Editorial commentary, expert analysis, and diverse perspectives on Philippine political issues and governance
21 articles
As retired Chief Justice Reynato Puno warns against the unconstitutional disenfranchisement of senator-judges, the sudden surge of cases against sitting lawmakers exposes the cynical arithmetic behind the Sara Duterte impeachment trial.
Article III of the Constitution is clear: no arrest warrant except from a Philippine court with probable cause. But when the executive acts immediately and the Supreme Court can't catch up in time, what's written has no meaning. This is the deeper question in the chase for Bato — and what every Filipino should worry about, not just Duterte allies.
The World Bank just approved an $800 million loan for the Philippines. On paper, it's a vote of confidence. In practice, with the DPWH corruption scandal still unresolved and confidential funds unaccounted for, Filipinos have every reason to ask: who really benefits?
As Filipinos reel from historic fuel price hikes triggered by the Middle East war, President Marcos stands at the podium promising protection — the same president whose administration is mired in a multi-billion-peso corruption scandal, whose own family benefited most from the budget he approved, and whose father once wrote that the boy was "too carefree and lazy" to lead. The irony is not lost on the people in the streets.
The Marcos administration is rushing the sale of prime government properties — Atrium of Makati, Mile Long, and FTI — to fund an oil buffer stock. The urgency is real. But so is the question: why wasn't this buffer built years ago?
Rep. Gerville Luistro's pre-emptive threat to jail banks that don't surrender Sara Duterte's financial records isn't just legally aggressive — it's a window into how the House impeachment machine is operating: intimidate first, due process later.
As the worst energy crisis in a decade batters Filipino households, the President's response has been palengke visits and reassurances — while neighboring Asian leaders are securing concrete deals and enacting real relief.
Sara Duterte's "it's very easy to send a plane" comparison between COVID charters and war-zone repatriation went viral — and deserved the mockery. But the laughter shouldn't let the Marcos administration off the hook: over 2,000 repatriation requests, roughly 60 people actually home.
The House approved a substitute anti-dynasty bill co-authored by Sandro Marcos and a member of the Dy political family — dynasties legislating against dynasties. Five of the bill's original authors withdrew, calling it "watered down." Here's what the bill actually does, and what it doesn't.
VP Sara Duterte is publicly attacking the Marcos administration's economic record — but she served in that administration as DepEd Secretary until 2024. Her populist proposals lack policy depth, and the timing aligns suspiciously well with her declared 2028 presidential run.
