Selected Comments
(Topic:
What Happened to ASEAN? Will It Become a Lapdog of China?)
Name: El Gringo
City/State/Country: Guam
IP Address: 114.142.198.43
Comments
With Only the US as its major ally powerful enough to force China to change
its ways, one can't imagine what Duterte was thinking when he began insulting
Obama. Instead of rallying our friends to join us, he is pushing them away.
Maybe that is Digong's real plan after all. Maybe he's been on the Chinese side
from the very beginning. He was a former Kabataan Makabayan and a communist
sympathizer in his younger days. Hmmm ...
Name: Joseph
City/State/Country: Far East
IP Address: 136.55.213.92
Comments
Pinas will head ASEAN after Laos. We'll see if the country can rally the
other members to its side. If it can than it still has influence within the
region. If it can't than China has won and it will be difficult for the Phil. to
defend its position.
Name: Dakila
City/State/Country: Pilipinas
IP Address: 27.33.69.203
Comments
To simplify and solve the problem about the South China Sea commotion in claimant and territorial
ownership, why not just talk an agreement with the whole member of the ASEAN and the China's
government, that the whole member of the ASEAN are be an ally of China, (one day in hundred yrs or so, affiliation to the leading country will change anyway)
I guess it's not a problem if the ASEAN are Democratic form of government and does not matter I guess if China is communist as long that all China's allied countries fisherman can go fishing in all area of the South China
Sea, how about that? is it simple? hehehe
Selected Comments
(Topic: The Marcoses Should Be Careful What They Wish For)
Name: HMSomeone
City/State/Country: USA
IP Address: 108.183.71.128
Comments
To Philippine Researcher who said, "I am glad I am now a US citizen". My reply: You and me both. In fact that is all I can say with what's happening in the Philippines. My US citizenship is my fallback, my default excuse. Otherwise I would be a very unhappy man. Evidently, the country is no longer the Philippines of my time. And the Filipinos not the people that I knew either. The callousness and loss of values is palpable. As a US Citizen who keeps insisting in
participating in anything Filipino the time may come when I will have to withdraw. God Bless America!
Name: juan delacruz
City/State/Country: taiwan
IP Address: 111.184.135.5
Comments
Ilibing muna sa ilocos norte,sa daming problema ng pinas,wag munang isingit issue n walang kwenta.
Name: Hit&Run
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD
IP Address: 74.178.0.101
Comments
Is Marcos a hero or a non-hero? This question must be settled by the nation, by people who know him, guerillas still living who served with him,
by both his friends and his enemies, by the Senate and the Congress, and by the
whole country. This matter question cannot be answered and conclusion cannot be
arrived at on the streets and dimly-lighted corner stores and cheap huddling
places. It cannot be taken too lightly as any half-ass determination will only
exacerbate the issue and will haunt the nation for many years to come. Let's
decide this matter with conscience and with clarity by asking the nation for a
final decision with whatever means necessary.
Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 174.50.134.150
Comments
The author of this article, Mr. Rodis, must realize that intelligent critics don't rely solely on "ivory tower theoreticians" to scrutinize the relevance & irrelevance of the past "cosmetic regimes" of president Marcos, president Corazon Aquino, president Arroyo, president BS Aquino III, & president Estrada. There is a tremendous danger for any journalists to concentrate too much on the specific errors [ i.e., Marcos declaration of Martial Law] committed by strong Third World democratic leaders at the expense of the general factors. It may be a fact that president Corazon Aquino's questionable liberal regime also failed to adhere to the preferences of the majority of the Filipino people: a democratic regime in which leaders are held accountable for their actions. As a scholar pointed out long time ago: "no existing democracies [i.e., Marcos & Aquino regimes, etc.] have gone through struggle the very same forces over the same issues & with the same institutional outcome." How can you determine the accurate interplay between freedom, political processes, economic-social processes that affect the quality of Third World democratic regimes? Mr. Rodis must comprehend that the label or slogan "liberal democracy" alone can't defend itself against its myriad contradictions & varieties. I think this is an established fact among democratic countries: "liberal democracies like president Corazon Aquino's liberal democracy & president BS Aquino III Yellow-Liberal democracy failed to apply fundamental practices or norms which guide democracy----accountable & transparent leadership & so on. I think there is a big difference between liberalizing democracy & democratization? Moreover, Mr. Rodis, Mr. Randy David & their fellow harsh critics of President Duterte's administration must understand that the world communities have a duty to punish & extradite ["aut deder aut punire] the common enemies of democracy such as drug trafficking, terrorism, piracy, communism, & so forth. Why? "The nature & habitual frequency of their crimes violate all public security & declare themselves the enemies of the human race."
