When former House Speaker Gloria Arroyo announced her retirement from politics before the 2019 elections, no one anticipated how big a power vacuum she would leave. Speculations were rife about… Continue reading "The ‘Speaker Wars’ exposes the cracks in the Duterte administration"
Facebook recently announced the removal of almost 200 fake accounts for violating its so-called ‘coordinated inauthentic behaviour’ (CIB) policy. This rule cracks down on suspicious coordinated activity from one country… Continue reading "The Facebook crackdown all but confirms the Duterte regime’s direct involvement in spreading fake news"
It has been 48 years since President Ferdinand Marcos placed the entire Philippines under martial law in 1972. The decade that followed saw a brutal crackdown on activists, the persecution… Continue reading "Why the Duterte Regime could be much worse than the Marcos era"
A cornerstone of President Rodrigo Duterte’s administration is his so-called “independent foreign policy“. As a former American colony, the Philippines’ relationship with the United States can be described as one… Continue reading "Pemberton’s release shows Duterte’s “anti-Americanism” is all rhetoric, no substance"
August 30th is remembered each year as the International Day of the Disappeared. This day draws attention to the countless examples of forced disappearances worldwide, comprised mostly of activists and… Continue reading "Philippines: Remembering the ‘Desaparecidos’"
The Duterte administration is on a borrowing spree as it aims to cushion the blow of the COVID-19 pandemic. National Treasurer Rosalia de Leon bared that the Philippines will be… Continue reading "Philippines: Duterte’s borrowing spree hasn’t alleviated the impacts of COVID-19"
Not long after the assassination of peace consultant Randy Echanis on August 10th, another activist is killed under the Duterte Regime. Zara Alvarez, a 39-year old paralegal for human rights… Continue reading "Philippines: Under the Duterte government, being red-tagged is a death sentence"
Only a few weeks after the passage of the Anti-Terrorism Law, the expected crackdown on anti-government activists has stepped up. The draconian legislation would give the Executive unprecedented powers, including… Continue reading "Philippines: Heightening fascism is slowly unraveling, weeks after the passage of the Anti-Terror Law"
![Protesters march on the streets of the capital city, Manila, to express opposition against the proposed Anti-Terrorism Bill. [Photo from PAMALAKAYA Web]](https://thedefiant.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/104216495_747982836004215_7166561714749197461_o.jpg)
“Attack of the Clones” isn’t just the title of the 2002 release of the Star Wars franchise, it has also become the reality for many activists under the Duterte administration.… Continue reading "Philippines: Even before the Anti-Terrorism Bill is signed into law, the online crackdown of activists has already begun"
![Activist groups stage a protest rally in front of the Philippine National Police headquarters against the Anti-Terrorism Bill. [Photo from Karapatan]](https://thedefiant.net/wp-content/uploads/2020/06/PHL_AntiTerrorBillKArapatan_Karapatan.jpg)
In a rare occasion, human rights groups, church leaders, showbiz celebrities, school administrations, and even global pop star Taylor Swift herself are uniting to criticise the government of President Rodrigo… Continue reading "Philippines: What is the “Anti-Terrorism” Bill and should we be concerned about it?"
