Monthly Archives: November 2008

The future of Asia: Whither nation and state?

Remarks delivered at the Asian Thoughts Leaders Forum held under the auspices of the Arts House of Singapore. The forum, the first of its kind held by the Arts House as part of its Asia-on-the-edge Festival, had the theme, “The Asian Past, Present & Future.” November 30, 2008. THE FUTURE OF ASIA: WHITHER NATION AND [...]

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The worm within

This will be my only entry for the rest of this week, as I have to clear the decks and prepare for Asia on the Edge in Singapore this weekend. If you’re there, you may want to attend some of the Thought Leaders activities. The news has now shifted from the killing of impeachment to [...]

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Mike and Joe: The Second Battle of the Books

We shall see, today, whether Jose de Venecia Jr. has been able to rattle enough congressmen to give impeachment a second wind, or whether the Palace’s intention to kill it comes to pass (the funeral rites will have to wait for a plenary vote). Make no mistake: the killing of the impeachment was supposed to [...]

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Do or do not, there is no try

Before… …And after. Ding Gagelonia’s recent entry in his blog, At Midfield, got me thinking. As well as some comments by readers for me to consider their view that there’s not enough time to pursue Charter Change (I think there is). But both got me to reflect, once again, on this: Timing is everything in [...]

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A weekend reflection on power

In any national debate there are two sides actively campaigning to convince the uncommitted: there are the Pros and the Antis. The purpose of a debate is to put the issue on the table and present the sides for and against the issue. The public in the end is the audience and the one called [...]

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Designed to fail and failing by design

My column for yesterday was Congressional feeding frenzy. Rep. Risa Hontiveros-Baraquel of Akbayan sent me a clarification via SMS: U wrote in ur col abt me “not lifting a finger, constraind as she is by A’s party positn, alignd w/Bayan’s, in favor of d Pres’s BJE-Moa scheme.” Kept lifting not just my finger, but my [...]

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Tidying up before the big push

(updated) Today I went to the House of Representatives to watch our Motion for Intervention end up buried by the administration majority in the Committee on Justice. There weren’t many of us bloggers there, but it was comforting to know those among the intervenors unable to be present were thinking of us, as were other [...]

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Mutiny for a bounty

As this Philippines Free Press editorial cartoon from the 1920′s shows, mutiny has always been an occupational hazard for Senate Presidents since the position was established in 1916. Today, Manuel Villar, Jr. was the latest Senate President to fall; and Juan Ponce Enrile gets to crown his political career with the next best thing to [...]

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A tale of two hearings

Updates on the intervention we filed: but first, a disclaimer, for the record. Neither the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper editors nor the management of ANC were aware of my intervention prior to its taking place. Nor was their leave, to my mind, called for because as an opinion writer, there is no hindrance to my [...]

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Intervention for the Prosecution: Why the BJE-MOA is an impeachable offense

Well, it’s in the news: please see MILF MOA added to impeach raps vs Arroyo: Intervention filed at House Earlier today and Groups want MOA-AD in Arroyo impeach raps and Bloggers comprise secod batch of complainants in new GMA raps. There’s also Impeachment and the MOA-AD in Filipino Voices. Also, Arroyo foes try for ‘online [...]

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