known as The Committee for the Protection of Nationality and Religion (Ma Ba Tha) has suddenly found itself losing support from government officials and the online community. First, Yangon Region Chief Minister U Phyo Min Thein boldly declared in public that Ma Ba Tha is “unnecessary and redundant” since there is […]

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OMG I Married an Activist

By admin | October 10, 2016

Published by Manila Today What the title really means is “Oh my Gabriela I married an activist.” No, I didn’t marry a person named Gabriela but my wife is a member of the Gabriela women’s group. To my non-Filipino friends, Gabriela is an activist group known for its uncompromising, über defense of women’s rights. Its […]

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A Decade of Blogging for Global Voices

By admin | October 7, 2016

Written for the Global Voices Community Page When I joined Global Voices in 2006, my aim was only to blog the underreported stories from the Philippines. Ten years and 3,000 posts later, I’m still with Global Voices; writing stories not just about my country, but also about the Southeast Asian region. I used the word […]

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10 Memorable Protests that Exposed the Bankruptcy of Noynoy Aquino’s Daang Matuwid

By admin | October 1, 2016

Published by Manila Today Hungry farmers asking for rice. Typhoon victims decrying government neglect. Netizens marching against corruption. These protests unmasked the ‘Daang Matuwid’ program as an empty slogan of a regime that insidiously perpetuates foreign dominance and elite oppression in the country. It is only now we appreciate the full and potent significance of […]

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10 things to know about the peace talks between the communists and the government of the Philippines

By admin | September 28, 2016

Published by Bulatlat 1. A civil war has been raging in the countryside since 1969. Landlessness, feudal exploitation, state brutality against the poor and marginalized – these are some of the issues that led to the formation of the New People’s Army. An armed force of the poor, by the poor, and for the poor […]

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Thailand’s New Constitution: A Blow to Rights?

By admin | September 24, 2016

Thailand’s ruling junta got what it wanted on August 7: the public approval of a constitution that will reinforce military rule in the country. The same constitution also contains provisions that could further curtail the people’s right to freedom of expression. Some are questioning the result of the referendum because the opposition was prevented by […]

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