Tag: Philippines

Patterns in the Killing of Lawyers: The Case of Attorney Rex Fernandez

I have been monitoring the attacks on lawyers in the Philippines for over a decade. For many years the Philippines has been one of the most dangerous countries in the world for lawyers. Since 2001 there have been at least 219 violent attacks in which 197 lawyers were killed and 22 survived.

/ September 14, 2021

“Bringing University to Heel”? An Unprecedented Attack on Academic Freedom in the Philippines

The abrogation of the UP-DND Accord means that the military and police can now enter UP campuses at will. The academic community now faces the prospect of armed military and police presence and constant surveillance. Schools and universities in the Philippines are under attack by a regime that knows no limits to its brutality and violence.

/ February 1, 2021

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.

/ October 7, 2020

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.

/ September 19, 2020
Duterte Blame Game FORSEA

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.

/ August 22, 2020

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.

/ July 23, 2020

#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.

/ July 10, 2020

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.

/ June 17, 2020
Duterte’s Anti-Poetry-FORSEA

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.

/ April 29, 2020
Philippines home quarantine FORSEA

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.