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Between good and evil in Kidapawan
There are two contending stories about what occurred in Kidapawan last April 1, 2016.The first is that farmers and indigenous people, starving from the effects of El Niño, organized themselves and went...
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Gov't violence against Kidapawan farmers 'beyond spin'
There are certain matters that are, and should be, beyond spin. Violence by government agents against civilians, for one.When armed elements of state fire upon farmers, no matter what the provocation...
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Kidapawan and why the Philippines is always short of rice
The farmers whose crops in Kidapawan were destroyed by the near record El Niño which has struck the country highlight a dangerous tendency by the agriculture department under Secretary Proceso...
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Renewable energy: Powering a sustainable future
When I listened to the presidential candidates express their views on climate change and renewable energy during the debate last March 20, I was extremely disappointed with their responses. (READ: Cebu...
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How to save our mountains from fires
Clearly, El Niño, dry vegetation, and fire don’t mix. Mt Apo, the country’s highest, Mt Kanlaon, tallest of all Visayan peaks, and Bud Bongao, the holy mountain of Tawi-Tawi, are in flames.Mt Apo and...
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From Tacloban to Kidapawan: Blaming the victim
When people died because of Super Typhoon Yolanda, they were blamed for not evacuating early. When farmers were killed in Kidapawan, they were blamed for protesting to begin with.To blame the victim is...
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Call her 'pokpok', hit her boobs: How they silence a woman
This is how they silence a woman: first they tell you to shut up — because you are a woman and have nothing important to say.And if that doesn’t work, they call you names like pokpok (whore) and bitch,...
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How candidates campaign can tell us how they govern
By taking a leaf from a chapter on American partisan politics, we understand that presidential campaigns in the United States are like teasers of the administration that will govern once elected by...
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Philippine and US electoral systems on the line
The May 9, 2016 Philippine elections and the November 2016 US elections will not only be a test of candidates, but a test of our respective political systems. As Jill Lepore in a New Yorker article...
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No further obstacle to Poe’s candidacy
Last Saturday, April 9, with the release of the minute one-page resolution denying with finality the motions for reconsideration seeking to reverse its earlier ruling declaring Senator Grace Poe...
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#AnimatED: The OFW vote
April 9, a month before the elections, is the first day for overseas Filipinos to cast their votes. There’s a bright spot: more than a million have registered to vote (1.38 million), almost double the...
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Not good for Grace Poe
In a "minute resolution,” the Supreme Court denied the consolidated motions for reconsideration filed by those who had sought the disqualification of Ms. Grace Poe. A minute resolution is a one, two or...
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How fossil fuels destroy biodiversity
The global perspective on fossil fuels, one of the primary culprits of climate change, has always been focused on the immense energy it provides mankind.However, its impact on biodiversity, while more...
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An anatomy of Jejomar Binay’s campaign speeches
Reporters who follow Vice President Jejomar Binay get used to many things on the campaign trail – hours-long motorcades under the scorching heat, rallies in cramped barangay courts, and of course, the...
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Why is it difficult for Bongbong Marcos to apologize?
He has said it before and continues to say it anyway. He will apologize only for the mistakes he committed. That's a clever way of telling us no, he won't, thank you.The moral injunction behind it is...
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How big is the president-vice president tandem vote?
The answer is the same as many other vexing problems, it depends.Analysts often say that we have a weak political party system, and that voters really make their choice based on “personality” rather...
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China and next PH president: Tough to push 'reset' button
Under President Benigno Aquino III’s watch, there has been a dramatic uptick in bilateral tensions with China, which has gradually chipped away at the Philippines’ territorial claims in the West...
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A visit to Grace Poe’s former US Home
Uy, malapit lang. Sa Herndon. Madaanan nga. (Herndon, it's just near. Why don't I pass by?)These are the first thoughts that ran through my mind when I read that Rappler article entitled, "What we know...
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#AnimatED: Choosing a vice president
The vice-presidential debate organized by the Commission on Elections enriched the campaign discourse.Overall, it was instructive in getting to know more about the 6 VP candidates. It gave the public a...
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#CrossedLegsCampaignAgainstDuterte
I could barely watch the short video clip of Davao Mayor Rodrigo Duterte, candidate for president of the Philippines, proving yet again that he is a sexist piece of ordure.Here is my own transcription....
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