komentaryo

letter from China 1

A trip to China at this point in time can only be embroiled in questions about the crisis that is the West Philippine Sea dispute.

But also it is about everything that we know of China from third world Philippines, where global news means Western media, talking about China and Asia using a gaze that is far from objective, and always necessarily – and maybe inevitably – about protecting the interests of the world-power-that-be, i.e., America.

There is nothing like seeing Asia as separate from America, to realize that we might really only be understanding very little about the world. (more…)

komentaryo

#StopLumadKillings

I’ve been away, in a place with no social media and a schedule packed so tight there has not been a lot of time for the internet. This was September 6’s RadikalChick column published in The Manila Times, on the killings of Emerito Samarca, Dionel Campos, and Bello Sinzo in Surigao del Sur, and the violence inflicted on their communities there. For more information on the #StopLumadKillings campaign, please click here for Tonyo’s website.

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While De Lima was partying*

Where is Department of Justice (DOJ) Secretary Leila de Lima?

One cannot help but see her smiling happy face waving the L sign in front of that crowd in Cebu. One cannot help but see her dancing the “Macarena,” enjoying the festivities of her birthday.

One cannot help but wonder where she is, why we have yet to hear her voice about the cases of Emerito Samarca, Dionel Campos, and Bello Sinzo, all from Surigao de Sur. All dead in the hands of AFP units and its paramilitary group. (more…)

radikalchick.lit

Women. Freedom. Rakenrol.*

Tres Marias made up of Bayang Barrios, Cookie Chua and Lolita Carbon will be having a concert at the Music Museum on September 4, Friday. I have no idea what it’s going to be like, but having seen these women on stage, and reading this piece from 2012, tells me it’s going to be quite a show. Click here for tickets!

via Tres Marias Facebook Page.
via Tres Marias Facebook Page.

It would’ve been a random night over at 70’s Bistro, though it was so wrong to even imagine that to be possible.

Dubbed Tres Marias, the promise of Bayang Barrios, Cookie Chua, and Lolita Carbon had us three girls traveling from across the city —the Cultural Center of the Philippines in Manila to be exact— after stopping over for some free cake and drinks in Makati. By the time we arrived at Anonas in Quezon City, it was close to midnight, we had missed Bayang’s set, and Cookie was on stage.

For some reason, we could feel that we would be bowled over tonight. We just didn’t know how. Or why. (more…)

kultura

The portrait of a columnist as plagiarist

It has been confusing to say the least. But also it has been quite fascinating, this whole case of Ducky Paredes versus the broadsheet Malaya.

Because it’s such a public display of what goes through the mind of a man who has been accused of plagiarism, and the kind of defensive stance he’s decided to take. How the decision to turn this story around — in fact get ahead of the story — and claim that one had been oppressed and un-paid, therefore that would explain whatever actions he was to be accused of.

To be accused of. Because in fact we heard about how things went down between Paredes and Malaya only at the point when the paper found the need to defend itself against Paredes’s accusations as posted on Facebook.

That’s the thing: we found out about the story when it was deemed over by Paredes — he was moving on to the next thing. So the loudest voice we’re hearing is his, not at all acknowleding the serious allegation and crime that is plagiarism. (more…)

komentaryo

The Mar Roxas site does an EDSA Uno #Eleksyon2016

marwebsite1

So I went to marroxas.com, to find out all the good that Mar has done, because all that’s in my head is what he did to Kenneth Cobonpue etal, and what he did, or did not do, in Tacloban post-Haiyan.

And what do you know, now I’m just flattered. Because I managed this project that was EDSA Uno Dos Tres, written by da Stuart Santiago, with cover by Mervin Malonzo, art by GU Stuart.

The MarRoxas‬ site sure does imitation well.

edsauno mar