As the world’s only superpower, the United States thinks itself the only legitimate authority in disciplining or penalizing its nationals, specially its military personnel. As if in validation of that assumption, President Rodrigo Duterte has pardoned the US Marine Corps’ Lance Corporal Joseph Scott Pemberton.
The SONA and the fury
President Rodrigo Duterte has placed the National Capital Region and outlying provinces under Modified Enhanced Community Quarantine (MECQ) supposedly in response to the plea of health care workers to do just that. But that was only part of their suggestion that the government reassess its anti-pandemic strategy. Such a reassessment was glaringly absent in Mr. Duterte’s fifth State of the Nation Address (SONA) last July 27, despite the surge in the number of Filipinos afflicted with the disease.
Post-Lenten Calvary
As ardently observed as Christmas in these Catholic isles, Lent was all of four months ago, but ABS-CBN broadcaster and former Philippine Vice-President Noli De Castro recently described what his network is currently going through as a “calvary.”
Dismantling the Republic
Rather than demolishing the oligarchy, the shutdown of ABS-CBN is an assault on the Republic, whose fundamentals are the independence of the executive, legislative and judicial branches and representative government’s heeding the people’s sentiments.
Censorship by another name
Everyone please note that the congressmen opposed to the renewal of the franchise of ABS-CBN are no experts on the professional and ethical standards of journalism.