A Filipino ACLU and lawyering in the Philippines

Posted by JoeAm on May 21, 2015 · 304 Comments 

  by Lance Corporal X Part I: The forces against justice Around the time I was in the Philippines, the Mamasapano fiasco was then Dinagat. Or more precisely Cebu, since the murders, shoot-outs had already happened, PNP and AFP working together captured their man. I’ll let you dig into the Ecleo story if you wish (“22 … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Education, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, USA/Americans

The Binays and the shame of the Philippines

Posted by JoeAm on May 19, 2015 · 184 Comments 

When surfers sit on their boards peering seaward, they are looking for a wave that works, that crests big and in the right place and at the right time. A wave is now rising in the Philippines and we must watch to see if it is the one so many of us have been looking … Continue reading →

Category Blogging/Journalism, Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Philippine Government, Philippine Politics

Mary Jane Veloso, neediness, and the Sevilla resignation

Posted by JoeAm on April 24, 2015 · 141 Comments 

A “three-fer”, or three subjects for today: Mary Jane Veloso A Filipina who was evidently taken advantage of by relatives to smuggle drugs into Indonesia, and was caught, is on death row and scheduled to be executed by firing squad in about a week. The case is obviously tragic, at an individual level, and the individual … Continue reading →

Category Crime/Corruption, Family/Parenting/Children, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Politics

The Philippines: “Please pass the Mighty Bond”

Posted by JoeAm on April 21, 2015 · 349 Comments 

I remember an old glue commercial where a hefty guy hangs upside down on a cross-beam, his shoes sealed to the beam by a few daubs of Mighty Bond glue, or some similar product. My recall is a little fuzzy on the particulars, but not on the upside down man. Mighty Bond glue is not recommended for dentures or pasting … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Culture and Arts

Is Senator Poe a trapo or just a friend to VP Binay?

Posted by JoeAm on April 17, 2015 · 298 Comments 

What is a trapo, and is Senator Grace Poe one? Here’s the best explanation of the term that I’ve read: trapo, n, a traditional politician believed to be corrupt. Trapo is also a blend word or fusion, combining the first syllables of TRA-ditional PO-litician. In the beginning, Philippine journalists and “street parliamentarians” (that is, activists) … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Philippine Politics