GRPundit

"Worst of all, Filipinos do not really understand what legislators do and what their role is in government." - benign0 It's not that Filipinos "do not understand what legislators do", it's really because majority of them don't care to understand. It's too tedious for their lazy and parasitic mindset. First of all, what is the sense of loyalty to most of the new generation of Filipinos? MONEY! Evidently it can be observed in most of the peoples' daily way of life and thinking. During election times, voters' accepting bribes from politicians is common in community conversations. During rallies/demonstrations, most people marching in the streets are paid by the organizers starting from as low as P50 plus a snack of very cheap sandwich and artificially flavored juice per person. For majority of Filipinos to be more concerned about the future welfare of their country much more of their posterity is not profitable at all. Because th...

The rules should be applied fairly and properly and not what is popular at the moment. Because seriously, it just does not make sense. Like for the area around UST, I know there is a zoning rule there than no building should be higher than the UST Main building so that the focal point (highest point) would be UST's building. But you can clearly see that other building have gone way above it already. Mabuhay Rotunda should also be higher than the surrounding, but that's also out the window. If I am not mistaken on this issue. If DMCI pursued the proper channels, getting zoning exemptions and what not, and were given the go ahead, why would it be illegal then? I am not pro-DMCI here but I am just against kneeling to the loudest voice in a crowd. If the entity (DMCI in this situation), got proper permits and clearances, yet is still hindered by outside forces even after going through the proper channels, shouldn't there be more discussion as to why it ended up ha...

A homegrown industry can't gain traction if the local market doesn't support the product from the outset. Most Filipinos opt to purchase foreign vehicles as much for the prestige as for their reliability. Then there is the fact that the quality of those vehicles you cited left a lot to be desired. Especially for a public that was looking for an automobile that could be used for comfortable city driving, not a bare bones utility vehicle. And, of course, one that could compare to American, European and Japanese cars. — South Korea followed the same path as the Philippine car industry at its inception. The first local vehicles they produced were modified military surplus and junked Willys Jeeps. During the 1960s and early 1970s, they moved into assembly and subcontracting for parts manufacturing. By 1975, Hyundai would introduce the Pony, South Korea's first mass-produced car. This was a proper passenger car, not the low end, affordable 'Asian Utility Vehicle...

The problem is not really a lack of ingenuity. There are, I'm sure, plenty of smart Filipinos who are capable of designing modern vehicles – but why bother? Any business that puts its head above the parapet will be pounced on by the BIR and destroyed. Without connections and grease, you have no way of getting the myriad licenses and rubber stamps required for getting a vehicle onto the road. By being deliberately useless, jeepneys and their operators can stay under the radar. They cannot be milked for taxes and bribes because they are quite obviously unprofitable – a huge money sink that produces nothing except pollution. Government will not "step in" because they are not smart enough to understand that a well-functioning economy will put more wealth into their own pockets than a corrupt, inefficient one. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/jeepneys-remain-a-stark-symbol-of-the-p...

Facebook and other forms of social media's original intent was to simply connect people and provide for them the means to communicate instantaneously no matter the distance. Naturally this could be said of the internet as a whole, but social media took it up a notch by giving people greater personalization on how they present themselves online. It was a concept that was eventually perfected by Facebook. An unintended side-effect unfortunately, is that it also encourages people to become narcissists. No other invention has given people greater ability to show-off. It's a great invention for Filipinos because it perfectly fits their KSP-driven shallow personality archetype. ------------------ This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/which-comes-first-the-nice-or-the-louis-vuitton/comment-page-1/#comment-659894

Some governments identify those products that are necessary to the welfare of their people and subsidize the businesses that provide those things, until they get off the ground. Why are we importing cheap motorcycles with 2 cycle internal combustion engines from other countries instead of promoting the electric vehicles that are being made in the Philippines? The Chinese developed a type of trash recycler that is able to produce building materials. Why isn't there one of those in every municipality? The two innovations above could create jobs and address the pollution problems that plague our country. The wealthy and powerful do not want progress because they are making tons of money just the way things are now. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/jeepneys-remain-a-stark-symbol-of-the-philippines-utter-failure-to-prosper/comment-page-1/#comment-659998

