Ferdinand Marcos and Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo – in their uncanny parallel ways — show that the easy part of power is seizing it. The difficult part is using it with wisdom and restraint. This is where most extra-legal takeovers falter. Their objectives remain too general; the limits of their intervention are left undefined. The Philippines had … Read more
Every time we allow politicians to steal elections with impunity, to rule without accountability, to rob the public coffers routinely, and to lie brazenly – we are creating the conditions for military intervention. Professional armies go hand in hand with strong democracies. We are not a strong democracy; that is why the temptation to play … Read more
In the last analysis, some people must take responsibility for what happened at the Ultra. Mass poverty set the stage for the tragedy, and mass media commercialism made it happen. For the purpose of assigning liability, the legal system cannot avoid attributing motive and allocating blame. In search of better forms of solidarity, we cannot … Read more
Without mentioning my name, but quoting liberally from my column last Sunday, my friend and fellow Inquirer columnist, Amando Doronila, takes issue (PDI, 02/01/06) with me on my criticism of Consultative Commission Chairman Jose V. Abueva and newlyappointed Presidential Adviser for Electoral Reforms Hilario G. Davide, Jr. I welcome Doro’s defense of Abueva and Davide. … Read more