Elitism in the time of Duterte

Katrina S.S.

The upside to having a President like Rodrigo Duterte is that we are finally weeding out the elitists among us. And I don’t mean those who think that Duterte is so bastos, is so not a statesman, is so not President-material because not disente. No, this is beyond just some good ol’ Liberal Party campaign elitism. This is its more evil, less apologetic, more insidious twin. Elitists who even imagine themselves to be pro-poor, because they feel for them and wish to empower them, because they speak of the plight of the poor and the inequality in society.

Read on…

Rice cartel inside NFA alive and well

Dr. Dante Ang

Is NFA Administrator Jason Laureano Y. Aquino just naïve or part of the cabal?

For the past few weeks, Cabinet Secretary Leoncio “Jun” Evasco and Aquino were at loggerheads over the issue of rice importation specifically whether or not to extend the import permits that had expired on February 28, 2017 to March 31, 2017. The NFA Council and its Chairman Evasco were for the extension; Aquino was against it.

Read on…

The NFA mess
Rice is what we make of it by jemy gatdula
All rice by gary olivar
June 30, 2017 by lito banayo
What are Duterte’s men fighting over by federico pascual
Ditch rice policy, gov’t urged by foundation for economic freedom
GATT issues, Gut issues by corinne canlas
Mekong rice by frank lobrigo

Five reasons why Duterte should stop swearing at the EU

Rachel A.G. Reyes

IN this time of Brexit and the ranting of right-wingers in both Europe and North America who clamor for a chance to take pot shots at the European Union, President Rodrigo Duterte’s own tirades against the EU may not sound too unusual. “Tell them the mayor says you are a f*****g s**t,” he said recently before a local audience, who laughed and clapped approvingly. But while it might seem Duterte is riding on a populist wave in deriding the EU, and standing up for Philippine sovereignty, he is actually doing the country a massive disservice.

Read on…

The price of national independence

Randy David

On April 8 and 9, Manila will be the venue for an international conference aimed at expressing solidarity with the Cuban people in their bid to end more than half a century of American sanctions against their country. I understand that President Duterte, a self-described socialist, has been invited to speak at this conference, which is being organized by two local Filipino-Cuban friendship associations.

Read on…