Tag: Philippines

Duterte has forfeited the Philippines’ EU trade privileges
In 2014, Trade Justice Pilipinas supported the Philippines’ pursuit of favorable trade privileges from the EU, hoping they would deter human rights abuses. Six years later, that hope has disappeared, and so should those privileges.

Militaries in Politics: Thailand and the Philippines
Mesrob Vartavarian discusses the history of the militaries of both Thailand and the Philippines and explains how they became so deeply involved in their country's politics.

Foreign powers, political elites, and ruling regimes enabled Duterte’s rise to power
It is time to stop scapegoating the Left for Duterte’s rise. Instead blame and fight the real culprits – foreign powers, political elites, previous regimes and their policies – and to forge stronger unities and intensify the struggle against the cronyist and dictatorial regime.

Manila’s a Trap: Sensing the City in Filipino Indie Music
With the advent of laptops, synths, mixers and other musical gadgetry, the DIY ethic endeared by small indie labels is back on track. The indie culture keeps artistry aground since in today’s music industry, the story will always be an issue between the haves and the have-nots.

#HoldTheLine campaign launched in support of Maria Ressa
A coalition has been set to aid Maria Ressa and independent media from state’s harassment in the Philippines. Sixty press freedom groups and civil society organisations, journalism institutions, filmmakers, and others have formed a coalition in support of Maria Ressa and independent media united around the call to #HoldTheLine.

FORSEA Condemns the Conviction of Maria Ressa
Maria Ressa who is the founder and executive editor of the online news site, Rappler, is facing up to six years in prison. She has been charged of violating the 2012 Cyber Crime Law of the Philippines. FORSEA condemns the questionable charges against Masia Ressa.

On Court Poetry During the Marcos Dictatorship and A Note on Duterte’s Anti-Poetry
Duterte’s aggressive anti-poetry in broken English, Tagalog and Visayan is the truth of today’s politics. And it is also the unmasked truth of the poetry of all of Marcos’ court poets. In other words, Duterte’s anti-poetry is the truth of the poetry of De Vega, Mella and Hufana.

The Pasaway and Duterte’s Pandemic Blame Game
The Duterte government will never be able to correctly deal with the pandemic unless it recognizes what, not who, the real enemy is. The enemy is not the pasaway, the poor or the rebels.

Taking on the Virus, Talking with his Fists: Duterte’s Unique Approach to the COVID-19 Crisis
Duterte is floundering and clueless as a head of state. His arrogant claim to be the supreme arbiter of life and death over his countrymen has been rudely taken away from him by a virus that has put him in his place.

Limited Democracy: Elites and Subalterns in Contemporary Philippine Politics
Decades of elite-initiated societal fragmentation have made it far more difficult to mount a coherent progressive challenge to the Philippines’ predatory politics.