State weapon to muzzle dissent
While admitting that certain provisions of Republic Act No. 10175 are unconstitutional, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza maintained that the government needs to fight crimes committed on the Internet.
While admitting that certain provisions of Republic Act No. 10175 are unconstitutional, Solicitor General Francis Jardeleza maintained that the government needs to fight crimes committed on the Internet.
On Feb. 2, 2013, around 4 a.m., the boy-helper of my eldest son sleeping inside his service van was suddenly roused from sleep by a thud. Getting out of the van, which was parked in front of our house, the boy found the windshield of the van shattered by a stone. He also saw a group of teenage boys passing by.
Crimes these days have become much more rampant and in-your-face compared to how it was before. In the past, criminals were feared only at night, when it was dark and when most people were already home.
The Dec. 1, 2012, editorial on the Maguindanao massacre (“Crime Philippines?”) hit the proverbial nail on the head when it stressed an evident truth: Not only journalists but also ordinary citizens have been victimized by various forms of criminality in what appears to be a breakdown of law and order across the country.
Will 2013 usher in some pleasant improvements for the Philippines, or will it be just a repeat of 2010, 2011 and 2012? The past three years have been about economic gains, some of which can be traced to the previous administration’s initiatives—not new growth, just a continuation from the past. In 2012, the Aquino administration [...]
But—are we ready for it? That’s the question that comes to mind once the sense of pride and joy one gets at the news that a slew of international travel publications has highlighted the Philippines as a top travel destination this year washes over. There is, of course, no denying the significance or impact [...]
The argument of President Aquino that a total gun ban will only favor society’s bad elements to the detriment of law-abiding citizens (Inquirer, 1/10/13) is a clear admission that bad elements abound in this country. It is the constitutional duty of the President of the Philippines, as commander in chief, to eliminate bad elements and maintain peace and order nationwide.
Gunshots served to welcome the year—gunshots that killed a total of nine innocents and 13 others whom law enforcers described as “members of a big criminal group.”
During the New Year we look back on the year just past and look forward to a better one ahead. During this time, memory races further back to people and places that have formed part of our lives.
The world Bank and the Philippine government are supposedly working on a master plan that will make Metro Manila flood-proof or at least make it safer for residents in the event of prolonged rains and floods.
WHEN CAGAYAN de Oro broadcast journalist James Licuanan was shot and seriously wounded a day after media workers nationwide marked the third anniversary of the Maguindanao massacre late last month, it was easy to decry the culture of impunity that has made of the Philippine media a merry killing field. But the observation may be self-serving. The fact is that not only journalists but also ordinary citizens have been victimized by various forms of criminality in what appears to be a general breakdown of law and order across the country.
OF COURSE I mean replicas, but they look as real and deadly. I spotted these gun replicas, which are really lighters, sold by a Lighters Galore stall at SM Fairview (and I guess at other malls too). Actually, some weeks ago I advised the saleslady to warn her boss of the risky business of selling gun replicas, but obviously she was neither alarmed by nor interested in my advice because until now the replicas are still on the shelves. Apparently, both the stall operator and SM management are not aware that by permitting a lighters store to peddle handgun replicas, they are complicit in the perpetuation of crimes.
