Last June 11, the Lucban Municipal Police Station publicized what soon became a controversial Facebook post warning women and girls to “not wear short clothes” to prevent becoming victims of sexual assault crimes. Among many others condemning the post for its perpetuation of rape culture, Frankie Pangilinan’s tweet, “Stop teaching girls how to dress? Teach…
Category: Opinion
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A system of care
The COVID-19 crisis has in many ways exposed the incompetence of several of our country’s public officials, not just in terms of pandemic response, but also in the apparent absence of development and support for several important sectors and societal institutions over the past years. Among these key areas is the healthcare system, shoved into…
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The blame game
Government response to the COVID-19 pandemic has raised many questions around the competence of the country’s leaders. It seems that more focus was given to silencing critics instead of the real and more pressing issue: deterring the further spread of the virus. Some critics of the administration have once again questioned how these officials were…
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Ground left uncovered
Now is as good a time as any to talk about mental health. Epidemiological evidence on mental illnesses in the Philippines is unfortunately lacking, but the National Statistics Office identified mental illnesses as the third most prevalent form of morbidity. With the uncertainty brought by the COVID-19 pandemic in addition to unsettling tensions arising around…
There are numerous television shows and movies that revolve around crimes—tackling topics such as murder, homicide, self-harm, theft, corruption, and terrorism—and one could wonder just how true-to-life these depictions are. I personally have perceived most of these as mere fiction, or at least hoped they were. But in this day and age, that kind of…
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Carelessness finds no clemency
Hacking is something one would typically see in heist shows and science fiction films, yet fiction became fact last Thursday, May 28. Hackers took control of the customer service Twitter page of a local telecommunications company, using the account as a platform to demand improvements on the company’s internet services. Such actions bring to the…
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In the dark
As stores reopen, on-site work continues, and people return to the streets, we are made to think that the country has braved a wave of infections, that the spread of COVID-19 has been successfully mitigated, and that all that is left to do now is to prevent a resurgence of cases. Yet one should not…
As the Philippines’ 122nd day of independence approaches, news of President Rodrigo Duterte certifying House Bill 6875 or the Anti-Terrorism Bill as “urgent”—fast-tracking the Bill’s approval through Congress—last June 1 has once again raised questions as to what our rights are as citizens of the State. Two days later, it was approved by the House…
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A critic amid crisis
I have been and still am a critic during this crisis. Now, before anyone accuses me of deviance, dares question my contribution to society, or demands my “cooperation”, they must first understand that amid our country’s current troubles, to speak up is not only the practice of a right but also the fulfillment of a…
Now more than ever, the public is in dire need of information. With the COVID-19 pandemic forcing individuals and their families into a sense of seclusion, staying vigilant and aware of the developments across the nation has become a more grueling task. Yet it is through the eyes of media outlets that people can still…