Closing down Rappler – Opening up Pandora’s box
By Chemrock The Securities and Exchange Commission ordered the closure of Rappler, a private limited corporation running an online news platform, on grounds that it breached the no-foreign ownership rules for media. Early news pointed to SEC’s decision being predicated on some Philippines Depository Receipts (PDR) issued by Rappler to foreign investors, thus subjecting the company … Continue reading
Zombies! Filipino zombies!
By Joe America What do we know at this point? We know the Duterte Administration has skillfully applied the power of greed, ambition, and privilege to diminish Filipino democratic ideals, civility, and sovereignty. He is halfway to dictatorship and a new form of governance in which the ordering of privilege matters more than fairness or … Continue reading
Love to Survive
by Wilfredo G. Villanueva (An Open Letter to our daughters, sons-in-law, future sons-in-law) We remember it well. One of you even peed in her pants. It was a horror house of scary dinosaurs. Jurassic Park was popular at that time, and you had reason to be afraid, besides you were 10, 9, 8 and 2 … Continue reading
Nationalism, treason, complacency, and us
By Joe America Nationalism fascinates me because I live in a nether world between the land of my birth and the land of my choice for raising a family and dying. Some Filipinos tell me to go back to America, some are quiet with their resentments that I intrude, some are kind with their thanks … Continue reading
Gender roles, ethics, and you
By Joe America I have become so Filipinized that I watched the black dressed women at the Golden Globe Awards with some amazement. I felt that we . . . that is, the Philippine people . . . are just soooo, sooo far away from that kind of high-powered, organized righteousness that defends women against … Continue reading



