Philippine Democracy Online

Democracy is alive despite what they say. The simple post that “Risa Hontiveros achieved nothing” stirred thousands of reactions on social media. The reason is simple – the truth hurts. If you listen to what they are saying, they insist on a particular type of morality that puts them above a pedestal, judging others who want to form a separate opinion. They will accuse you of suffering from blind obedience, when in truth, they are the ones who lack common sense.  Indeed, these people are free to believe what they want to believe. They impose on many their view of the world. To allow them to insult you is to say that they are the only ones who have the right to walk upon the earth when in a democracy, we are equal in dignity. The real problem, actually, is that even the most educated lack good manners. It is a problem of attitude. Another thing is that people actually do not read. They rely on online posts, memes, and disinformation.  They accused those who differ from their vi...

By Menelito Mansueto (MSU-IIT)  These past few days, we have read on the pages of one or two philosophical associations in the country, including the wall of some academics, accusations against Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc. As teachers, we should be the first when it comes to telling the truth. A reading of the published work by Dr. Maboloc in Princeton Theological Seminary's IBMR Journal under Sage, reveals the real score on his position. I quote: "Duterte’s drug war is premised on the pursuit of the common good. The public understands that a hardline approach to criminality is a necessary part of Duterte’s strategy. But the notion of the common good cannot be an excuse for violating the ideals of individual liberty and human rights. The politics of nation-states may be a factor in terms of finding the logical explanation for President Duterte’s approach. But the killings of drug suspects cannot be justified because they violate the right to due process" (Maboloc 2022, p...

By Menelito Mansueto  (MSU-IIT)  The statement “Risa Hontiveros achieved nothing” became a viral post that ignited a social media storm very recently. It was a Facebook post by Philosophy Professor Dr Christopher Ryan Maboloc. The statement angered the liberal folks who accused the philosophy scholar of being an enabler. But that's not the case. The said post was simply his reaction to the Senate Blue Ribbon Committee hearing last October 28, 2024.  The verbal attacks and insinuations against the professor date back as far as 2018 upon the publication of his article, “The Radical Politics of Nation-States: The Case of President Rodrigo Duterte” in the Journal of ASEAN Studies. In fact, Maboloc is also the author of the controversial book Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte, published by ElzyStyle Publishing. The criticisms and tirades on social media against the scholar is nothing new to him and does not surprise him as he has dealt with these issues years back....