The Market Monitor Minding the Nation's Business
With the single biggest increase in oil pump prices this week in Philippine history, beer is now much cheaper than gasoline or diesel and car owners call gas stations as one of the most expensive places in the metro. Beleaguered Filipinos get pro forma lip service from government agencies with no immediate action. Any trumpeted band-aid measure stand to benefit …
Points of View & Perspectives
March, 2022
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14 March
China-Taiwan crisis to complete WWIII
Going into its 3rd week, Russia’s invasion of Ukraine has seen the collapse of negotiations held in Belarus (Russia’s collaborator), a Putin-sponsored ceasefire and a derailed all-out movement of “peace-keeping” troops ordered to destroy a whole country. Young Russian soldiers, mostly conscript teenagers who were captured by Ukrainians, revealed they were lied to; they were told it was a military …
February, 2022
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28 February
Has WW3 begun?
Russia has officially invaded Ukraine. Conventional missiles have bombed airports and military installations throughout Ukraine to prevent European and NATO countries from helping Ukraine. Before the influx of Russian troops into Ukraine, missiles have been coming from the north (Belarus), south (Crimea), and east (Russia). Russian president Vladimir Putin announced authorizing the mobilization of troops into the Donbas region where …
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21 February
Dr. Castro, litmus test of Anti-Terror Law
Comelec’s response sidestepped the question on the legal basis for dismantling campaign materials put up inside private property. Asking the courts to resolve this will take a long time.
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13 February
Believing their own fake news
Sometimes the sleek disinformation has numbed many of us, believing that Bongbong-Sara are leading surveys, that this and that have endorsed them, that their proclamation rally had the biggest attendance. But did anyone see that video at the Philippine Arena after the proclamation rally? Red and green shirted supporters were having skirmishes at the long lines for large boxes containing …
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7 February
Ukraine crisis and Philippine security
While Filipinos get entertained and take a respite from the political noise with Apollo Quibiloy’s legal team making fun of the US justice system, there is a far greater concern few consider serious at this time. The Russian threat of invading Ukraine could have repercussions with a small far east Asian country. Russia has mimicked China – or China mimicked …
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7 February
Focus: Rowena Guanzon
Comelec Commissioner Rowena Guanzon retired February 2, 2022 after reaching the retirement age of 65, leaving a firestorm of controversy on the disqualification case of presidential candidate Ferdinand ‘Bongbong’ Marcos, Jr. Fellow Comelec Commissioner Aimee Ferolino was tasked to write the decision on the disqualification case but got delayed because of COVID infections in her office. Ferolino said Guanzon was …
January, 2022
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6 January
Busted moral compass
More than 72 hours since Vice President Leni Robredo started distributing relief goods to victims of typhoon Odette in various affected cities in the Visayas and Mindanao, President Rodrigo Duterte was pictured with Senator Bong Go inside a helicopter supposedly inspecting the damaged areas.
October, 2021
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11 October
Episode 4
‘New Hope’ – that’s the title of Episode 4 of the Star Wars saga, the first of nine films. It also serves to describes the surge of optimism felt by Filipinos when Vice President Leni Robredo declared she is running for president in next year’s polls.
July, 2021
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27 July
Duterte’s last SONA (hopefully)
As President Duterte boasts of his administration’s spectacular achievements over the last five years at his last State of the Nation Address (SONA), his avid drumbeaters offer only lame excuses for the failure to act on –