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  • Banner collage photo of stock image of Philippine voting Halalan and campaign posters along a street in Manila.

    Where did we go wrong with the party-list system?

    After the fall of the Marcos Sr. dictatorship, efforts were made to prevent the Philippines from sliding back into plutocratic or oligarchic rule once
    Read More
    The Philippines 
  • Banner collage photo of protesters at a candlelight vigil for victims of extrajudicial killings and former president Rodrigo Duterte.

    Rodrigo Duterte was afforded something his victims were not — due process

    What transpired on 11 March 2025 was something few thought possible. Former president Rodrigo Duterte was finally arrested by the Interpol on charges of
    Read More
    Investigate Duterte The Philippines 
  • Banner collage photo of the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands and a photo of former president Rodrigo Duterte

    Why Rodrigo Duterte needs to face justice

    Since lawyer Jude Sabio filed a complaint against then-Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte for alleged crimes against humanity in 2017, the International Criminal Court (ICC)
    Read More
    Investigate Duterte The Philippines 
  • Banner collage photo of a POGO in Las Piñas City and CCTV footage of Chinese national killing another Chinese in Makati City.

    We must fumigate what’s left of POGO cockroaches in the Philippines

    The kidnapping of a Chinese teenager last week in Taguig City added to a long list of recent crimes targeting foreigners in the Philippines.
    Read More
    The Philippines 
  • Banner collage photo of the 1986 People Power Revolution in EDSA and Vice President Sara Duterte facing the House of Representatives Quad-Committee

    We must not allow the spirit of the People Power Revolution be hijacked by the Dutertes

    After the return of the Marcoses to power in the 2022 presidential election, there were grave concerns about the legacy of the EDSA People
    Read More
    The Philippines 
Where did we go wrong with the party-list system?Rodrigo Duterte was afforded something his victims were not — due processWhy Rodrigo Duterte needs to face justiceWe must fumigate what’s left of POGO cockroaches in the PhilippinesWe must not allow the spirit of the People Power Revolution be hijacked by the Dutertes

Philippine StoriesView All

Banner collage photo of stock image of Philippine voting Halalan and campaign posters along a street in Manila.

Where did we go wrong with the party-list system?

April 8, 2025 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Where did we go wrong with the party-list system?
Banner collage photo of protesters at a candlelight vigil for victims of extrajudicial killings and former president Rodrigo Duterte.

Rodrigo Duterte was afforded something his victims were not — due process

March 15, 2025 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Rodrigo Duterte was afforded something his victims were not — due process
Banner collage photo of the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands and a photo of former president Rodrigo Duterte

Why Rodrigo Duterte needs to face justice

March 10, 2025 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Why Rodrigo Duterte needs to face justice

Investigate DuterteView All

Banner collage photo of protesters at a candlelight vigil for victims of extrajudicial killings and former president Rodrigo Duterte.
Investigate Duterte The Philippines 

Rodrigo Duterte was afforded something his victims were not — due process

March 15, 2025 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Rodrigo Duterte was afforded something his victims were not — due process
Banner collage photo of the International Criminal Court in The Hague Netherlands and a photo of former president Rodrigo Duterte
Investigate Duterte The Philippines 

Why Rodrigo Duterte needs to face justice

March 10, 2025 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Why Rodrigo Duterte needs to face justice
Banner collage photo Inday Sara Duterte and Rodrigo Duterte and a stock image of the Philippine Army headquarters.
Investigate Duterte The Philippines 

The Duterte crime family and their supporters must be arrested for inciting to sedition

November 27, 2024 Louie Encabo Comments Off on The Duterte crime family and their supporters must be arrested for inciting to sedition
Banner collage photo of Department of Justice Philippines building and former president Rodrigo Duterte at the QuadComm hearing.
Investigate Duterte The Philippines 

Enough with the Congressional hearings, it’s time to bring Rodrigo Duterte to the Dept of Justice

November 16, 2024 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Enough with the Congressional hearings, it’s time to bring Rodrigo Duterte to the Dept of Justice

New Zealand StoriesView All

Banner collage photo of Shane Jones and Kermadec Islands New Zealand

The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary meant relinquishing our own marine resources, now the Government has scrapped it

March 28, 2024 Eric Lomas Comments Off on The Kermadec Ocean Sanctuary meant relinquishing our own marine resources, now the Government has scrapped it
John Tamihere Māori Television Whakaata Māori Te Pāti Māori Shane Taurima Winston Peters Royal Commission of Inquiry into Media Bias

Māori Television controversy proves Winston Peters is right about media bias

December 9, 2023 Eric Lomas Comments Off on Māori Television controversy proves Winston Peters is right about media bias
New Zealand Election 2023 post-mortem collage photo stock photo ballot box and The Beehive with NZ flag and Tino Rangatiratanga flag in the foreground.

Election 2023: A referendum on co-governance and law and order

October 19, 2023 Louie Encabo Comments Off on Election 2023: A referendum on co-governance and law and order

International SolidarityView All

The key points from Al Jazeera’s documentary on Chinese spy She Zhijiang and CCP espionage in Southeast Asia

The key points from Al Jazeera’s documentary on Chinese spy She Zhijiang and CCP espionage in Southeast Asia

September 30, 2024 Louie Encabo Comments Off on The key points from Al Jazeera’s documentary on Chinese spy She Zhijiang and CCP espionage in Southeast Asia
Banner photo collage of Karapatan Philippines protest against aerial bombings and Lumad bakwit evacuees.

