Author Archives: admin

From Fish Ban to Market Demolition: Why Are We Killing Our Local Producers and Entrepreneurs?

By admin | July 16, 2016

Published by Manila Today The palengke economy is under attack: The amended Fisheries Code bans commercial fishing within 15 kilometers of municipal waters. Meanwhile, several local government units in Metro Manila are privatizing (read: demolishing) public markets. The fish ban will allegedly stop big operators from depleting our fish stock. Further, it is touted as […]

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What’s Behind Cambodia’s Black Monday Campaign?

By admin | July 13, 2016

What’s behind this so-called “Black Monday” campaign? It began last month when four officers of the human rights group ADHOC and an election official were arrested by the police for allegedly bribing a young woman to remain silent in relation to a sex scandal case involving Kem Sokha, the country’s second most prominent opposition leader. […]

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Stop Environmental Crimes

By admin | June 30, 2016

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer During the campaign period, then presidential candidate Rodrigo Duterte promised to solve rampant criminality and corruption in three to six months. He vowed to end the reign of drug lords, kidnap-for-ransom gangs, and other big-time criminal syndicates across the country. Now that Duterte has been proclaimed as the country’s […]

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Indonesia and Philippines Confront Ghosts of Dictators Past

By admin | June 24, 2016

Suharto and Marcos died several years ago, but their legacy is still being debated. They were humiliated when they were ousted from power yet their names have undergone rehabilitation in recent years. It is not simply enough to resist proposals recognizing Suharto and Marcos as national heroes. The more important question that requires urgent answering […]

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Walang Kapayapaan sa Daang Matuwid

By admin | June 15, 2016

Talumpating binigkas sa rali noong 2014 State of the Nation Address Mga kababayan, si Noynoy Aquino kandidato raw para sa Nobel Peace prize. Tama ba yun? Naniniwala po ba kayo na si Aquino ay nagtataguyod ng kapayapaan sa bansa? Narinig naman po natin ang mga naunang tagapagsalita. Malinaw nilang pinaliwanag ang pananagutan ni Aquino kung […]

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Want to travel but got no cash? Keep calm and think about Kant

By admin | June 12, 2016

Written for Bulatlat Philosopher Immanuel Kant, one of the greatest minds in history, taught geography yet his knowledge of the physical world was probably based only on intuition and printed materials since he didn’t travel outside his hometown. This piece of information may be trivial but useful for those who want to debunk the corporate-sponsored […]

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How to deal with a millennial moderate Leftist

By admin | June 5, 2016

Written for Bulatlat There is a regular gathering of anti-Marcos activists which briefly unites various shades of the Left. This was impossible to organize in the mid-1990s during the ‘great split’ within the Philippine Left, but today it happens several times a year. Perhaps the passing of time inspired these fierce ideological rivals to set […]

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The Many Surprises of the 2016 Philippines Elections

By admin | May 21, 2016

There were several surprises in the election results: First, the landslide victory of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte who is now set to become the Philippines’ 16th president. Second, the close race between Senator Ferdinand Marcos Jr and neophyte Congresswoman Leni Robredo for the vice presidency. And third, the possible entry into the senate of […]

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The return of the Marcoses

By admin | May 15, 2016

Written for New Mandala Ferdinand Marcos ruled the Philippines like a dictator for two decades until he was ousted by the ‘People Power’ uprising in 1986. Three decades later, his wife and children hold elected positions in government. Now, his eldest son and namesake is running for vice president. Many people ask, especially international observers, […]

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Transform Traffic Road Rage into Public Outrage against Imperialism, Feudalism, and Bureaucrat Capitalism

By admin | May 12, 2016

Written for Manila Today There are multiple social evils that stalk us everyday but the most familiar to all sectors and classes is the insane traffic in Metro Manila. In the past, Edsa was the only notorious symbol of road gridlock. Not anymore. Traffic has spread everywhere like the epal banners of politicians. Even secondary […]

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