Author Archives: admin

Fallen Drone. Grounded Minesweeper

By admin | February 4, 2013

Written for The Diplomat A series of unfortunate mishaps in the past two weeks has afflicted United States military forces stationed in the Philippines. On January 6th, a BQM-74E target drone that appeared to be of American origin was found floating in the waters off Masbate, an island province in the central Philippines. Although the […]

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Sticks and Stones: Reining in Filipino Libel Laws

By admin | January 29, 2013

Written for The Diplomat The inclusion of online libel in the Philippine anti-cybercrime law has raised fears that it would lead to the restriction of free speech and expression in the local internet community. It’s one of the issues to be discussed next week by the Supreme Court, which is set to hear oral arguments […]

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Malaysia’s January Spring

By admin | January 21, 2013

Written last January 14 So far, it has been an awful beginning for the year 2013 in Southeast Asia: Myanmar’s military launched airstrikes against Kachin rebels which dimmed hopes of a peaceful settlement of the civil war; prominent Laos activist Sombath Somphone has remained missing and has probably become a victim of state-sanctioned enforced disappearance; […]

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CCTV and the Pleasure of Technological Control

By admin | January 14, 2013

Apparently, the CCTV doesn’t lie. What appears on the CCTV screen is accepted as visually accurate, even true. It seems to be the latest truth-telling device which TV networks have been using to expose the petty and heinous crimes committed by the poor. The TV image is manipulated in the news editing room, the internet […]

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Politics as Sound Bite

By admin | January 7, 2013

One liners, sound bites, SMS and twitter reactions are inferior substitutes to a well-written political manifesto. The essence of a political standpoint can’t be adequately represented by 140 characters or even by hysteric rhetoric. Yes, a charming slogan or a witty phrase, and a fiery quote can agitate a crowd, inspire the electorate, and trigger […]

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Indonesia’s Rising Star: Jokowi

By admin | January 5, 2013

Jakarta Governor Joko Widodo or Jokowi is a rising star in the Southeast Asian region. While Burmese President Thein Sein may be grabbing the most headlines of any Southeast Asian leader, Jokowi’s rapid ascent up Indonesia’s political ladder deserves more attention than it is given by the international media. Who is Jokowi and why is […]

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The Disappearing Real in the Virtual

By admin | January 2, 2013

A new library building was recently inaugurated in a public high school in the quaint town of Mauban, Quezon. During the ribbon cutting ceremonies, the mayor proposed to use the facility as a Community eCenter. He added that PLDT, which has a signal tower in front of the school, might be persuaded to provide an […]

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Philippines: Top Stories of 2012

By admin | December 30, 2012

Slightly edited version of an article submitted to The Diplomat The impeachment of Chief Justice Renato Corona, the government’s “cold war” with China over maritime disputes in the South China Sea, and deadly tropical storms were the top news stories in the Philippines in 2012. Accused of corruption, Corona was found guilty by the Senate […]

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RH is a basic human right

By admin | December 17, 2012

3rd reading explanation of vote to RH Bill Last week, I already mentioned my reasons for co-authoring and supporting the RH Bill. Today I wish to address some erroneous statements and assertions against this measure. First, reproductive health, critics aver, is a foreign concept. But what do they mean when they say it is foreign […]

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November 2012: Protests Sweep Through ASEAN

By admin | December 15, 2012

Written for The Diplomat U.S. President Barack Obama’s historic visit to Burma and the 21st Summit of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations (ASEAN) in Phnom Penh dominated news coverage in the region during the past month — and rightly so. Obama’s Burma trip put a global spotlight on the reforms being implemented by the […]

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