It has been close to three weeks since a botched police operation against Abu Sayaff leader Isnilon Hapilon evolved into a shooting war with his supporters in Marawi City, the Maute Group, and the subsequent declaration of martial law in the entire Mindanao. The historical Islamic City of Marawi is being reduced to rubble by…
The GRP-NDFP peace talks appear to be hanging by a thread. The delegation from the Government of the Republic of the Philippines withdrew from participation in the fifth round of talks scheduled to open last May 27 in Noordwijk, The Netherlands, upon instructions of their principal, President Rodrigo R. Duterte. Despite frenzied attempts to prevent…
A year ago I described President Rodrigo Roa Duterte as a conundrum. Is he a “Leftist” or “Rightist”; a democrat or disguised autocrat; pro-people or wily demagogue; reformer or defender of the establishment? Is change really forthcoming or is this another empty slogan, the latest version of the politician’s con game? Whimsically, I compared him…
On Wednesday, three progressive Cabinet members — Environment and Natural Resources Secretary Gina Lopez, Social Welfare Secretary Judy Taguiwalo, and Agrarian Reform Secretary Rafael Mariano — will be up for confirmation by the powerful Commission on Appointments (CA). They have been twice bypassed by the CA and subsequently twice reappointed in the interim by President…
The fourth round of formal peace talks between the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) and the National Democratic Front of the Philippines (NDFP) got off to a halting start last April 3, a full day after the scheduled formal opening. For a while, it was unclear whether the talks would open at…
Having done their assigned tasks to move forward on the most substantive agenda of the GRP-NDFP peace talks, the two parties met this week in Rome for their third round of formal negotiations under the Duterte administration. It wasn’t easy sailing: the NDFP side described as “difficult” the five-day discussions; the GRP side deemed them…
President Duterte had it coming. Yes, Virginia, in a country rife with continuing human rights violations, the annual International Human Rights Day on Dec. 10 is invariably marked with protests and mass demonstrations. Public anger over the secret burial of the remains of the Dictator Marcos at the Libingan ng mga Bayani and all that…
What a world of difference. Cuba, a small Latin American country struggling to overcome several decades of a crippling US embargo, has just solemnly buried a hero of their country, of their Revolution (yes, with a capital R, because it is a real social revolution) — “El Comandante” Fidel Ruz Castro. In the Philippines, a…
“…in the end you cannot cheat history. History will not err in its judgement because no matter how you fabricate achievements, glorify events or conceal truths, a true people’s history will eventually unmask the fake heroes and the judgement on them will be harsh and severe.” — Renato Constantino, September 24, 1975 Finally, the Marcoses…
Thirty short years after the downfall of the dictator Marcos, the Marcoses are back with a vengeance. And soon, they hope, all traces of their disgraceful exit from Malacañang will be expunged from public memory. The hated despot — the villain who wrought so much suffering on our people, the crook who sold the country…
(This is my response to Mr. Edwin G. Espejo, a member of the Government of the Republic of the Philippines (GRP) Peace Panel Communications Group, who wrote a piece on rappler.com about the second round of GRP-NDFP [National Democratic Front of the Philippines] peace talks held last Oct. 6 to 9.) I wish to put…