A humanitarian crisis, a monster in our midst
by Dr Raymund Narag, Assistant Professor, Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice, Southern Illinois University
THE WAR on drugs and the mass arrest of the loiterers and the shirtless under the Duterte administration have triggered a monstrous humanitarian crisis: Philippine jails and detention centers are now the most overcrowded in the world, eclipsing erstwhile topnotcher Haiti. In this report for the Philippine Center for Investigative Journalism, visiting professor Dr. Raymund […]
Democracy & Governance: Deficit, Surplus, Unfinished Business
by Atty. Jose Manuel I. Diokno, Founding Dean, College of Law-De La Salle University and
National Chairman, Free Legal Assistance Group (FLAG)
WHAT has happened to civil and political rights, and the rule of law, under two years of the Duterte administration? What follows is the speech of Atty. Jose Manuel I. Diokno, dean of De La Salle University’s College of Law and national chairman of the Free Legal Assistance Group, at the forum on “Democracy and […]
Democracy & Governance: Deficit, Surplus, Unfinished Business
by Atty. Christian S. Monsod, Former Commission on Elections Chairman and Member, 1986 Constitutional Commission
IS the proposed shift to federalism “a Trojan horse to stay in power” for President Duterte and his political allies?What follows is the speech of Atty. Christian S. Monsod, former Commission on Elections chairman and member of the 1986 Constitutional Commission, at the forum on “Democracy and Governance in the Philippines: Deficit, Surplus, and Unfinished […]
Democracy & Governance: Deficit, Surplus, Unfinished Business
by Dr. Emmanuel S. de Dios, University of the Philippines School of Economics
WHAT is the true state of the economy, and the status of economic and policy reforms, under two years of the Duterte administration? What follows is the presentation, by text and graphics, of Dr. Emmanuel S. de Dios of the University of the Philippines School of Economics, at the forum on “Democracy and Governance in […]
Democracy & Governance: Deficit, Surplus, Unfinished Business
by Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, Ombudsman, Republic of the Philippines
WHAT policy and action reforms can enhance and sustain the campaign against crooks and corruption under the Duterte administration?What follows is the speech of Justice Conchita Carpio-Morales, Ombudsman of the Republic of the Philippines, at the forum on “Democracy and Governance in the Philippines: Deficit, Surplus, and Unfinished Business” that was organized by the Philippine […]
PCIJ Primer: Unpacking Federalism
by Malou Mangahas, Justin Oliver Fiestada, and Crystal Joy de la Rosa; Infographics by Ojie Sarmiento and John Reiner Antiquerra
A “SELF-EXECUTING” ban on political dynasties is supposedly one of the crown jewels of the draft constitution for the pitch to shift to a federal system of government. It is paired with a proposed ban on turncoatism, or candidates changing political parties between elections or during election campaigns.These are supposed to limit the opportunities for […]
A PCIJ Primer: Unpacking Federalism
by Malou Mangahas, Crystal Joy de la Rosa, and Justin Oliver Fiestada; Infographics by John Reiner Antiquerra and Ojie Sarmiento
WE ARE a nation of more than a hundred million people, but as of 2016, only one in every two Filipinos had registered as voters and could be allowed to participate in elections. If the pitch to shift to a federal system of government gets approved and submitted to a plebiscite, it is only this […]
A PCIJ Primer: Unpacking Federalism
by Crystal Joy de la Rosa, Justin Oliver Fiestada, and Malou Mangahas: Infographics by Ojie Sarmiento and John Reiner Antiquerra
ONLY THREE of the proposed 18 federated regions have revenue collections larger than the fund transfers that they are getting from the national government in terms of Internal Revenue Allotment or IRA. The rest of the 15 regions remain largely dependent on their IRA shares to sustain their most basic operations.The three regions with strong […]
A PCIJ Primer: Unpacking Federalism
by Justin Oliver Fiestada, Crystal Joy de la Rosa, and Malou Mangahas; Infographics by John Reiner Antiquerra and Ojie Sarmiento
THE POOR abound in this country — Filipinos who cannot earn or raise the minimum income to meet the basic food and non-food requirements. The Philippine Statistics Authority (PSA) clusters them among citizens living below the poverty threshold.Across the nation, the PSA says that some 21.9 million Filipinos, or nearly one in every five, do […]
A PCIJ Primer: Unpacking Federalism
by Crystal Joy de la Rosa, Justin Oliver Fiestada, Steffi Mari Sanchez, Malou Mangahas, and the PCIJ Data Team; Infographics by Ojie Sarmiento and John Reiner Antiquerra
THE PHILIPPINES has a total land area of about 300,000 square kilometers (sq km).This is according to the cadastral survey and estimated land areas certified and provided to the Department of Budget and Management by the Land Management Bureau, Department of Environment and Natural Resources, as of December 2013.Nearly half or 43 percent consists of […]