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

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

“Free the Philippines! Join the Liberation Party!”

Posted by JoeAm on April 16, 2015 · 138 Comments 

That’s the rallying cry I imagine would attach to a group of middle class and enlightened upper class Filipino citizens who believe the nation is not yet free in the fullest, richest sense. How is the Philippines not free? Enrichment opportunities are bound in ways that favor the entitled. The poor are bound by lack of … Continue reading →

Category China, Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Economy, Education, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Government, Philippine Politics

Senator Trillanes to the rescue!

Posted by JoeAm on April 14, 2015 · 92 Comments 

My first reaction to Senator Trillanes at yesterdays Blue Ribbon Subcommittee was, “oh oh, you are pushing too hard”. I thought pulling out a man classified as “scoundrel” in most books, a certain Delfin Lee, and putting his P200 million extortion charge against Vice President Binay in the headlines, was a little risky. And I … Continue reading →

Category Citizenship/Patriotism, Crime/Corruption, Laws and Ethics, Philippine Politics