Filipinos still don't know the main functions and responsibilities of their leaders both in national and local level. This is the reason why they keep putting those undeserving politicians into office just because they are giving alms to the poor or simply by having a smooth eloquent warm conversation with them while smiling as a simple pseudo sign of being a good managers. Since not all Filipinos are aware of the local government code and the mandates of constitution, it is now time to educate the electorates about the role of their leaders. A policy which authorizes the duty of the public officials to be strictly plastered within their place outside the public offices in a vernacular words would greatly help to enlightening the minds of masses and this must be adhered definitely. This will be the basis to overseeing the duties of their leaders while they are in office. Also, it would serve as the main source of complaints from their constituents if failure arises on the sid...

The bribery incident involved Justice Corona allegedly receiving a 'platinum card' from Philippine Airlines that afforded him several perks. Among these was free first class travel for Corona and his wife. The government charges that he reversed the Supreme Court decision in favour of the FASAP union because of this. During the impeachment trial, Senator Enrile refused to allow this to be heard as part of the government's case. The reason? The impeachment complaint DID NOT SPECIFY BRIBERY. Article 3 of the complaint specifies 'betrayal of public trust and culpable violation of the Constitution.' While it is an impeachable offence, government prosecutors did not charge Corona with 'bribery.' The ACTUAL events are… The impeachment complaint against Corona alleges that he allowed the Supreme Court to act on a letter from PAL's counsel in FASAP v. PAL, which resulted in the high court flip-flopping in that case. It was also alleged that "t...

The DAP has been ruled unconstitutional. Let's not be confused. This is the crux of the matter. This scheme cooked up by Malacañang is the crime that needs to be redressed. Who now will investigate the DAP? Certainly not the COA. This agency is among the constitutional bodies that received fund transfers which the President unilaterally reallocated from the budgets of legitimate projects. It hardly has credibility. Assuming we are able to uncover the truth about the DAP, and impeachments are warranted, who will file the complaints? Not the House of Representatives. Congressmen were the primary recipients of pork from the DAP. Who will sit in judgment if ever the impeachment complaint, by some miracle, passes the House? The Senate? At least six administration senators received PhP100 million each for 'priority projects' on top of their regular pork barrel. All told, the chamber received billions in DAP funds. NO ONE with the constitutionally mandated authorit...

General Palparan happened to become the subject of scrutiny by the public and singled out by the media as the epitome of government abuse. Typically, instead of determining the facts of the situation, the Aquino administration chose to distance itself from him and play into the fears of an already distrustful populace that persons in authority intend to abuse their power. It fits the narrative Penoy Aquino has been selling since the beginning of his term — that the police, the military and public officials in general are inherently corrupt and that he will heroically swoop in, turn it all around, bring in a new era of prosperity. General Palparan has to be prosecuted and convicted to preserve the image of 'Daang Matuwid.' There was no way he was going to get a fair hearing. ---------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/retired-general-jovito-palparan-is-a-filipino-soldier/comment-page-1/#comment-65...

Describing the Marcos' regime as the "Never Again" or the "Dark Ages" is an exaggeration and seems to be somewhat unfair and selective. By saying "Never Again" it also includes all the hundreds of schools, hospitals, roads and bridges built during that time. Not to mention that rice was only P9.00 by Masagana '99 and that PH was building a nuclear power plant, trains and missiles. Of course, we wouldn't want to ignore the victims of 9 years of Martial Law (not 20 years! '72-81) where, a lot of individuals were allegedly abducted, tortured and abused. However, lot of Filipinos don't realize that the "Cold War" is going on; that Philippines was almost turned into Communism and that the nation is in a state of anarchy. If Marcos hadn't proclaimed Martial Law he could have gone down to history as a good and coward leader or not remembered at all. There will be way more millions of Filipinos that will die if Communi...

