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Neither Duterte nor Robredo: End elite rule
Six months ago, Rodrigo Duterte and his faction of the ruling class won the elections by riding on the wave of revulsion against then President Benigno Aquino, his faction of the ruling class, and the...
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#AnimatED: Where human rights is a joke
We commemorated Human Rights Day last December 10 with nothing to show for it except shame.Some of us went to the streets, raised clenched fists, waved red flags, denounced extrajudicial killings, and...
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Asia's recipe for healthier economic growth begins at home
Despite nearly four years living in the Philippines, my palate never quite grew accustomed to what seemed to me to be sugar-filled spaghetti sauce. But my taste buds' passion for halo-halo and whatever...
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DASH of SAS: Whether it’s sex or drugs, telling kids 'Just don’t do it!'...
If you’re a parent of a teenager like me, you probably want to have “The Drug Talk” with your kid. Except you don’t know what to say.You’re not sure how to start such a conversation. You try different...
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[Newspoint] In Christmas denial
Nothing gets in the way of a Filipino Christmas, not even the season's otherwise most provocative issues. And there are a number. The hero's burial for the dictator Ferdinand Marcos, which has sent...
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Growing up in Aleppo
When I think of childhood, I think of family picnics and pets. I think of early morning grocery runs and lazy afternoon walks. I remember playing with friends and learning my lessons in school. I...
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Negros sugarcane industry: A bittersweet Christmas symphony
What will you eat or drink during the holiday season? Cola? Coffee? Cake? Chances are, it’s crammed full of sugar. The world annually produces about 9 million dump trucks worth of it, while the average...
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Aid matters
I worked for almost a decade in the UN, focused on international development policy, including the governance of aid. And the international development assistance system can certainly be critiqued in...
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#AnimatED: Doctor, doctor, President Duterte is sick!
President Duterte’s recent revelation that he used Fentanyl, a pain killer for cancer patients that is “50 to 100 more times more potent” than morphine, has raised concerns about the state of his...
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Epicenters of fatalities in drug war: Metro Manila, Cebu top list
This draft updates the analysis published on August 22, 2016, covering fatalities linked to the anti-illegal drugs campaign in the Philippines from June 30 to August 18, 2016. The analysis in this...
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Part 1: Drugs 101: What you need to know about the PH drug situation
In a country that has been so vocal about protecting human rights and promoting social justice, silence means more deaths. As of November, almost 5,000 people have been summarily executed, without due...
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Can we end poverty in the Philippines through cash transfers?
I know I shouldn’t, but in truth I quite often judge a book by its cover. It’s not just the cover art – I’m a sucker for a good title. I don’t have enough time to read as it is, so I have to be picky....
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Part 2: The Philippines as target market for illicit drugs
(READ: PART 1: Drugs 101: What you need to know about the PH drug situation)The Philippines, as a target market for drug trafficking, is in urgent need of a drug control policy that deals with this...
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How the unfulfilled EDSA revolt led to Duterte
Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte has confirmed that he killed three men during his time as mayor of Davao city, despite officials trying to downplay an earlier admission. Duterte’s comments might...
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Erdoganism and the big mistakes of Erdogan
Since 2002, Recep Tayyip Erdogan has been in power in Turkey. He was prime minister for 11 years till 2013 and then in 2014 became president of Turkey. During this period, his ruling party could change...
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The harsh are not enshrined in memory
It is not difficult to fall for the belief that harshness prevails. It cows the weak into submission, frightens people into compliance and whips them into line. It is the more difficult thing to see...
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Duterte kills 3 – so what?
President Duterte's all-too-casual public admission that he himself, by his own hand, has killed three people takes impunity to an entirely new height. Killing is his regime’s first order of business,...
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#AnimatED: 2016, a year of sorrows and fear
As the light of 2016 fades, we gather our thoughts and look back at a year that gave us sorrows. Never in our contemporary history have we seen these many deaths in so short a time.Inevitably, sadness...
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How did the PH economy perform in 2016?
President Duterte’s election into office has singlehandedly caused several changes in the political and social landscape. In just his first 6 months, the President managed to initiate a bloody and...
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The health benefits of chicharon
Author’s note: Using the example of the Filipinos’ favorite snack, I discuss how factual information can be assembled to manufacture a lie. (Warning: Read the entire article)Chicharon – deep-fried pork...
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