The LaSallianIn the first eight days of October, the country was at a standstill. All eyes were on the convoys that arrived at the venue for the filing of certificates of candidacy (COCs) for the 2022 national elections. Concluding with 97 presidential bets, 29 vice-presidential alternatives, 176 senatorial hopefuls, and 270 partylists that have registered, the…
In politics, nothing is permanent except greed. Last September 8, the Energy Secretary Alfonso Cusi-led faction of PDP-Laban officially endorsed Sen. Bong Go and President Rodrigo Duterte for the presidential and vice presidential spots. The rationale behind having an incumbent president and his former top aide turned senator run for the top executive positions, Cusi…
On July 26, President Rodrigo Duterte delivered his final State of the Nation Address—but that was hardly the most momentous thing that happened that day. About an hour later, an ocean away, Lupang Hinirang blared through the Tokyo International Forum for the first time in Olympic history. Hidilyn Diaz, with her hand over her brow…
“What we’re seeing is by June 14, our supply will begin to normalize.” Sike. Vaccine czar Carlito Galvez Jr.’s prediction seemed to have been too optimistic. It is the middle of July, and the country’s supply of COVID-19 jabs is hardly normal: shortages in a handful of local government units recently had to put their…
Students and educators have toiled under the online learning setup for more than a year now, and it is beginning to look as if authorities have completely turned their backs on going back to fully face-to-face classes. The Commission on Higher Education (CHED) recently announced a “flexible learning” scheme, a policy which will allow Higher…
On World Press Freedom Day last May 3, President Rodrigo Duterte, in his message celebrating the occasion, stressed the importance of having a “free and responsible press” that “must be protected from all forms of threat and intimidation so that they may fully serve the best interest of the people.” The statement did not sit…
On March 8, 2020, the Philippines braced for COVID-19—a then-looming threat—after President Rodrigo Duterte placed the country under a state of a public health emergency, an arguably delayed response to an already fast-spreading virus. In the days that followed, the country buckled in for widespread lockdowns, hoping that the pandemic would perhaps tide over in…
A fascist, a misogynist, and a murderer walks into a bar, and the barkeep says, “Tatay Digong! Would you like your usual drink?” While this classic joke format has seen countless variations throughout the decades, it probably still will not get as old and tired as the circus show our government has been putting on…
Even with government officials’ continued bid to increase police and military presence in colleges and universities, there has seemingly remained a sense of security for those belonging to private institutions. Surely, as long as students are on a private campus, they will be safe from coercion by state forces. Well, as it appears, not anymore.…
The Philippines was never ready for a pandemic, and yet here we are. From the lack of hospital beds to the scarcity of ventilators, the country’s weak healthcare infrastructure has become prone to collapse, as those in the highest offices of the government continue to blunder in their response. This lack of decisive leadership and…