Broadcast companies have to have greater diversity in sources of funding not limited to commercial sources. Seeing how Philippine broadcast companies' business models are organized, they derive funding from commercial sources and are mainly for-profit, and hence are not essentially chartered to educate and inform the citizenry, are beholden to commercial interests. Moreover, educational programs do not actually earn them ratings. The BBC works mainly because they are founded by Royal charter and so are not solely for-profit, but have real social responsibility as indicated, as well as having diverse sources of funding not limited to commercial sources. Similarly, PBS in the United States also have non-commercial sources of funding, and is considered a non-profit broadcaster. ------------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/how-to-stop-philippine-medias-systematic-dumbing-down-of-an-entire-nation/commen...

Even the use of Tagalog for dubbing foreign movies and shows seems to serve a "dumbing down" purpose too. It makes sure local watchers are unable to understand properly the concepts on some shows that help people think. Imagine Filipinos understanding The Matrix and what it makes some people do: think. Tagalog translations tend to be diluted and inaccurate, and further keep the public at large from learning things that would other instill in them as sense of initiative and independence. No wonder the English language is still best for media today. --------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/how-to-stop-philippine-medias-systematic-dumbing-down-of-an-entire-nation/comment-page-1/#comment-651659

I think as a country's economy develops, its cultural/creative industries come along with it. I remember South Korea's TV had incredibly poor quality in the 70s and 80s, and as it entered the developed country club its media and creative industries developed. Quality dramas or films are still buried under a sea of crappy romantic comedies and, though some good productions have been recognized internationally (Oldboy, Reply 1997 are good examples). Mainstream news media has a lot of variety if you don't want pro-Park Geun Hye garbage. Though I do think that media can play a role in cultural development (there are numerous media theories supporting and challenging this, like McLuhan's; Google is your friend) as well. I like to think voter's education can change the ways of the poor. The media of this hellhole country sadly dumbs down the masses into voting for officials who pay them a chuck-o'-change. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Commen...

One of my favorite shows is produced by BBC. It is actually a car show, Top Gear. Since it is a car show, its supposed to be just about cars right? No. They manage to make it entertaining–full of your usual English tongue in cheekness, satire and national stereotyping. More than once, that show got a lot of flak for mentioning a national characteristic that isn't flattering: They were stoned in USA by hicks for painting "NASCAR Sucks" on one of their cars. Lol.; and they are hated in Mexico for saying, "Cars reflect national characteristics … a Mexican car's just going to be a lazy, feckless, flatulent oaf with a moustache, leaning against a fence asleep, looking at a cactus with a blanket with a hole in the middle on as a coat." In spite of this they often feature car related challenges in exotic locales, they make car-related inventions which are deliberately cr@p but nonetheless somewhat meritorious in their design. Through this, the show is actuall...

As of this writing, another bombing in Cotabato City occurred on Tuesday evening, August 19, 2014, injuring four. Basit Usman, a bombing expert with links to Abu Sayyaf and BIFF, is believed to be responsible. This follows a car bombing, also in Cotabato City, that occurred on August 2 of last year that killed 8 people. Remember that on September 2013, rogue MNLF elements seized parts of Zamboanga City and tried to declare an independent "Bangsamoro Republik", culminating in weeks of fighting that left dozens dead, hundreds wounded, and displacement of around 100,000 people. It's easy to talk trash when you're living comfortably far away from these conflict zones and when you have no stake invested in these places. But what about those living there whose lives are constantly threatened by conflict, war and terrorism? Maybe to you they don't matter, but to those living there it does. Threats to their lives and safety are just as important as anyone'...

You know what grinds my gears? Hearing kids talk in a mishmash of Taglish. I once caught a glimpse of an episode of the latest reality TV show fad here in the Philippines (Pinoy Big Brother) and the way these teenaged housemates converse are an example of the most ******* annoying butchering and scrambling of languages I have ever heard. Why can't they speak either straight Tagalog or straight English? What the hell is wrong with saying either "Gusto ko po matuto…" or "I want to learn…" instead of saying "Gusto ko po i-learn…"? ------------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/study-confirms-need-to-establish-english-as-medium-of-instruction-also-at-elementary-school-levels/comment-page-1/#comment-648254

