Bobotante is a slang term which literally means stupid voter. Unfortunately, it is often used to deride poor and uneducated voters who are always blamed for electing unworthy persons to public office. But by definition, bobotante is not limited by socio-economic standing. Most Filipino voters are pragmatic, rational actors making
October 7, 2025
The reality is that a compromised Ombudsman only benefits the perpetuators of graft and corruption. One can just imagine what havoc a dynastic politician would do if appointed to the post. Note that political dynasties form the backbone of the pork barrel cartel. If the President is truly serious about
September 30, 2025
Martial Law nostalgia will inevitably be a painful reality check as well. Decades after deposing a dictator, the same evils still grip the country. Even the names and faces of the villains remain largely the same. The only difference is, today millions more Filipinos bear the yoke of inequality and
September 23, 2025
Ultimately, the only investigation on government corruption that counts would be the one conducted by the Ombudsman, tagged by the 1987 Constitution as the “protector of the people”. This is the only investigation that can lead to jail time for the corrupt and the recovery of ill-gotten wealth. Only the
September 16, 2025
It is tempting to think that Filipinos should be imitating the Indonesians. That we should express our fuming disdain for dynastic politicians embroiled in the flood project scam through violent mass protests. But history shows that fury in the streets alone does not eliminate corruption in government. Indeed, EDSA I and II should be a good reality-check. What is required now is not just another outburst of fiery anger, but the methodical resolve to channel our raging political energy where it matters most:
September 9, 2025
Infrastructure has been a prolific cash cow for political dynasties. And many Filipinos have endured this tribulation for many years. But of late, the greed of dynastic politicians and their business cohorts have become too confronting for the public taste. Even their young ones are no longer ashamed to flaunt
September 2, 2025
Mabini and Marcos are names that can hardly be associated with one another. Apolinario Mabini is remembered for his unquestioned devotion to nation-building. Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. is recorded in history books for his dictatorship that razed the nation to rubble. Lucky for him though, his namesake son has been given
August 26, 2025
While President Bongbong Marcos has consistently maintained that “we are not preparing for war,” he has also acknowledged the geopolitical reality that the Philippines may be drawn into an armed conflict if China invades Taiwan. Given this context, the need to raise citizen consciousness and national readiness is not just
August 19, 2025
The Supreme Court and the Senate received quite a lashing last week. Though it seems civil society is ready to move on, for its attention is being drawn to a dire concern, i.e. the national budget for 2026. Still, politicians and activists alike got their own 15-minutes at the Senate
August 12, 2025
A few weeks ago, a man who has adopted a feminine appearance was shamed by another man who was not as presentable looking. The former is now technically referred to as a transgender woman, while the latter is still commonly known as butt ugly. Pertinently, it was the graduation picture
August 5, 2025
The dean of the University of Asia and the Pacific law school, who is also the country’s leading conservative intellectual, posted recently that “the Supreme Court is merely one of three equal branches of government” and the fact that all its members are lawyers does not make it the “smartest branch”. Dean Jemy Gatdula correctly points out that “like any human institution it can commit
July 29, 2025
By Michael Henry Yusingco, LL.M It will be his fourth State of Nation Address (SONA). This one will usher in the second half of his 6-year term. The President should resist the call to use this speech to bolster his administration’s fortunes in 2028. Many in his circle of trusted advisors will push him to hype his accomplishments, diminish criticisms, and drum up optimism for the next
July 22, 2025