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Vigilantism: What have we become?
A disturbingly increasing number of bodies have washed ashore, or have been discovered in sewers and manholes, all, apparently victims of summary executions. Some, bearing placards announcing their...
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Be brave, be good, and be great: A valedictory address
Most of us love to hear success stories – stories about ordinary people who happily found their purpose in life.But success is not always what it seems. It is like an iceberg. What we see on the...
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Duterte and media killings: Pitfalls of working in local media
I watched two of President-elect Rodrigo Duterte's press conferences where he received flak for saying that certain journalists deserve to die because they're sons of bitches (SOBs).While the "framing"...
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Historians and the distortions of ‘that Martial Law thingy’
In 1987 while walking around Avenida, I stumbled upon Tadhana. No, this was not the DVD version of today’s teen flick, That Thing Called Tadhana, starring Angelica Panganiban and JM de Guzman. This was...
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From The Hague to Manila: How change begins
I sat on the train from The Hague to Amsterdam Airport. I told myself, “This will be a long flight.” After 9 months of studying in The Hague, I will be having a 20-day break from studying and will...
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Ramadan and the beautiful spaces we negotiate
Ever since I started to live in another city – first when I was getting my university degree in Zamboanga City, later on to live in another city for work – one thing that life taught me about survival...
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The Davao that made Digong
The rise of Duterte cannot be understood without taking into consideration the impact of Davao City’s distinct political and economic history of as one of the country’s last frontier cities. When the...
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A brief for VP Leni outside the Cabinet
NOTHING HAPPENS BY CHANCE. Things always happen for a reason. In the case of our Vice President Leni Robredo, there must be plausible reasons why she assumes her mandate as the people’s chosen...
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Talking to your kids about sex, drugs, and rock & roll
You can talk to your kids about anything.I’m a very firm believer that there is always a way to explain things to kids, no matter their age, that doesn’t involve lying, or sugarcoating, or The Stork....
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#AnimatED: Lesson in leadership
In 2 weeks, President Benigno Aquino III steps down. By June 30, he would have served the country 6 years as our Constitution allows only a single term of office. Aquino leaves a mixed legacy. The...
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Dear Digong: Time for a new Philippine foreign policy
"God, grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change, the courage to change the things I can, and the wisdom to know the difference," Reinhold Niebuhr once famously penned in prayers....
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Debunking K to 12 myths
Philippine government officials repeat two tired catchphrases to justify the imposition of K to 12: “global competitiveness” and labor export.It must be reiterated that in the United Nations’ Human...
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CloseUp concert tragedy: Paalala sa tamang paggamit ng gamot
Bago pa maglaho ang interes sa trahedyang naganap sa CloseUp Forever Summer concert noong Mayo 22, dapat alamin ng publiko ang ligtas na pag-inom ng anumang gamot. Sana hindi na ito maulit pa.Bago ang...
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Why the US will fight for 'freedom of navigation' in the South China Sea
When the US confronts China in the South China Sea by having its warships sail within miles of military bases built on reefs or rocky outcrops by Beijing, the principle the US invokes first and above...
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3 ways to save Nemo and Dory
Sure, Finding Nemo was an awesome movie, inspiring a generation of people to love clownfish, now colloquially called "Nemos." Its intended message was to keep fish in the sea, where they belong.But did...
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Duterte and the media, from the perspective of a student journalist
The old adage “sticks and stones may break my bones, but words will never hurt me” proves to be obsolete as President-elect Rodrigo Duterte readies himself to take on the most sought-after position in...
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Dear Digong: Let’s leverage our West Philippine Sea arbitration case
During the latest edition of Shangri-La Dialogue, which gathers defense ministers and leading experts from around the world in Singapore annually, I couldn’t but not notice that the Philippines’...
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The party goes on
The first time I entered a gay nightclub in my early 20s, I wore a cap and shades – which was stupid, because it was dark – to hide my face. I was no longer in the closet then, but I felt uncomfortable...
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You cannot kill LGBTQ pride
You cannot kill us. Even if our bodies are scattered in a dark and silenced club after a coward opened fire at our happy and proud selves, you will never kill all of us.You don't scare us. Even if...
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[Dash of SAS] Pleasure points
COPENHAGEN, Denmark – You would think that a sexual reproductive health conference would be like a big sex education class where words like pleasure, orgasms – all things sexual and sensual – would be...
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