The Philippines

The Philippine midterm elections may serve as a tie-breaker between the Marcos and Duterte dynasties. The 12 elected senators will determine Sara Duterte’s fate – whether it ends her political career or signals a Duterte comeback. 

From its bloody war on drugs to its fight against terrorism and the lingering communist insurgency, the Duterte administration has exhibited a steadfast resolve to address the Philippines’ security challenges. One striking observation is its heavy dependence on the armed forces to accomplish its security goals, albeit at great cost to the nation’s democracy.

Political dynasties are not the sole clutch of the Philippines. In Southeast Asia alone, there are many examples of dynastic entrenchments in society — from monarchies to the informal designation of political bailiwicks. Cultural conditioning portrays running the government, overseeing the economy, or being an emblem of the nation as tasks that demand the so-called familial touch. This explains why these political dynasties inspire confidence in some people and trigger exasperation in others.

The recent conviction of Rappler’s CEO Maria Ressa and former researcher Reynaldo Santos Jr. of cyber-libel by a Manila court, did not surprise the Philippine media, which have remained on the crosshairs of Rodrigo Duterte’s wrath ever since he became the country’s president in 2016.

The recent shutdown of broadcast giant ABS-CBN is but one of the pieces of mounting evidence—arguably the most damning—of how fragile the state of media freedom in the Philippines has become under President Rodrigo Duterte.

Single-use plastics have been in the spotlight for the past years because of its impact on our environment. It pollutes throughout its lifecycle beginning from extraction, refining, and ending in their disposal in the oceans and waterways, soil, and in the air we breathe through burning or incineration. In fact, it does not only impact our environment but also our health, livelihoods, food and wildlife. Further, plastics do not biodegrade. Instead they slowly break down into smaller pieces of plastic called microplastics.