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People with no moral authority to comment on President Duterte’s drive against corruption, criminality and illegal drugs are joining foreign efforts to discredit him. These include former government officials who had their chance to solve the problem but did nothing. As a Duterte supporter puts it, “the sum total of their enforcement efforts against drug abuse over the past six years has been an embarrassing zero. Nothing.” Indeed, the country’s shabu industry has been roaring like hell these last six years that it managed to spawn “shabu tiangges” in Metro Manila under the very noses of the police and local government officials.
What to say
WHAT did President Duterte tell Indonesian President Joko Widodo about Mary Jane Veloso, condemned to be shot for possession of illegal substance? We have only the word of Widodo that Duterte said, “Go ahead.” In fact, President Jokowi (isn’t his name Widodo?) said: “President Duterte allowed her to be executed.”
Globalization or nationalism
MOST people, including many political leaders and some policy-makers, do not understand what “globalization” means in the real world. We tend to think of the concept as having to do with trade, particularly the so-called free trade, when goods cross borders without tariffs and duties.
Pursuing an independent foreign policy
PRESIDENT Duterte made headlines once again during the Association of Southeast Asian Nations Asean Summit in Lao PDR, where he made remarks laced with expletives allegedly against US President Barack Obama. Mr. Duterte’s tirades highlighted the double standards of the US government’s criticism of the current administration’s human-rights record while ignoring and obscuring the United States’s human-rights record in the Philippines and elsewhere.
Fossil fuels: At what price?
OSLO, Norway—We often read comparisons between the prices of solar energy or wind energy with the prices of fossil fuels. It is encouraging to see that renewables are rapidly becoming competitive, and are often cheaper than coal or oil. In fact, if coal, oil and natural gas were given their correct prices, renewables would be recognized as being incomparably cheaper than fossil fuels.
Media can spin anything
THERE is an old saying in the newspaper business that goes, “When a dog bites a man, that is not news. But if a man bites a dog, that is news.” Certain events are newsworthy and some events are not. However, this is the 21st century, when something that is “factual” does not mean that it is true. It is all about the spin.
Problem: Too many cars
It is good to see that the administration is discussing multiple options to solve the debilitating traffic problem. While the government is doing what it can to fast-track these projects, it will take several years before these projects are completed.
‘Son of a whore’
NINETY million Filipinos would be furious if US President Barack Obama calls President Duterte a “son of a whore”. That’s why Americans have all the reasons in the world to express their rage upon reading the news that Mr. Duterte has called their President a “son of a whore”. The “intemperate comment” was unfortunate, but if you are not a Filipino and you get your information from your own media representative in the Philippines, it is easy to believe something that was taken out of context.
Slapping the American eagle’s face
The Group-of-20 (G-20) nations held its 2016 economic summit in China over the weekend. The main topic for discussion was how these leading nations could best deal with sluggish global economic growth.
The Philippines: At war with itself?
WHILE it is not yet confirmed who was responsible for the Davao night market bombing, one fact is undeniable—the Philippines is at war. The Republic of the Philippines is at war with illegal drug syndicates. The people of the Philippines are at war with corrupt government officials, from big town mayors to barangay executives in some far away province. The Philippine government is at war with criminal gangs masquerading as freedom fighters for a noble cause.
BNPP: Is it worth it?
The Philippines is high on the list of countries with the most expensive electricity rates. This has hindered both our ability to become competitive and to achieve better living standards. Higher cost for electricity means higher production costs and causes personal disposable income to be spent on electricity in large amounts.
On the wrong side of history
For more than two years and around the globe, there has been a constant progression of the people—through the ballot box—rejecting the political establishment time after time. Yet, there are still those who refuse to accept this wave of change and continue to be on the wrong side of history.
A formidable problem
In the good old days, illicit drug use in the Philippines was mainly an indulgence of the rich, some artists and the sophisticated people in the entertainment world. People in rural areas seemed far removed from the menace of illegal drugs. Unfortunately, with the introduction of shabu, the illicit drug market has successfully gained inroads into the deep bowels of Philippine rural life. Young and old alike were caught in its addictive allure. Poor people were not spared. With P50 or P100, they can experience
ecstasy. The growing dependence of the poor and not so poor on shabu became a raging nationwide epidemic.
Freedom of speech: Responsibility and accountability
THE Internet has changed not only the way we obtain our news, but also how people react to that information. Those who obtain their daily news from online newspapers and from social media know that a person can make comments on the news articles.