Philippine Democracy Online

Gerry Arambala’s "Radical Politics in Ozamiz: The Rise and Fall of a Mindanao Boss" is a compelling sociological and political study that tracks the dramatic arc of the Parojinog family. It explores how a local group evolved from a state-sponsored vigilante unit into a formidable political dynasty, only to be dismantled by the very state that once empowered them. Arambala’s work is influenced by Japanese scholar Wataru Kusaka who visited Ozamiz City and engaged with the author. The book is one of the pioneering studies in radical politics in the Philippines which is rooted in the Davao School of Radical Democracy, a new school of thought based on Christopher Ryan Maboloc's book Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte. A summary of the key themes and findings from the work: 1. The Origins: From Kuratong Baleleng to Local Heroes The narrative begins with the birth of the Kuratong Baleleng. Originally formed by the Philippine military in the 1980s as an anti-communist vigil...

  Menelito Mansueto's "Decolonial Turn in the Philippine South" (specifically focusing on Mindanao) is a critical response to the Western-centric and Manila-centric academic traditions that have historically dominated Filipino philosophy.  Mansueto argues that philosophy in the Philippines has often been a "copy-paste" of Western thought (Eurocentrism) or filtered through the lens of scholars in Manila. He suggests that this creates a "coloniality of knowledge" where the unique lived experiences of those in the "periphery"—the Philippine South—are ignored or treated as secondary. For Mansueto, the "South" is not just a geographic location (Mindanao); it is a philosophical standpoint.Locality: He emphasizes that philosophy should begin with the local conditions: the history of conflict, the diversity of cultures (Moro, Lumad, and Settler), and the socio-economic struggles of the region. The decolonial turn is about giving "epist...

By Francis Jeus Ibañez  Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc’s warning about the danger of believing in oneself to be inherently good echoes Hannah Arendt’s concern with the banality of evil: when individuals fail to question their own biases, they become complicit in systems of manipulation. This vulnerability is not confined to the oligarchs themselves but extends to ordinary Filipinos who aspire to join their ranks without critically examining the moral cost of such ambition. To regulate oligarchic attitudes, both among the powerful and those who idolize them, we must cultivate critical self‑awareness and collective responsibility. Paulo Freire, in Pedagogy of the Oppressed, reminds us that liberation requires dialogue and reflection, not blind imitation of elites. Political strategies should emphasize transparency and accountability, as John Rawls argued in A Theory of Justice, ensuring that influence is not wielded as a weapon against the very citizens it claims to serve. Moral strate...

.   In 2017, the National University of Singapore asked Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc to write an op-ed for Wataru Kusaka's book Moral Politics in the Philippines which was subsequently published by the Philippine Daily Inquirer.  This inspired Maboloc to write about Philippine democracy.  Maboloc wrote a proposal on the topic. Ateneo de Davao University funded Maboloc’s research entitled 'Radical Democracy in the Time of Duterte." Ten papers were published from the said research which became the core of his book of the same title that came out in 2022. Kusaka wrote the Foreword of the book. Maboloc’s work won the attention of followers and critics alike. The prominent figures of this contemporary philosophical movement from the Philiippine South include Menelito Mansueto, Gerry Arambala. Benjiemen Labastin, Joezenon Purog, and Rogelio Bayod, among others. Core Philosophy As mentioned in a previous article, the Davao School seeks to provide an "alternative narrative...

The Davao School of Radical Politics, otherwise known as the Davao School of Radical Democracy or (DSRD) is a "school of thought" that emerged to provide an intellectual and philosophical defense of the political style and policies of former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte through the lens of Chantal Mouffe's theory of radical democracy. Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc, a professor at Ateneo de Davao University, is the principal architect of the movement. His work bridges the gap between high-level European political philosophy (like that of Heidegger, Habermas, and Mouffe) and the gritty, localized historical and political realities of Mindanao. Theoretical Contributions  Maboloc’s influence can be broken down into three specific theoretical contributions: 1. The "Politics of the Periphery" Maboloc’s most significant contribution is the reframing of the Philippine South not as a "problem area" to be fixed by Manila, but as a vibrant site of democrat...

If the reason for the US and Israel for attacking Iran is to prevent it from building atom bombs, why can't Iran simply abandon its nuclear ambition? It is not as simple as that. ​The fundamental reason why Iran wants its own nuclear capability is to deter its enemies, primarily Israel. Regimes with nuclear weapons like North Korea are rarely invaded or overthrown, while those that gave up their nuclear armaments like Ukraine or their programs like Libya, or lacked them (like Iraq under Saddam) were eventually overthrown with support from Western-led forces (e.g. Iraq). Since Iran has not yet achieved its full nuclear capability, Israel and the US think it is strategic to prevent the same from happening. Iran views a nuclear deterrent as the ultimate form of defense against any military attack by the U.S. or Israel, which is happening right now. Because of the current war, Iran is more encouraged to fulfill its nuclear goals for its own survival. The US calls it an evil regime. Tru...