The children of the late dictator Ferdinand Marcos—namely, his namesake Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. and his eldest daughter Imee Marcos, whose respective political careers have received a special boost under the Duterte presidency—have repeatedly admonished their father’s critics to stop wasting time talking about the Marcos martial law regime. As the nation marked the Aug. … Read more
What makes President Duterte an interesting speaker is that, whatever the occasion, the audience never quite knows what to expect. His habit of discarding prepared speeches has become emblematic of this basic refusal to abide by the conventions of formal speech. Consider his pronouncement last Tuesday, before a gathering of the country’s top business leaders … Read more
(Kahit minsan lang sa isang taon, bilang paggunita sa Buwan ng Wika, ang aking kolum para sa linggong ito ay nasa wikang Filipino.) Bagama’t hindi ikinatuwa ng marami ang promosyonal na video na “pepedederalismo” ni Communications Assistant Secretary Mocha Uson at ng katuwang niyang si Drew Olivar, talaga namang nakatawag ito ng pansin. Ibang usapin … Read more
In a time long past, the appearance of road checkpoints particularly in the metropolis would instantly elicit a flurry of petitions questioning their constitutionality. Checkpoints strike at the very heart of the Bill of Rights, or Article III of the 1987 Constitution. While the Supreme Court has conceded the legality of checkpoints during abnormal times … Read more