Who stole the land in the first place and keeps on building on occupied territory? Article 49 of the Fourth Geneva Convention clearly states that transfer of population to occupied territory is illegal under international law. Despite this, about 500,000 Israeli settlers live illegally on occupied Palestinian land with the support of Israel's government. Which country holds the record by far for the most UN resolutions broken? Israel! Who invented modern terrorism by bombing the King David Hotel killing 92 and wounding 58? Which country has effectively legalized torture despite being a State Party to the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights and the Convention against Torture? All prime ministers of Israel could be classified as mass murderers, but Ariel Sharon would come out with flying colors. He is known as 'Butcher of Sabra and Shatila' refugee camps in Beirut in 1982 for the murder of 3,000-3,500 innocent people. Supporting Israel and its a...

The Philippines has been fighting a COMMUNIST insurgency for nearly fifty years. This is a movement whose stated goal is to destroy our democratic institutions and impose a Maoist-Communist social order along the lines of North Korea. And yet the national government imprisons General Palparan, a soldier who did exactly as he was ordered — to defend the country against an enemy threat. It is characteristic of the feeble-mindedness of the Aquino administration and their useful idiots in the media and the 'human rights industry' to be morally incapable of confronting evil. It is the same attitude they have adopted when dealing with the jihadists in Mindanao. Like the communists, they are sociopaths at heart — obsessed with their own tribal desires and utterly incapable of conferring justice or compassion on those outside their inner circle. If you were not one of them, you were a lesser being, and, in their mind, should be treated any way they saw fit. It is stupid and c...

The Hamas charter quotes Islamic religious texts to provide justification for fighting against and killing the Jews, without distinction of whether they are in Israel or elsewhere. Their stated goal is genocide — the extermination of a segment of the human race premised on the idea that the Arab–Israeli conflict is an inherently irreconcilable struggle between Jews and Muslims, and Judaism and Islam. With regards to other religions, the group's professed stance is tolerance as long as Hamas' efforts are not blocked. This generally means that anyone practicing a belief system that is not Islam — Judaism, Christianity, Buddhism, anyone who is different — may be considered as 'challenging' the Muslim faith and consequently a legitimate target of jihad. And while Hamas' political arm has claimed it has adopted a more secular attitude and a willingness to coexist with Israel, its paramilitary wing has consistently used ceasefires to build up its military capacity. ...

The tribal mindset that espouses the "us against them" view of the world and the pernicious fundamentalist religion and nationalism that accompanies it, is the greatest threat to the planet. There is no unique story, flag, anthem, prophet, god or language. (see Joseph Campbell's "The Hero With a Thousand Faces.") Power hungry politicians and clerics continue to advocate demagoguery despite the fact that human beings are 99.9% the same. We are individual threads in the fabric of life. The sooner we embrace universalism and one world government; the better. A Filipino example of tribal stupidity is the renaming of a typhoon with a filipino name when it enters the filipino area of responsibility. All this does is create confusion; especially when asking international donors for help. English is no better or worse than any other language. It just happens to be the universal language. -------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion!...

It's ironic that someone like you, a woman, had the audacity to write something like this. Did you thoroughly read Davao City's existing Women's Development Code? Or Did you even know that it exists? How about the anti-discrimination ordinance? And please, save your self from further embarrassment and only publish articles that are well-researched. That woman in bikini would never be a Mutya Ng Dabaw contestant. Wearing such an outfit is PROHIBITED in the city that's why Bikini Open pageants are held in the neighboring city, Samal Island. It's funny that most of the people who criticize Davao's government are the ones who haven't been or lived in Davao. The same way goes for people who find RB's joke okay are the ones who weren't there when it happened. Full context paints the whole picture. Too bad these people, like you, only look as far as what their eyes and understanding can reach. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment...