International Humanitarian Law: Why even wars have rules

May 19, 2024 Louie Encabo Comments Off on International Humanitarian Law: Why even wars have rules
Labour union movement International Workers Day workers rights

Today, we thank the unions

May 1, 2023 Louie Encabo 1
Elliot Ikilei, Brian Tamaki and Alfred Ngaro
New Zealand 
May 24, 2019May 24, 2019

Will the “Christian conservative” strategy work?

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1214 Views alfred ngaro, brian tamaki, destiny church, elliot ikilei, featured, new conservative party, new zealand national party

Sensing opportunity in the 2020 general elections, “Bishop” Brian Tamaki of the controversial Destiny Church has announced the creation of his new political vehicle

Read more
Sara Duterte raising the hand of Bong Revilla
The Philippines 
May 21, 2019May 21, 2019

Frustrated by Bong Revilla’s (likely) success? Blame those who endorsed him

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1872 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, Bong Revilla, featured, hugpong ng pagbabago, pork barrel scam, sara duterte

(At the time of writing, Bong Revilla holds the 11th position but with many votes yet to be counted.) Many were in disbelief, a

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Rodrigo Duterte close-up
The Philippines 
May 16, 2019May 18, 2019

What the outcome of the 2019 Senate elections mean for the Philippines

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1080 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, featured, rodrigo duterte

Before the 2019 Philippine mid-term elections, political analyst Richard Heydarian predicted that the upcoming polls would be a “referendum on the Duterte presidency”. By

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Mar Roxas, Nancy Binay and Bam Aquino collage
Editor's Notes The Philippines 
April 25, 2019April 25, 2019

Why I am reluctantly voting for 4 “TraPos”

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1666 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, bam aquino, featured, Mar Roxas, nancy binay, serge osmena

Any patriotic Filipino voter would be greatly disappointed by the results of the recent May 2019 election surveys, which if brought into fruition would

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China artificial islands in Spratlys and Philippine giant clams
The Philippines 
April 24, 2019

Why I’m Voting (part 4): We need to preserve our natural resources

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1086 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, featured

This is part 4 of an eight-part series covering the issues that will help me decide who I’m voting for in the May 2019

Read more
Sal Panelo and Bikoy Matrix
The Philippines 
April 23, 2019

Can we trust the Government’s intelligence reports?

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1280 Views Association Matrix Between BIKOY and ELLEN TORDESILLAS, destabilization plot, featured, intelligence gathering, rodrigo duterte

After threatening to release intelligence reports that will implicate his political rivals for an alleged black propaganda against him, allies of President Rodrigo Duterte’s

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Drug war casualty and Imelda Marcos
The Philippines 
April 22, 2019April 24, 2019

Why I’m Voting (part 3): The rich and powerful are avoiding the justice system

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1633 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, Bong Revilla, featured, imelda marcos, jinggoy estrada, pork barrel scam

This is part 3 of an eight-part series covering the issues that will help me decide who I’m voting for in the May 2019

Read more
Stop killing farmers protest photo
The Philippines 
April 21, 2019April 21, 2019

Why I’m Voting (part 2): Our farmers deserve better

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1676 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, agriculture in the philippines, featured, rice tariffication law, war on farmers

This is part 2 of an eight-part series covering the issues that will help me decide who I’m voting for in the May 2019

Read more
Plastic waste pollution in the Philippines
The Philippines 
April 20, 2019

Why I’m Voting (part 1): The Philippines has a plastic waste problem

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1492 Views 2019 philippine senatorial elections, environment, featured, marine pollution, plastic waste problem

This is part 1 of an eight-part series covering the issues that will help me decide who I’m voting for in the May 2019

Read more
Winston Peters and capital gains tax
New Zealand 
April 17, 2019April 17, 2019

NZ First nets a capital gain on the proposed capital gains tax

Posted By: Louie Encabo 1137 Views capital gains tax, featured, new zealand first, tax working group, taxation in new zealand, winston peters

Ever since the Tax Working Group (TWG) released their final report last February, New Zealand’s political discourse has been largely dominated by its recommendations

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TheDefiant.net endorses #59 - Bayan Muna Party-list for #Halalan2025
Bongbong Marcos Jr.'s Human Rights Record (as of December 2024)
Political Prisoners under President Bongbong Marcos (as of November 2024)
External debt under each Philippine president (IBON Foundation Infographic)
Pope Francis/Jorge Mario Bergoglio (1936-2025)
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Sounding off

  • George LaFleur on The case of Alice Guo: How raiding a human trafficking ring uncovered a possible Chinese “sleeper agent” in the Philippines
  • Dee Soto on No intelligence: The many problems with Sara Duterte’s confidential funds
  • Capt Jack on Today, we thank the unions
  • Senate hearing on Pamplona Massacre again reminds us how corrupt the Philippine National Police is – The Defiant on The Pamplona Massacre: The climax of a long-running covert war in Negros Oriental
  • BOND on The Marcoses and their fake academic credentials
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