Philippine Democracy Online

Dr. Christopher Ryan Maboloc’s book, "The Politics of Peace and the Mindanao Problem," is a philosophical and socio-political critique that challenges the traditional "Manila-centric" understanding of the conflict in Southern Philippines. Following the thought of Patricio Abinales, he argues that labeling Mindanao as a land of conflict is a form of bias. The book is published in 2025 by Dr. Mansoor Limba of Elzystyle Publishing.  Rather than viewing the "Mindanao Problem" as a simple religious or ethnic clash, Maboloc reframed it as a deep-seated issue of structural injustice. The author travelled to Zamboanga City, Cotabato City, Lake Sebu, and Marawi City to conduct his study, talking to Bangsamoro Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao (BARMM) officials, Peace negotiators and advocates, local leaders, academics, and Indigenous Peoples (IP). The research was funded by Ateneo de Davao University. ​Maboloc utilizes the theories of political philosopher Iris ...

  By Christopher Ryan Maboloc  The moral politics of liberals have been tested since the time of PNOY but it achieved nothing in terms of changing the lives of millions of Filipinos. We are still under the same oligarchic system and nothing in the words of their potential candidates manifest any competence to address the lingering issue of structural injustice in the country. This is why all that they do, even if they present themselves as clean and the ultimate purveyors of accountability, won't work. EDSA has not delivered on its promise of change. Time and again, the moral framing of the adversaries of Vice President SaraDuterte, portraying her with a bad image, won't work because it is elitist and condescending.  Politics in the Philippines has a lot to do with sentiments, not with labels, especially so when it comes to electing the President. The highest leader of the land will not only represent the people who believes in a cause, but someone who people can identify...

  By Christopher Ryan Maboloc, PhD  Since the Vietnam War, the narrative of the United States has not changed. It still suffers from that Superhero syndrome. It portrays all wars as the struggle between good and evil. The main goal is always to destroy the enemy. That enemy is seen as a threat to humanity and America is the mighty police force that is out there to protect and save humankind from its enemies.  This was the logic of Henry Kissinger. He theorized that if communism succeeds in Vietnam, then the whole Asia would become communist. His solution was to carpet bomb Vietnam and Cambodia. And as what my student reminded me, America lost that war. It is the same story in Iraq and Afghanistan. Bombing Iran does not make the world a safer place. It makes it more dangerous. After all is said and done, Iran will simply rebuild and desire more to develop an atom bomb. America is safe. You cannot say the same to proxy states that it uses to fight for its brand of freedom....