5 contributions from the media towards a sensible drug war
The Duterte era is really here and it’s difficult not to notice the changes. Obviously, many of these changes have been highly contentious, particularly when it comes to the the drug war, which has...
View ArticlePresident Duterte asks critics: What steps are you taking to solve country’s...
“The only title in our democracy superior to that of President is the title of citizen.” Justice Louis Brandeis I remember the former President Aquino once called his critics, the noisy...
View ArticleThe Rise of Tough Leaders and Their Populist Agenda
The world was stunned when Brexit campaigners pulled a stunning victory, forcing the UK out of the EU. The right wingers painted immigrants as the main reason behind UK’s woes and eliminating them in...
View ArticleShould the media always be fair and unbiased?
We always hear politicians accusing the media of being biased and unfair in their delivery of news. President Rodrigo Duterte has in fact been vocal about his distaste with the media, especially given...
View ArticleCitizen engagement and Social Media Policy Town Hall
While I agree with the principle of social media accreditation, what matters most is citizen engagement, a “two-way interaction between citizens and governments that give citizens a stake in...
View ArticleWhat is the digital divide?
During the early years of the Internet it has been likened to the movable type of printing press. This is an important comparison because the printing press led to a communication and information...
View ArticleAre you addicted to social media?
First try to answer the following questions with a yes or a no. Try to be honest” ONE, I use social media like Twitter, Facebook, Snapchat, Instagram or Pinterest throughout the entire day. TWO, I use...
View ArticleSocial media, drug abuse and drug wars
Today, let us look a three studies on alcohol, drugs and social media. What are they? What are the possible impacts they might have on our own present problems on alcohol and drug abuse? Also how if...
View ArticleIs Leni Robredo playing into Duterte’s hands?
The current game being played by the administration of Pres Duterte and opposition led by Leni Robredo can be likened to a complicated match of three dimensional chess, with battles being staged at...
View ArticleFact-checking day is every day. Here are 8 tips on how you can stand up for...
The International Fact-checking day on April 2, 2017 is not a single event but a rallying cry for more facts – and fact-checking – in politics, journalism, and everyday life. The website shares its...
View ArticleWhat is all this ado about bloggers at #ASEAN2017?
(first published at What is all this ado about bloggers at #ASEAN2017? ) I am compelled to write this piece, if only to document our ongoing struggle to make citizen engagement in the Philippines a...
View ArticleCounter speech is hard for a lot of us
How should one react to Facebook posts these days? When I talked to a Facebook representative for Public Policy Southeast Asia in October 2016, I was told to use “counter speech”. “Look it up”, I was...
View ArticleIs Leni Robredo playing into Duterte’s hands?
The current game being played by the administration of Pres Duterte and opposition led by Leni Robredo can be likened to a complicated match of three dimensional chess, with battles being staged at...
View ArticleFact-checking day is every day. Here are 8 tips on how you can stand up for...
The International Fact-checking day on April 2, 2017 is not a single event but a rallying cry for more facts – and fact-checking – in politics, journalism, and everyday life. The website shares its...
View ArticleWhat is all this ado about bloggers at #ASEAN2017?
(first published at What is all this ado about bloggers at #ASEAN2017? ) I am compelled to write this piece, if only to document our ongoing struggle to make citizen engagement in the Philippines a...
View ArticleCounter speech is hard for a lot of us
How should one react to Facebook posts these days? When I talked to a Facebook representative for Public Policy Southeast Asia in October 2016, I was told to use “counter speech”. “Look it up”, I was...
View ArticleI stand with Rappler. An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us.
“An attack on one of us is an attack on all of us. It is an attack on the freedoms over which we stand guard. Understand that we will see things this way. No, you will not be granted the impunity to...
View ArticleBloggers for Freedom
Photo via Beth Angsioco I am grateful to all the bloggers for agreeing or planning to sign the Bloggers for Freedom statement. …. We are happy and proud of this great community of freedom fighters!...
View ArticleMoves to fight “Fake News” and Other Information Disorders in 2018 (updated)
Fake news. It’s complicated. I prefer not to call it “fake news” but it has already become an umbrella term that talks about a specific kind of propaganda/misinformation/disinformation, so let me just...
View ArticleHow to stop the spread of fake news. is legislation the proper remedy?
This is my position paper as one of the resource speakers for the second public hearing held by the Senate Committee on Public Information and Mass Media on January 30, 2018. The hearing will...
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