“Hell has no fury like a strongman scorned,” to paraphrase a popular idiom. This week, Du30 was on a warpath, publicly venting his anger and frustration as his design for the 2022 election went awry. When the dust settled for the filing of certification of candidacy (COC), Du30 got a result
November 27, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez Dictators do not live forever, and continuity is their constant dilemma. The quandary is worse for proto-dictators like Du30 who is not an absolute ruler. Facing the end of his term, Du30 is desperately maneuvering to control or to remain a key player in the post-Du30 era. The high drama that
November 20, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez Finally, the widely anticipated and expected self-fulling prophecy in Philippine politics happened this week. The concluding and last episode of the months-long Du30 Drama Serye (DDS) might air on Nov 15, 2021. In the middle of the week, a carefully scripted move, setting the stage for the final episode of DDS
November 13, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez Filipinos particularly those critical of Du30 were frustrated that despite his “murderous” rule and a host of other issues like corruption and incompetence hounding his administration, he remains popular. Notwithstanding serious questions in his handling of the most serious health crisis to hit the country in a hundred years, Du30 registered
November 6, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez An hour before the filing of certificates of candidacy closed on the final day of filing, the ruling party, PDP-Laban pulled a last-minute surprise. Out of the blue, Sen. Bato de la Rosa by his lonesome arrived at the venue and filed his candidacy for president under the administration party. This
October 30, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez For 120 years no Filipino has won a Nobel Prize, until last week. The Nobel Prize is the most prestigious award in the world. Established by Swedish inventor Alfred Nobel, the prize is conferred “to those who, during the preceding year, shall have conferred the greatest benefit on mankind” in the
October 23, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez The 2022 election is the fork in the road for radicals and the progressive movement. The situation that confronts them today is similar to what the mainstream Left, the then monolithic national democratic movement faced in 1986. One fork is to discard the old, tried (several times) and tired but failed
October 16, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez Less than eight months from now the rule of Du30 will end. The sunset of a populist autocrat is finally here. Like other despots in history at the end of their rule, the twilight of this populist thug appears to be unpleasant if not troubled. Data from the latest Social Weather
October 9, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez Gloria Macapagal-Arroyo (GMA) is the only former president of the country who is still very much active in politics. Her political involvement is motivated not by the desire for public service but rather for self-preservation. In 2016, GMA cobbled together a political coalition that eventually defeated the ruling Liberal Party and
October 2, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez “Even the most powerful minister’s authority cannot last for decades, and yet the historians’ words silently live for thousands of years.” Substitute the word “minister” with “leader” and one can see why bad, despotic, corrupt, inept, abusive, and tyrannical leaders fear history. Hence, dictators, despots and autocrats are obsessed with rewriting
September 25, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez There is no peaceful retirement for Du30. He has less than a year in office and instead of looking forward to a blissful life after the presidency; Du30 is facing a life likely behind bars not only for the epic failure of his pet programs – war against illegal drugs and
September 18, 2021
By Artchil B. Fernandez Thousands of Filipinos will perish in the coming days. This tragedy is likely to unfold under the new management style adopted by the Du30 administration to handle the Covid-19 pandemic. The new management approach indicates Du30 had thrown in the towel and handling the pandemic is no longer his priority. Filipinos
September 11, 2021