Name: Hit&Run
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD
IP Address: 74.178.0.101
Comments
The way things are rearing themselves, any forward thinking man can rationalize that a sobering possibility is almost written on the foreboding horizon. Unilateral decisions which amount to ruling by decree can lead to a one-man rule or dictatorship. This is an invitation to more anarchy and disobedience in the country. And the way the military is being well-equipped with ample logistics, uncommon privileges and unlimited authority and enforcement, who can naysay that not all high-ranking generals are in favor of the way the President is handling the country's precarious situation. The only way this president, or any other past president, knows that he's not navigating in dangerous waters is through observation and acting in accordance with democratic process as provided by the Constitution. Short of that truism is ignorance of the law.
Name: mockingmaya
City/State/Country: taft avenue, manila
IP Address: 174.50.134.150
Comments
The author of this article, Mr. Rodis must realize that "dictatorship is sometimes much capable of decisive action than weak democratic regimes of president Corazon Cojuangco Aquino & president BS Aquino III. This is a proven fact, historically, for example, the "allure of democracy" [the problems of weak democracy or impotent democratic leaders]. Remember that a dictator is an effective leader if he wants to take tough measures against terrorism, proliferation of macro-micro drug traffickers or international criminals & domestic extremism or rebellion, communist threat, etc. [see US President Lincoln suspension of Habeas Corpus, president Marcos declaration of Martial Law, etc.] Mr. Rodis must understand that the former president Aquino tolerated the existence of an evil, "pork-barrel politics," under his regime. Scholars also considered dictatorships as "temples of pork & warehouses of pork." This is the reason why the power & influence of the "tin-pot" regimes of Marcos can't not be eliminated by a single revolution [EDSA Revolution]. Moreover, Mr. Rodis, Mr. Randi David & other Filipino intellectuals must ask themselves a simple question: Why political dictatorship [i.e., capital oriented dictatorship] is compatible with all other kinds of economic systems? Moreover, I think the Filipino people will continue to support President Duterte's war on drugs & terrorism regardless of the opinion of the world leaders. Why? "God is angry with the wicked everyday---Psalms 7:11." And Extreme democracy or run-away liberal-Yellow democratic regimes of president Aquino & president Arroyo were proven dangerous: "in every republic, ancient or modern, in which it has tried, it has terminated disastrously, & it has been productive of injustice, corruption, tyranny, & violence." Moreover, I was born in Grace Park, Caloocan City, Philippines. I've seen [as a young student] the evils of extreme democracy: drugs, gangsters, prostitution, & corruption under Marcos regime. Marcos was a dictator but he did not condone the proliferation of drugs, communist propaganda, & the existence of reprehensible criminals.
Other Comments
Name: Sam "The Mercenary"
City/State/Country: San Diego California
IP Address: 66.27.52.158
Comments
Someone said, ""It remains a puzzle to me why we should choose a strongman to solve our problem at this time rather than...to create stronger & functional institutions." My reaction: It is a puzzle to you because you equate and romanticize yourself the idea of a strong leader is the one who can decisively kill 1800-2400 people (and counting) without an objective investigation, without issuance of warrant of arrest, without compassion and the respect for habeas corpus. Lincoln is a strong leader and so is Reagan. Yet they never degraded human life into mere statistics like Stalin and Mao are well known for. A leader committing genocide is a weak leader in terms of democracy.
Name: Hit&Run
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD
IP Address: 74.178.0.101
Comments
The world had it straight from the horse's mouth. President Duterte, with his utmost bravado declaration he will not stop until every single Filipino involved in drug usage and trade is out apprehended put behind bars or laid underground. We people living abroad, Filipinos and others, are listening and watching closely as the reported raids and killings are aired. Which lead to our questions of what will happen to us who plan to visit the Philippines and what kind of atmosphere do we expect to be in. Having been raised and lived abroad for over half a century, we are not used to facing lawlessness and extra-judicial rounding of citizens in homes and street corners. How will the tourist industry fare with this type of environment where people are being deprived of their inherent rights to fair judgments; where anyone can be shot on sight and declared guilty after. Or are airports even safe for us. There are so many doubts, uncertainties and more questions we don't know the answers to. In other words, is our country becoming one place to be feared and avoided by peaceful foreign guests and visitors?
Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County, CA USA
IP Address: 107.185.155.99
Comments
Re: President Duterte:..He regrets his SOB remark on Pres. Obama.. The problem is the harm has been done..Look the P.I. is still a recipient of millions of dollars on aid from Uncle Sam.. the military received over 200 tanks from USA. If Duterte continues on his acts of being unable to behave properly in civilized society, he might not get aid from the international community when he needs it. Just remember during Typhoon Ondoy count the hundreds of millions of dollars that came in as aid to the Flood victims from the international community and the USA. The problem is Filipinos elected a Mayor who still thinks he is a Mayor. Mr. Duterte you are now President and part of a community of nations, please unlearn what you know as Mayor and act now as President, otherwise the Filipinos might do an ERP on you.
Name: Sam "The Mercenary"
City/State/Country: San Diego California
IP Address: 66.27.52.158
Comments
Someone said, "I think president Duterte is a great leader who has the intellectual & moral courage to defend the Republic of the Philippines against war on drugs, terrorism, political corruption, Abu Sayyaf bandits, etc." My response, He sure blundered his chance to meet Obama, the most powerful head of state in the World because of one thing, His bad manners.... Great Leader? Give me break. A great leader, a wise intellectual one, uses violence as a last resort. And even then, he uses objectivity and compassion whenever he carries out justice. He is also a great example. Duterte is none of these at all. "Barumbado" is the perfect description... Stop this romance with this
phony. This evil is a massive threat in the national security of the Philippine Republic. I think nothing would be worse than condoning the existence of enormous evils: the corruption of the young Filipino children, the corrupting influence of drug trades & politics [i.e., Senator De Lima's alleged association with drug lords], the long & dishonorable history of treason [i.e., for president Aquino's & former president Arroyo's failure to defend the Philippines against Communist China's threat].
Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County, CA USA
IP Address: 107.185.155.99
Comments
Re: Commander-in Chief Forum.. I watched on NBC & MSNBC the first commander
in Chief Forum in any Presidential Campaign and of course the questions for Sen. Hillary Clinton was about her use of private server and classified Information. She emphasized that she used a State Department Server when she was dealing with Top Secret Emails. On the other hand Candidate Trump declared that if the USA took the
Iraqi oil there would be no ISIS.. Wrong Mr. Trump the victors can't steal the
Iraqi Oil. America is a member of the U.N. and under the Geneva convention that would be a war crime to steal the Oil from
Iraq. Attention Trump supporters, your candidate still lives in the middle ages.
Name: Phil Researcher
City/State/Country: LA County, CA USA
IP Address: 107.185.155.99
Comments
Re: Donald Trump's refusal to release Fed tax Returns 1040. According to a report published by TYT (The Young Turks) Donald Trump (DT), he was awarded a credit under the STAR in New York State. (New York State school Tax Relief program). To be eligible for the STAR a married couple must have an income of $500,000 or less. Trump has received this tax credit for several years. While the amount of credit is
trivial, for a high roller like Trump who gets this credit calls into question "he's really rich" with a fortune worth in excess of $ 10 Billion. Trump's tax bill amounts to$96,611 after receiving a Condo Abatement worth$20,493. In short he is not
the billionaire as he claims he is.
Name: Hit&Run
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD
IP Address: 74.178.0.101
Comments
The world is getting smaller and smaller everyday and people interact each almost on a face-to-face basis regardless of distance. In the not-so-distant past it is alright for us to express ideas and opinions to others on paper only; in other words, in absentia. It was customary and excusable then. These days don't have any choice but to face the music and indulge the performers. It is high time we must appear and sound educated and learned in order to be heard, present a credible image to be taken seriously and earn the respect of contemporaries. Filipinos, in general, are well-versed in English which, up to now, is the norm used in international forums. We must show the world that we are the cultured products of high standard institutions of learning by the way we speak and act at such interactions. Harshness of feelings and determination to stick to one's conviction can be felts and understood by others even when express by soft and well-chosen words. May we?
Name: Hit&Run
City/State/Country: ONTHEROAD
IP Address: 74.178.0.101
Comments
Glad to hear that some people with authority are also seeking to rehabilitate drug pushers and users. Killing is not the only solution and must be stopped. Guilty people already know that their better choice is to voluntarily surrender themselves to the authorities or their lives will be in absolute jeopardy. The government and NGOs in return must take constructive actions to take care of our people so they can return to normal life as useful and productive citizens.