You've painted an overly idyllic picture of Davao's melting pot here. It may be 'peaceful,' but as a foreigner I can't walk down the street without getting a load of 'hey, Joe' cat-calls from all ages and made to feel like an alien in their city. I haven't experienced that level of harassment (however benign, it's a constant annoyance) in any other country in Asia, not even elsewhere in the Philippines, urban or rural. Foreigners are still something of a novel concept in Davao and they are extremely provincial even when comparing themselves to their countryfolk from Manila and Cebu who they have clear stereotypical views about. ---------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/ramon-bautistas-hipon-joke-davao-women-should-lighten-up/comment-page-1/#comment-643419

Many of our politicians come from the so called "upper class", and is often out of touch of their constituents' reality, apart from having a mere theoretical concept of it. In democratic countries with a mature tradition of democracy, many members of government often come from the class the represent the electorate. If the society is composed mostly of middle class, then the government make-up is similar. Ang problema natin sa Pilipinas ay maling akala na "demokratiko" na tayo dahil nakakaboto (o nabibili) ang mga tao at mayroon daw kalayaang mamahayag (kund hindi man naimpluwensiya ng mga media handlers ang mga pinagsasabi o pinagsusulat nila). Ang estado din daw ay hiwalay sa simbahan, pero hinihingi pa din ng mga politiko ang basbas nila. Ang masaklap pa, mukhang hindi pa rin natututo ang ang ating mga kababayan. (At ang marami sa mga natuto ay matagal ng lumisan at nangibang bayan.) ------------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the...

Before Mar Roxas ran for public office, he served at the Department of Trade and Industry (DTI). At the time he was living in his family's house in Cubao, Quezon City. His office was on Gil Puyat (Buendia) in Makati City. He would often make a big deal about how easy it was to get to work using the MRT — a fifteen minute commute when the shortest bus ride would take anywhere between thirty to forty-five minutes. Ironically, under Roxas' watch, the DOTC presided over the massive deterioration of the MRT system, culminating in the derailment last Wednesday, 13 August 2014. He also failed to move on any other transportation infrastructure project. In fact, he (and his boss, Penoy Aquino) caused several projects approved by the previous administration to be retarded. Being able to empathize with their fellow men — 'walking a mile in their shoes,' as it were — doesn't magically transform a buffoon into a competent bureaucrat. ---------------- This is a GRP ...

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York city, one of the richest people in the United States and in the whole world with $33 billion of net worth, takes the subway to work like most regular folks. The only people here in the Philippines who I have heard followed a similar habit, was a certain congressman who rode a bike to work everyday, and Jesse Robredo, former DILG secretary who also followed the same routine when he was mayor of Naga city. Such people however, are very rare here in the Philippines. ---------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/how-can-metro-manila-ever-improve-if-filipino-politicians-do-not-take-public-transport/comment-page-1/#comment-642379

Perhaps, the feudal filipino society; steeped as it is in patronage politics, is unable to produce anything but autocratic leaders. People seem unable to even conceive of a non-oligarchic rule. They are so enamored of wealthy celebrities; they cannot see that they are embracing their oppressors. There are plenty of academics and community activists who could serve as public servants. The idea that "people like that do not go into politics" demonstrates how brain washed the ordinary person is. Someone needs to convince the people who believe thats things will never change; that they would be better off with a different type of leadership. --------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/noynoy-aquino-needs-to-be-reminded-never-again/comment-page-1/#comment-638822

"Might as well abolish congress then….." -Franklin Drilon ...and the Senate for that matter. Simplest solution. They are useless now anyway. The Philippines is a small country compared to the US where they need representatives and governors. With the advances in technology, we can make do without a person representing a city, municipality/province. I don't feel that my congressman really represents me or his constituents anyway, who does, by the way? We do not need anybody anymore crafting idiotic bills and signing them into idiotic laws. Just implement the laws we have now, and implement it well. We do not need a couple of hundred heads just to  craft a useful bill. The national budget deliberations can be chucked also, let each municipality, city, province budget their own annual income – their income, their budget. If that income is not enough for their annual budget then, they are not doing their job well enough and should be replaced by more competent...

Time to fly in Anderson Cooper so we could find out once and for all whether or not anyone is in charge. Photo courtesy @tinesabillo https://twitter.com/tinesabillo/status/499556084768444416

Funny. Except that this is the President of the Philippines.

