President Ferdinand “Bongbong” Marcos Jr. is prepared to undergo a lifestyle check, including the release of his statement of assets, liabilities, and net worth (SALN), but political analysts said such a move must be paired with genuine reforms and must also address the corruption issues that attended his father and namesake’s strongman rule. “All members of...
Tag: President Ferdinand Marcos Jr.
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Marcos relieves ‘high-performing’ Torre as PNP chief in what lawmakers see as ‘escalating internal conflicts’
President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. has relieved Gen. Nicolas Torre III of his post as Philippine National Police (PNP) chief—a sign of growing conflict within his administration, according to some lawmakers. The move was “by order of the President” and “effective immediately,” Executive Secretary Lucas Bersamin told Torre in a letter dated Aug. 25. “For the...
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Donald Trump’s brutal tariff assaults on Southeast Asia
As of Aug. 1, US President Donald Trump has finalized a sweeping set of new and brutal trade tariffs on Southeast Asian countries after a series of bilateral negotiations with the region’s leaders and trade representatives. These tariffs reflect an increasing trend toward protectionism and moving away from free trade principles and practices. The tariffs...
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Yes, we have no tomato, we have no tomato today
Friends and I have been comparing online what we were spending on food, what we were scrimping on, what little joys and luxuries we decided to do without. And we all agreed about making these sacrifices during these times, but what about the greater number of indigent Filipinos? What were they eating given the rising...
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The state of our nation
My students found it very difficult to identify two of the current administration’s notable accomplishments in public finance. I can appreciate their difficulties. The budgetary deficit in 2022 was a staggering P1.61 trillion, or 7.33% of GDP. Government spent P5.16 trillion last year but raised only P3.54 trillion in revenues. I cannot help but wonder why...
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‘Let’s not be blind to history’ in enforcing new rice production program
The strongman Ferdinand Marcos Sr. was said to have achieved some measure of success in “Masagana 99,” when farmers harvested more palay per hectare in the late 1970s. Backed by new technology, high-yielding varieties, cheap fertilizers and the construction of megadams in Luzon, the rice production program yielded modest surpluses for farmers for one or...