Randy David | PUBLIC LIVES

To be able to state what seems commonsensical without fear of being labeled immoral, or criminal, or uncivilized, or even crazy, has been one of President Duterte’s abiding rhetorical skills. It is what makes him a captivating speaker despite his penchant for longwinded and incoherent monologues. One never knows what he’s going to say, or … Read more

Over the holidays, one of my daughters chanced upon my mobile phone and was dismayed to see that I had 37,805 unread e-mails in my mailbox.  “Why do you have so much unread mail, Papa?” she asked, half-amused and half-worried.  “Because so much time is taken up just reading them, and even more to answer … Read more

The youngest of my grandchildren, the year-old Alonso, has lately been showing me how to walk.  Holding on to my finger, he takes big strides, leading with the left foot. This sends him into a wobble that he then counters with a steady right foot. He loves going up staircases, advancing and retreating at every … Read more

There is a medieval view of politics that unfortunately persists in societies like ours: that the winner takes all; that, following the election of a new president, all the key positions in government must be vacated to give way to the appointment of those most loyal to the president, irrespective of merit. Nothing does more … Read more

The word “impunity” simply means “without punishment,” or exempted from penalty—in reference to acts that normally require accountability and punishment.  In the vocabulary of human rights advocacy, however, the term has a more textured meaning, reflecting the complex challenges that human rights activists have had to face over the years in societies wracked by political … Read more

My good friend, Dodong Nemenzo, professor emeritus of politics and former president of the University of the Philippines, recently gave me an intriguing book. The title alone, “The Dictator’s Handbook” (2011), is sufficiently beguiling, and I couldn’t wait to read it.  But, halfway through the book, I realized it is not just about tyrannical regimes; … Read more

Do lawmakers have a sexual life? Presumably, they do, and they ought to know that this is a private matter.  If so, why would they inquire into the details of another person’s sexual life in the course of the performance of their legislative function?  I suppose the quick answer would be: Because if that person … Read more

I don’t know which is worse: President Duterte’s statement that the opposition to the burial of Ferdinand Marcos in the Libingan ng mga Bayani is merely a continuation of the personal war between the Marcoses and the Aquinos, or the wording of the Supreme Court’s decision upholding the President’s right to order the dictator’s burial … Read more

The globalization of economies and of mass media, climate change, mass migration, terrorism, pandemics, the global trade in narcotics, failed states—these are only some of the most intractable problems we face in today’s world.  Many of them are interconnected, thus creating greater complexity. But, all over the world, nation-states can deal with these only according … Read more

People sometimes think that President Duterte is crazy to be making enemies on various fronts. In the four months since he was sworn into office, he has antagonized the United States, the European Union, the United Nations, the local and foreign media, the Catholic Church, sections of the business community, human rights organizations, and many … Read more