The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro In my radio program WALANG ATRASAN at DWAR Abante Radyo, 1494 Khz, I spoke with Prof. Clarita Carlos, former National Security Adviser and one of the country’s most incisive political thinkers. Our discussion centered on a provocative question: should the Philippines explore closer ties with the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO)? Prof. Carlos has long advanced the principle of multi-alignment and strategic autonomy. For her, …
Points of View & Perspectives
March, 2026
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22 March
Service Over Politics: Flood Control Efforts Take Priority in Naga City
LOVE FOR ALLBy: Virginia Rodriguez Plain work, no politics—that was the guiding tone as President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. visited Naga City to inspect ongoing flood control efforts under the national government’s Oplan Kontra Baha program. The visit emphasized a straightforward message: public service over politics. “Trabaho lang,” the President said, stressing that governance should prioritize immediate needs rather than partisan …
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15 March
A nation of waiters
The Philippine Constitution of 1987 contains a provision the directs the Legislative Department to pass an anti-political dynasty measure. Article !!, Section 26 provides: The State shall guarantee equal access to opportunities for public service, and prohibit political dynasties as may be provided by law. After nearly four decades of existence, the Philippine Congress had not yet passed the measure mandated …
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15 March
Shocks of Mideast missiles reach PHL petro stations
While President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. travelled to New York to lobby the United Nations for a non-permanent seat at the powerful United Nations Security Council, events at home paint a troubling portrait of a nation slowly but clearly spiraling out of control. In the Philippine Senate, public attention is consumed by a political feud between Panfilo Lacson and Rodante Marcoleta, trading accusations about campaign donations and political ethics. Such spectacles …
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15 March
Oil Deregulation: A Law That Serves Whom?
REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro The Philippine Oil Deregulation Law, enacted in 1998, was supposed to usher in competition and efficiency. Instead, it has become a straitjacket for government response to fuel price spikes. Lawmakers themselves now admit that deregulation complicates intervention, yet they stop short of repealing it. This raises a fundamental question: if Congress cannot act to ease the burden …
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15 March
Pay the Honest, Protect DPWH Regional and District Engineers
LOVE FOR ALLBy: Virginia Rodriguez Public Works Secretary Vince Dizon made the assurance that legitimate infrastructure projects will be paid despite the ongoing flood-control controversy which is a welcome signal to the construction sector. The move was made following the directive of Ferdinand Marcos Jr., the government wants to make it clear: while corruption will be hunted down, honest work …
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8 March
BACK TO BASICS
Laws have categories and a hierarcy. Divine, natural or moral law has pre-eminence among God-fearing humans if they wish to be humane. Downstream, we have Civil Law for citizens for civic life, Military Laws for men of arms, and during the pre-Modern times, there was priority to Canon Law when men of the cloth lorded it over during the age …
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8 March
Rhetoric instead of genuine preparedness
We are told the Philippines has ample petroleum reserves to weather a protracted war in the Middle East. Not true. We are assured that emergency rescue mechanisms are firmly in place for Filipinos seeking to flee a widening conflict. Not true. We are promised that suspending the fuel excise tax will stabilize pump prices. Not true. These declarations may calm …
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8 March
Why Not Forever Peace?
REALPOLITIKBy Benjie Alejandro In my recent interview with Herman Tiu Laurel—better known as Ka Mentong—on Walang Atrasan over DWAR Abante Radyo, the veteran broadcaster and geopolitical analyst offered a sobering view of the Philippines’ place in today’s turbulent world. His insights cut to the heart of our national dilemma: are we destined to be a pawn in “forever wars,” or can we chart a …
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8 March
Standing Shoulder to Shoulder: A Partnership Forged in History
LOVE FOR ALLBy: Virginia Rodriguez Seventy-seven years ago, the Philippines and the Republic of Korea established diplomatic relations rooted in shared ideals and sacrifice. That bond was not merely symbolic; it was tested in the fires of the Korean War, when Filipino soldiers stood shoulder to shoulder with Koreans in defense of freedom. Today, that same spirit of solidarity continues …