Tag Archives: duterte

Why the Philippines’ New Anti-Terror Law Would Be a Blow to Rights

By admin | August 6, 2018

Written for The Diplomat Over the past few weeks, as the Philippine Congress has deliberated amendments to the anti-terror law, critics have expressed concerns that it would trample the people’s civil liberties and further enable a descent into dictatorial rule under President Rodrigo Duterte. Those concerns merit closer examination in terms of both the issue […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged , , , , , , | Leave a comment

How ASEAN Strongmen Use Legal Reform to Weaken Democracy

By admin | June 2, 2018

Written for The Diplomat Proposed constitutional amendments in Cambodia and the Philippines could worsen impunity and legitimize authoritarianism in both countries. Criticized for persecuting the opposition and political dissenters, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen and Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte are now accused of imposing dictatorship through constitutional reforms. Unfortunately, tinkering with the constitution seems to […]

Posted in east asia, nation | Also tagged , , | Leave a comment

An Anti-Duterte Plot in the Philippines?

By admin | May 9, 2018

Written for The Diplomat magazine There is an alleged plot to create political destabilization in the Philippines and remove President Rodrigo Duterte from power. No less than Duterte himself exposed the conspiracy and accused the Left of conniving with the ‘yellows’ in trying to oust him as president. The ‘yellows’ refer to the political forces, […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged , | Leave a comment

Duterte’s Drug War in the Philippines: New Campaign, Old Problems

By admin | March 14, 2018

For the third time since 2016, the Philippine government has relaunched the controversial anti-drug campaign, known locally as Oplan Tokhang, amid continuing concern that the police-led operations have led to massive human rights abuses. Tokhang has long been a top priority of President Rodrigo Duterte, who vowed to eradicate illegal drugs in three to six […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged , , , | Leave a comment

Beware Duterte’s Troll Army in the Philippines

By admin | February 2, 2018

Since Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte came to power, there have been concerns about his administration’s distortion of online information raised by his opponents. A recent report provides further evidence of what many see as a worrying development. According to a recent report released by non-government organization Freedom House, the Philippines is among the 30 countries […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged , , , | Leave a comment

With Martial Law Extended in the Philippines, What’s Next for Duterte’s New ‘Communist Terrorist’ War?

By admin | January 28, 2018

This week, as expected, Congress approved Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s request to extend martial law in Mindanao. The move is a significant one that has implications for many areas, one of which is the peace process recently terminated with communist rebels, and a proclamation on December 5 declaring the Communist Party (CPP) and the New […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged , , , , | Leave a comment

Extrajudicial Killings Go Beyond Duterte’s Drug War

By admin | January 13, 2018

Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has gained global notoriety for launching a bloody “war on drugs” that has already killed more than two thousand Filipinos in less than a year. But the number of killings since Duterte assumed power could be higher if we include the victims of the government’s “all-out war” against communist rebels. The […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged | Leave a comment

2016: A Year of Peculiar and Dangerous Living in the Philippines

By admin | December 30, 2017

Published by Manila Today Here are the top people’s issues and people’s struggles of 2016. 1. Repudiation of Daang Matuwid The defeat of the Liberal Party’s presidential candidate reflected the seething rage of the people toward the corrupt, inept and callous regime of Daang Matuwid. President Noynoy Aquino started his term in 2010 with a […]

Posted in nation | Also tagged , , , , , , , | Leave a comment

Duterte’s Unfinished Wars in the Philippines

By admin | December 24, 2017

Over the past few weeks, we have seen a number of bold announcements from the government of Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte about the state of conflicts in the country that may in fact belie their actual status and broader significance. Last week, after five months, Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte declared the “liberation” of Marawi City, […]

Posted in nation, reds | Also tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Rodrigo Duterte is far from the President he promised to be

By admin | November 17, 2017

Published by Channel News Asia Almost one year since Duterte took over as the Philippines’ President, he continues to enjoy high popularity ratings, despite having a reported reputation as a misogynist and harbouring a questionable attitude towards the importance of human lives. His crime-fighting agenda may have earned him significant political brownie points before he […]

Posted in nation | Tagged | Leave a comment