Randy David | PUBLIC LIVES

As the nation goes to the polls tomorrow to elect officials of the barangay, the smallest administrative unit in our system of government, it is well to reflect on what it means for barangay elections to be nonpartisan. There is a direct connection between nonpartisanship and local autonomy that is not always appreciated by our … Read more

In an ideal world, the truly benevolent give for no other reason than that their cup overflows. They expect nothing in return from the recipients of their bounty. No recognition, no fawning show of gratitude. In turn, the beneficiaries accept help only because of a pressing need, and usually, in spite of their pride. But, … Read more

Something dangerous can happen to a society when people no longer trust their leaders because they perceive them to be no different from ordinary thieves except that they steal more and can buy respectability. If a nation cannot act resolutely to confront the problem and find a collective solution, the resulting demoralization and cynicism among … Read more

Active geological faults, or fractures in the Earth’s crust that show movement over time, have been known to cause most earthquakes. Fault lines lacerate virtually all the islands that form our archipelago, Palawan being the sole exception. With the magnitude-7 earthquake that struck Bohol the other day, this beautiful island off the coast of Cebu … Read more

A lot of vagueness attends current discussions of the pork barrel. The lack of precision in the use of terms complicates questions like: what to abolish, who has the power to abolish, and how to reform the system. The ongoing hearings at the Supreme Court have clarified the meanings of many of the terms we … Read more

The original pork barrel system we borrowed from the United States pertains to projects introduced into the appropriations bill by members of Congress. This practice is now frowned upon as a throwback to the era of patronage politics because, while the costs are borne by every taxpayer, such projects tend to benefit only local or … Read more

Toward the end of his privilege speech on the pork barrel scam last Sept. 25, Sen. Jinggoy Estrada, one of the lawmakers who have been charged with plunder, claimed that he and his colleagues in the opposition were being unjustly singled out and persecuted for something that is widely known and/or practiced by perhaps every … Read more

It is difficult to say which is preferable: a party-based politics that sometimes results in governmental gridlock, or a money-based politics that runs smoothly on pork barrel privileges.  America today illustrates the deep-rooted dysfunctions of the former, while the Philippines showcases the perverse pragmatism of the latter. The other day, many offices of the US … Read more

For more than 10 years, a good number of lawmakers, with the aid of the fixers who assisted them, were able to pocket the entire cash value of their Priority Development Assistance Fund, without anyone in government publicly protesting that there was anything wrong in what they were doing. That is astonishing. It reveals a … Read more

Fate could not have written it better if this was a movie script. The convergence of recent events in our society is filled with many ironies and is deeply disturbing. It invites thoughtful reflection. At the highest level of our government, the country’s most senior senator, who has lived through some of the most critical … Read more