Randy David | PUBLIC LIVES If Descartes were Singaporean, it would be enough for him to shop to confirm that he exists. There is probably no country in the world that has more shops per person than this Southeast Asian city-state, a reality that has prompted one prominent Indian architect to liken Singapore to “one gigantic shopping bag.” I stopped … Read more
Seven Asians are this year’s recipients of the prestigious Ramon Magsaysay Awards. The awardees are being recognized for their greatness of spirit and outstanding service to others. None of them is a Filipino. Some observers have taken this as a commentary on the scarcity of greatness in our present society. The concern about not seeing … Read more
People lose faith in their institutions first, when those in charge of them exploit them for their personal benefit, and second, when they do not produce definite and useful results. Institutions are the established means by which a society conducts and regulates its collective affairs. When they fail to do their work, people feel justified … Read more
At one point in the Senate hearing on the alleged money-laundering and criminal activities of Senator Panfilo Lacson, Colonel Victor Corpus, head of the military intelligence unit and Lacson’s chief accuser, found himself being accused instead of undermining our society’s institutions. The senators pinned him down on his statement that judges, media people, and public … Read more
In trying to pin down Senator Panfilo “Ping” Lacson on drugs, kidnapfor-ransom and money-laundering charges, AFP Intelligence Chief Victor Corpus has clearly picked a formidable target. Lacson is a senator who has achieved one of the fastest role transformations in our political history. Yesterday he was just a policeman, today he is a senator, tomorrow … Read more
The resignation of Vitaliano Nanagas as president of the Social Security System has become for many thoughtful Filipinos one more occasion to reflect on the wisdom of people power and to warn against its dangers. The prevalent view is that a reform-minded official has been sacrificed to appease a mob bent on resisting any change … Read more
On a trip to New Delhi in the late ‘70s, the cab I am riding stops at an intersection. As the driver impatiently waits for the traffic lights to change, a woman with an infant approaches the car. She is dressed in rags. Half of her face is ulcerated; bits of flesh and skin hang … Read more
The problem with state-of-the-nation assessments is that they are often empty political rituals. The government describes the institutional problems and prospects – the economic climate, jobs and investments, the budgetary picture, the peace and order situation, the state of our political life, and shows the way forward. Critics paint a grim picture of the realities … Read more
The American sociologist C. Wright Mills offers a useful distinction between “personal troubles” and “public issues.” “When, in a city of 100,000, only one man is unemployed,” Mills says, “that is his personal trouble, and for its relief we properly look to the character of the man, his skills, and his immediate opportunities. But when … Read more
Angelo Mawanay, alias “Ador,” is either lying or telling the truth. The information he discloses is very detailed but it does not provide a neat picture of the world of crime he inhabits. The more he tells, the more incredible his story sounds. His confession would make of newlyelected Senator Panfilo Lacson the biggest crime … Read more