We really need electoral reforms. We need voter's education. We cannot rely on what PNoy is projecting to the public as the champion of fundamental reforms. Most of the economic gains that PNoy is boasting about is in fact the results of Ex PGMA's economic policies. PNoy is just doing credit grabbing. PNoy's fiscal policy is very much anchored on patronage politics. The padrino system still exists in PNoy's administration. Abad and his family, Alcala,Naguiat and Llams to name a few who benefits from this system. The prices of goods remain unstable. Smuggling hits the highest in history. See that most products being sold in the market and malls come from China. And PNoy has the guts to annoint a successor? Can the least qualified president make a sound decision of choosing the next president? Lazy voters produce lazy and incompetent president. ---------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014...

PNoy gives lip service to terms like "inclusive growth." But the reality is the middle class and miserable masses have only suffered more under his stewardship. Those lower class people trying to raise themselves out of poverty keep getting hit with the labor contract system (that limits their employment to a single 5 month term.) This pernicious system allows employers to avoid doling out benefits like SSS, Phil Health, Pag-Ibig, etc. This anti labor practice was first implemented by Marcos. By allowing this to continue, PNoy is showing his true oligarchic colors. ----------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/pnoys-endorsement-of-a-2016-presidentiable-important-because-filipinos-are-too-lazy-to-think/comment-page-1/#comment-631535

Ilan kayang players from other Universities ang papasa sa UPCAT kung sakali? Ilan kaya ag tatagal sa academic requirements? Yun yung sagot kung bakit mahina basketball team ng UP, di nilo-lower ang standard para sa iisang sport lang. (How many players from other universities can pass the UP entrance exam (UPCAT)? How many of them could sustain the academic standards required to remain in the university? The answer to those questions explains why the UP basketball team is weak. The UP does not lower its academic standards for any one sport.) ------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2014/08/why-the-up-bonfire-celebration-was-truly-a-microcosm-of-filipino-society/comment-page-1/#comment-630987

A lot of our so-called 'leaders,' politicians and public officials believe they are owed something for their 'service;' after all, they see themselves as sacrificing for the 'greater good.' That sort of reasoning allows them to justify to themselves all of the waste, the kickbacks they get from government transactions, and all sorts of backroom dealings. Then there are those who are just plain greedy but either don't have the wherewithal to compete in the real world outside of government, or are just too lazy to work. Those creatures form the backbone of practically every organised criminal conspiracy to defraud the government. In each instance, these reprobates will bilk the system until the coffers run dry without any regard for the consequences. And when the situation becomes critical, we make up for the shortfall by incurring new debt. That's the pattern of Philippine politics. Foregoing long term sustainability for short term, shortsighted...

Let me put the Philippine Economic and Political condition in a context of a typical Filipino household. The father is usually the breadwinner in the family, so let him be called the CAPITALIST. The mother is the sole administrator of all the father brings in, so let her be called the GOVERNMENT. They both take care of all the needs of their young son, so let their son represent the PEOPLE. The maid do all the household chores, so she may represent the WORKING CLASS. And their two-year old baby girl, let's call her the FUTURE. Now, here's the scenario: The young boy woke up in the middle of the night because his little sister is crying with no one attending to her. He then found out that her sister's diaper is wet and full so he went to his parent's room to seek help only to find out that his mother is sleeping soundly while his father is not in the room. He went to the maid's room instead which is tightly locked. but instead of disturbing the en...

Varying political philosophies and ideologies (often at odds with one another) emerge precisely because of differences in social circumstances and are shaped by individual cultural backgrounds. The whole point of our democracy was to be able to have a forum to allow ALL these dissenting opinions to be aired. With the explicit understanding that no one point of view would be imposed over the rest but that a consensus could be achieved that best satisfies all those who wish to participate in this democracy. Open partisanship is probably the best use of our democracy and its accompanying freedoms (of expression). That way we'd at least know where everyone stands and what it is they stand FOR. Unfortunately, given the Filipino experience over the last thirty years, we'd be hard pressed to identify any political philosophy that can't be reduced to the accumulation of a personal fortune in the shortest possible time and the transmission of that wealth to one's heirs...

