Randy David | PUBLIC LIVES

A little-known feature of the government’s war on drugs is the enlisting of local residents as “police assets” for the purpose of identifying drug suspects, particularly in congested neighborhoods. This practice resurrects a dreaded figure from the nation’s traumatic past — the traitor who betrays his own neighbors, typically wearing a bayong (a native bag … Read more

At the recent inauguration of a production facility for solar panels in Santo Tomas, Batangas, President Duterte once again deviated from his prepared speech to talk about his favorite topics — the war on drugs and the extent of corruption in the country. There he recalled his election promise that he would finish the drug … Read more

In the not-so-distant future, after we have awakened from the nightmare we are going through, someone will propose the creation of a truth commission to inquire into the brazen killings that have attended the so-called “war on drugs.”  Perhaps, while still in a daze, a chastened Filipino public would be seeking answers to troubling questions. … Read more

If what is meant is the danger of North Korean nuclear-tipped long-range missiles raining upon a US territory like Guam, or any other country allied with the United States, I think it is safe to say there is no real threat from North Korea. Its missiles can be located and bombed with lethal precision even … Read more

It was something one would not have expected in a place like Singapore, with its technocratic, business-like, and sometimes cold exterior. But, one day in early July, while visiting Singapore, I sat mesmerized before a television broadcast of an ongoing session in the Singaporean parliament. Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong was telling his colleagues how … Read more

By now, people who have listened to President Duterte speak in public a couple of times may have learned to focus less on the information he “gives” than on the information he “gives off.” Not so much on the priorities of his administration, as on who the current objects of presidential ire are. Not so … Read more

Whenever I am asked to venture an explanation for President Duterte’s high “approval” or “satisfaction” ratings in public opinion surveys, I find myself pausing longer than usual. As a sociologist, I am not sure what exactly is signified by the 84-percent “approval” for Mr. Duterte’s performance in Pulse Asia’s June 2017 survey, or the 78-percent … Read more

Like a bolt of lightning in a stormy sky, the ambassador of Turkey to Manila, Esra Cankorur, has revealed that terrorists from her own country are active in the Philippines, using private schools, civic forums, and business organizations as fronts. Philippine officials are expected not to take this exposé lightly, coming as it does in … Read more

The recent Supreme Court decision declaring Proclamation No. 216 constitutional is the latest addition to a long list of judicial rulings on the executive’s use of extraordinary powers in dealing with urgent situations. But, unlike previous rulings since 1986, this one reflects a disturbing return to the paradigm of a strong presidency. Two aspects of … Read more

At 16, my granddaughter Julia begins Grade 12 this year, one of the first Filipino students to study under the new curriculum for high school. I was already a college student entering my second year when I was her age. I had to read a lot if only to keep up with the extraordinary classmates … Read more