By Artchil B. Fernandez “How can you frighten a man whose hunger is not only in his cramped stomach but in the wretched bellies of his children? You can’t scare him – he has known a fear beyond every other.” Du30 should have reflected on these words of Nobel winner John Steinbeck before conducting another
April 4, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez “Sununod na lang kayo!” (Just obey!) The social media is exploding with this admonition as the dwindling fanatics and overworked troll factories/farms are in frenzied and panicked effort to contain the avalance of criticisms cascading on the present adminstration due to its incompetence, incoherence and inconsistensies in handling the COVID-19 crisis.
March 28, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Social distance is the buzz phrase of the day in the light of the COVID-19 pandemic. To avoid spreading the virus everybody is enjoined to practice social distancing. Using the phrase in this time of crisis, however, is problematic and advising people to observe social distance (in its sociological sense) has
March 21, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez “Nero fiddled while Rome burned,” a legend says. In the Philippines, a jester raps while the nation burns. Another way of putting it, the leader waxes poetry while corona guts the country. Filipinos are aghast and confused about what to make of Du30’s bizarre statements during the press conference to address
March 14, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Management by pique or hurt feelings or bruised ego is exacting a heavy political price on Du30. It has placed his administration in many embarrassing situations and forced it to swallow its pride on many occasions. Du30’s decision based on emotional outbursts also put his fanatics in quandary, forcing them to
March 7, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez “If you are bad to the President, he would be worse for you. If you are kind to the President, he would be kinder to you,” Bong Go, Du30’s personal assistant/caregiver/private nurse sums up his principal’s personality. Everything for Du30 is personal and this primarily drives his actions as president. This
February 29, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez In the Second World War, German dictator Adolf Hitler decided to wage a two-front war over the objection of his top generals. While his forces were busy fighting in the Western Front – against the US, UK, France, and their allies, he ordered an offensive against the USSR, opening a second
February 22, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez How would the populists’ chess game turn out to be? We had a glimpse of the answer this week. Du30 and Trump, populist leaders who are autocratic, unhinged and erratic started moving the pieces across the chessboard this week and the ending remains open. It all started with a visa. Two
February 15, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Last Monday (February 3), the University of the Philippines (UP)-Diliman community averted a major showdown that would have rivaled the Diliman Commune in 1971. Incidentally, the aborted event would have coincided with that significant episode of the First Quarter Storm 49 years ago. Prior to Monday, disquiet, uncertainty, and angst were
February 8, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez Du30’s infamous governance by pique is in full display again. The US government recently canceled Tokhang implementer Bato de la Rosa’s US visa. This move of the State Department angered Du30. In a Leyte speech this week, he issued a threat to the US. “Now they won’t let Bato (dela Rosa)
February 1, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez In a move highly unusual, the Du30 administration opened 2020 by unveiling its legacy, three years and a half in office. Its term is not yet over, why is it in a hurry to showcase its achievements? This is a Freudian slip, exposing the insecurities and inferiority complex of the present
January 25, 2020
By Artchil B. Fernandez The year 2020 is crucial for different political forces in the country. For those aspiring to contest the 2022 presidential election, this is the time to start preparing for battle. To decide to join the coming presidential derby beyond 2020 is rather late. With the looming presidential election a little over
January 18, 2020