By Artchil B. Fernandez September is the dictator and plunderer’s month. This is the birth month of the dictator who plundered the nation and stole its life and future. Despite the high crimes they committed against the Filipino people, the Marcoses not only remain unrepentant and remorseless, but they are also brazenly shameless in their
September 26, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez The country was treated to a rare live spectacle in the weekly night show of Du30 last Monday. Filipinos saw disputes among top officials of the current administration with no less than the Capo di Capi presiding. The source of disagreement is the new policy of the Department of Transportation (DoTr) reducing
September 19, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez “The country did not treat him [Pemberton] fairly,” Du30 declared. To correct the “injustice” done to the US marine, Du30 granted him absolute pardon this week. Once again Du30 demonstrated how twisted justice is under his administration. US Marine Lance Cpl. Joseph Scott Pemberton was convicted by the Regional Trial
September 12, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez One thing Covid-19 did is expose the weakness and failings of populist and authoritarian leaders. The pandemic has shown the inefficiency and incompetence of populist autocrats who are ascendant in the past years. With 858,381 dead and 25,816,820 infected (as of this writing) globally according to Johns Hopkins University, Covid-19
September 5, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Someone is sleepless in Malacañang or some people are losing sleep in the center of power. This is borne by an event in the past few days. Amid the pandemic where Filipinos are fighting for their lives against Covid-19, a group of Du30 supporters issued a call to arms, crying
August 29, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez On rare occasion, Presidential Spokesperson Harry Roque can be right. In his press briefing early this week, Roque accurately captured the status of his principal in relation to the Filipino nation – perpetual isolation. Du30 is truly detached not only from Filipinos but even from reality itself. The disconnect between
August 22, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez The Philippines is officially in a recession! For the first time in thirty years, the gross domestic product (GDP) of the country contracted. Second quarter GDP this year shrunk by an astounding negative 16.5 percent. The Covid-19 pandemic is not only snuffing out the lives of Filipinos, it is also wrecking
August 15, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Time out! This was the cry of the Philippine College of Physicians (PCP) last week and the called on the national government to place the National Capital Region (NCR) and nearby provinces under enhanced community quarantine (ECQ) again. They made the appeal after Covid-19 cases in the country reached 5,008
August 8, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Du30 opened and closed his second to the last State of the Nation Address (Sona) criticizing Senate Minority Leader, Sen. Franklin Drilon. Attacking a senator who is not even his arch critic and enemy (on the level of former senator Antonio Trillanes and Sen. Leila de Lima) reveals a defensive
August 1, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez “Ganun nila nilaro ang bayan ko. Kaya ako mamatay, mahulog ang eroplano, I am happy. Alam mo bakit, without declaring martial law I dismantled the oligarchy that controlled the economy and the Filipino people,” Du30 boasted in Jolo last week. With a triumphalist tone he told his audience, “I destroyed
July 25, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Finally, the charade is over. After conducting 12 hearings, the House Committee on Franchise concluded its business. Voting 70 in favor and 11 against, with 2 inhibitions and 1 abstention, the Committee adopted the position of the technical working group denying ABS-CBN of its franchise to operate. With this decision,
July 18, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Brushing aside strong public opposition, Du30 this week signed the new anti-terrorism bill into law. A new weapon is added to Du30’s authoritarian arsenal. The new anti-terror law gives authorities the power to arrest and detain people whom they suspect as terrorists or they think plan to commit terrorism for
July 11, 2020