Tag Archives: duterte

Rodrigo Duterte Sued Over ‘Grave Threats’

Written for The Diplomat An opposition lawmaker has filed a criminal complaint against former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for making “grave threats” against some members of Congress on his TV show. A day after the House of Representatives confirmed the removal of the confidential funds of Vice President Sara Duterte, the former president, her father, […]

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Philippines’ Top Leaders Accused of Making Irregular Budget Transactions

Written for The Diplomat Opposition lawmakers in the Philippines are questioning the use of confidential funds by Vice President Sara Duterte in 2022, which they claim were in some cases even allocated by President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. without the authorization of Congress. Naturally, it doesn’t look good that almost five billion pesos are allotted for […]

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A year of surviving the pandemic and Duterte’s misgovernance

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer This week marks the first year since the Duterte administration imposed harsh lockdown measures to prevent the spread of COVID-19. The failure of the militarist approach is reflected in the surging COVID-19 cases, livelihood losses caused by unnecessary restrictions, and worsening human rights abuses. The remorseless incompetence of the […]

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The naughty and nice of 2020

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer This has been a terrible year because of the pandemic, but there are people who made the lives of Filipinos more miserable. The “naughtiest” is President Duterte, whose incoherent late-night speeches did nothing to ease our worries. His militarist mindset proved ineffective and counter-productive in dealing with the health […]

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A call for relief, accountability, and climate justice

Published by Bayan Metro Manila The pandemic and typhoon disasters tested the resilience of many Filipinos. But even the most resilient won’t survive if the government is slow to respond, refuses to be held accountable which prevents it from learning where it failed, and prefers to be indifferent even if the poorest in society are […]

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IFEX Asia Brief: April, May, June 2022

April 2022: Political crises, anti-Muslim violence, and Maria Ressa’s pushback. South Asia’s civic space is on fire: Massive protests in Sri Lanka, rising anti-Muslim violence in India, continuing crackdown in Kashmir, and intensifying political conflict in Pakistan. In the Philippines, Nobel laureate Maria Ressa countered the latest government harassment with a legal pushback. May 2022: […]

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Punishment, not promotion, for ‘mañanita’ general

Published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer National Capital Region Police Office chief Debold Sinas is a pasaway general who has yet to face accountability for his crimes against the people. At the very least, he should be penalized for clear violation of ECQ rules when he allowed a “spontaneous” mañanita to celebrate his 55th birthday.Under […]

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Keywords, sound bites, and newsmakers of 2022

Published by Bulatlat Since this was an election year, the most notable newsmakers were presidential candidates led by the frontrunners Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos Jr. and Leni Robredo. Decades or even years from now, historians will also recall the historic candidacy of labor leader Leody de Guzman. The rapid spread of the Omicron variant in January […]

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Freedom of Expression Declines Further Under Marcos

Written for The Diplomat Three months after coming to power, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has failed to reassure the media community and the public that he will promote freedom of expression and reverse the impunity that worsened during the term of his predecessor. To be sure, there was little expectation that the son of […]

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Did the Left Enable Duterte’s Deadly Regime?

Written on February 2018 Our emphatic response is no, but some are flaunting the question as if the issue is already settled. That the Left is guilty of political opportunism by collaborating with the government of Rodrigo Duterte; that it shed its revolutionary credentials by joining Duterte’s Cabinet; and that it was already shamefully late […]

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