Philippine Democracy Online

  By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD  Congressman Ronnie Puno has filed a case in the Ethics Committee against Congressman Kiko Barzaga for what the former says is a conduct unbecoming of a member of the House of Representatives. Puno alleged that the young lawmaker has put the institution in a bad reputation, citing the behavior of the former like barging into the office of Cong. Sandro Marcos to campaign for the speakership, posting obscene images on social media, sharing memes that put the Speaker, Senate President Tito Sotto, and other public officials in a bad light, including what Puno believes is a case of "inciting to sedition."  For instance, in reference to what happened in Nepal, Barzaga said "huwag nyo munang sunugin ang Congress may privilege speech pa ako sa Lunes." Puno also insinuates that Barzaga suffers from a "behavioral or mental problem", without of course mentioning it. Barzaga was late for the scheduled Ethics Committee hearing on the ...

By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD  Today, October 13, 2025, two years and six days after Hamas attacked Israel, killing 1,200 and kidnapping more than 250, resulting to the War on Gaza that killed 67,120 Palestinians, the remaining 20 hostages were released by Hamas after a ceasefire was in place a day before. Israel, in turn, will also release more than 1,719 Palestinians in detention since the war erupted. The State of Israel and Hamas agreed to the truce largely based on the 20-point plan laid down by US President Donald Trump, who is in Israel today to speak before the Israeli Parliament and the families of the freed hostages. He was welcomed by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu this morning at the Ben Gurion International Airport. The effect of the Gaza war and subsequent genocide is beyond imagination. With the cessation of the Israeli bombardment, relief operations will start, with 600 trucks of food, fuel, and medical supplies entering Gaza according to aid agencies. The war...

  By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD  Resilience is the image of a bamboo, highly flexible but firmly rooted on the ground (principles, values). It is about the ability to bounce back. Our institutions are meant to be like that. But moral accountability is not a matter of words. It must be about what our public officials actually do.  Filipinos are resilient. But it might just be a facade, one that is rooted in the "Bahala na" attitude. People accept their fate. It is a type of resignation that things happen despite what you do. We learn how to adapt but fail to make sure that certain bad things won't happen again.  But perhaps our resilience is in the weak sense. I call it negative resilience. Negative resilience means surviving but not doing anything to change bad situations to make sure that things won't happen again. You can't blame the people, however. They are victims of unfair structures and practices.  In contrast, resilience in the strong sense is what pr...

  The Senate passed a resolution urging the International Criminal Court to put President Rodrigo Duterte under house arrest in a country that would agree to the conditions set by its Pre-trial Chamber. Was the basis of the senators who voted in favor of the senate resolution simply asking for compassion? It goes beyond that. The request is rooted on a fundamental legal principle. It is a violation of the right to due process of the accused if the same is tried when in fact one is no longer fit to fully understand the legal proceedings.  The above is a matter that the ICC will determine through its experts who will look into the health condition of the former President before the ICC decides whether there's merit to the granting of the prayer for the interim release of the former leader due to poor health. It's up to the ICC whether it will grant the petition, not the critics of the former President. But there's something more than what meets the eye. The issue runs deep in...