There is no reason to expect that Ferdinand Marcos, Jr. would be a 'good' president. Like all of his contemporaries, he is the epitome of the traditional politician. Filipinos — especially northerners — point out that he has done much to improve their lives. That does not demonstrate principled leadership. It's an example of the same old partisan politics — reallocating and redistributing as much of the country's wealth that he will allow to his 'kababayans.' They overlook the fact that Marcos is NOT a representative of Ilocos; he is a SENATOR of the REPUBLIC. That is an office that serves the NATION; ALL Filipinos, NOT his local network of relatives, friends, cronies and hangers-on. His office represents ALL ethnic groups; it isn't limited to people born in the Ilocos region. Understanding that the President of the Republic represents ALL Filipinos should come first. --------------- This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getre...

Gina Lopez should go over the Preamble more closely; it speaks of the "common good" she is looking for: "We, the sovereign Filipino people … in order to … establish a Government that shall … promote the COMMON GOOD … under the rule of law … do ordain and promulgate this Constitution." Note that the 92-page DAP decision was principally about PNoy's violation of Section 25(5), Article VI of the 1987 Constitution –( http://sc.judiciary.gov.ph/microsite/dap/ ): "WHEREFORE, the Court PARTIALLY GRANTS the petitions for certiorari and prohibition; and DECLARES the following acts and practices under the Disbursement Acceleration Program, National Budget Circular No. 541 and related executive issuances UNCONSTITUTIONAL for being in violation of Section 25(5), Article VI of the 1987 Constitution and the doctrine of separation of powers, namely …" The violated provision, Sec. 25, Par. 5 of Art. VI (this is the Legislative, not the Executive, Departm...

The Philippine economy crawls along dragging behind it a monumental infrastructural disability... "The 2.2 million vehicles a day that grind away on Manila's crumbling road system cost the country 876 billion pesos a year, or more than $20 billion, in lost productivity and wasted energy, according to a recent study by the Japan International Cooperation Agency. That is a serious drain on an economy of about $250 billion." The problem is really bad... "Infrastructure problems have surpassed corruption as the leading economic obstacle, according to the most recent World Economic Forum competitiveness report, which is based on responses from people doing business in the country. Manila is plagued by power failures, chronic water shortages, an antiquated telecommunications system, deteriorating roads and bridges and a subpar airport." But there is no relief in sight owing to the political intrigue and infighting in the lead-up to the 2016 presidential ...

"When the President condemns the Court, and the Legislature responds with threats to curtail its independence, and when even intellectuals and lawyers argue that it is warranted, there is reason to believe that we now live in dangerous times not in the hands of revolutionaries, but from people sworn to govern us.   "And when those who are vigilant enough to run to the Constitution and avail of the remedies allowed legally to make the President answer for acts which they consider to be actionable offenses are considered enemies of the people, instead of defenders of the rule of law, there is reason to believe that our polity is at risk of becoming no longer that of law." (Above is an excerpt) Read the full article by Antonio P. Contreras, former dean of De La Salle University on GMA News Online: http://www.gmanetwork.com/news/story/373431/opinion/blogs/political-upheavals-anti-democratic-elites-and-the-pseudo-revolutionary-president

As of 7:25am today. ------------------ Source @ johnsonmanabat on Twitter https://twitter.com/johnsonmanabat/status/496437166025621504

Is the Filipino worth dying for? Hell no. That's why I left the country years ago. We can never agree on one issue. We've been played around like fools that we are. When we finally "catch" some big fish they get some sort of special pardon. Example? Marcos, Erap & Gloria. It's like the government is one big show. We're a smart, hardworking and loving people. For some damn reason, we just try to take advantage of each other. Talanka mentality. We all know it. Naalala ko pa yung commercial na 'yun makailang taon na. It sucks. Even here abroad, it's not uncommon for me to hear Filipinos backbiting one another. ------------ This is a GRP Featured Comment. Join the discussion! http://getrealphilippines.com/blog/2012/04/a-sense-of-nationalism-the-philippines-has-no-such-thing/comment-page-2/#comment-614102