Philippine Democracy Online

By Menelito Mansueto (MSU-IIT)  Recently, there was a video footage that went viral online showing a protest march inside the UP Diliman campus, specifically at the university oval. The marchers had courageously chanted their piece. They carried placards and banners. As a former UP Diliman student, I understand the value and importance of such a democratic exercise. I am also aware and understand that activities such as these are protected under the UP-DND Accord that allows activities exercising our freedom of speech and academic freedom.  However, to the general population who are not familiar with the UP-DND Accord, it might give them the wrong impression. This could probably imply that the Marcos, Jr. Administration is friendly or soft, the very exact opposite of the old Ferdinand Marcos, Sr. No doubt, BBM has not inherited the dictatorial tendency from his father’s genes nor the political legacy of the old Marcos. Nevertheless, such an activity is nothing more than an exe...

By Menelito Mansueto (MSU-IIT)  Phavisminda is very close to my heart because it is in this organization that I delivered my first ever paper presentation. It was in 2008. I was a master’s student. My graduate school mentor, the late Dr. Eddie R. Babor, was then the President of the philosophical association from 2006-2010. According to Dr. Babor, “philosophy conferences are his typical break from work and serve as his summer vacation,” as the yearly conferences at that time usually occurred in between the months of April and May.  In the past, philosophy professors from the Visayas and Mindanao were united and very familiar with each other, probably because there were simply quite a few of them. The atmosphere was also very respectful and amiable, even if there were some, let us say, cultural differences. But now, at present, many things have changed. It is, however, beautiful to witness that philosophy enthusiasts in the country have grown both intellectually and in terms of...

  By Oliver Perater (MSU-IIT)  Disagreement of ideas is not a novel phenomenon. In fact, from a dialectical point of view, it is necessary for philosophy to move forward. Aristotle did not merely disagree with the ideas of his teacher, Plato; he even turned the latter's ideas upside down. However, we never hear of any personal attacks between these two giants, at least, as far as we know, nothing of the sort is recorded in history.  The difference between the ancient Greek philosophers and today's philosophers, I believe, is this: Socrates, Plato, and Aristotle came from aristocratic families; in fact, Aristotle, if not all of them, was a slave owner and a defender of slavery. Today's philosophers, on the other hand, are professors of lower to middle-class economic status. They are not members of the ruling class but individuals both trying to make a living in the academe and who are also trying to make a name for themselves.  In Antonio Gramsci’s classification, the...

By Menelito Mansueto  This current and intriguing scenario of Philippine politics demands very careful and in-depth scrutiny from the Filipino people and the Philippines’ general electorate. Sometimes, because of political ambitions and vested interests, any certain politician could suddenly lose his reason and go insane. This seems to be the case in Bongbong Marcos’ extraordinary rendition of former president Rodrigo Roa Duterte (FPRRD) to the ICC in the Netherlands. FPRRD, the same person who, as the former president of the Philippines, was previously endowed with the same presidential immunity that made him immune from any lawsuit. With the sudden turn of events, despite their previous alliance, and by virtue of being his predecessor as the president of the country, Bongbong Marcos did what seemed to be the very unlikely of all actions. PBBM is desperate to maintain the credibility that his political clan had lost after the series of attacks on the Duterte camps, they had the mo...

  By Menelito Mansueto (MSU-IIT)  I think that Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc is entitled to his own political opinion as much as each one of us is entitled to our own individual position on matters of public reason. So I don't get what the unnecessary fuss out there is all about. Is it not the essence of democracy to be able to speak out one's mind?  This reminds me of my newly found philosopher, social ontologist (metaphysician, if you like) Jose Monserrat Maceda, particularly his notion of "drone and melody." We may have different political leanings, or musically speaking, we may be playing different tones and sounds, or singing with different voices, but what matters is the overall effect of the music.  This is what the concept of "drone and melody" is all about. Drone, in musical terms, refers to any sustained sound or note. The overall over-arching resultant sound is called melody. We are just the different sides of the same spectrum, or one instrument i...