corruption
5 marks of a crumbling democracy
July 20, 2023
The Marcoses personify the worst aspects of Philippine politics. And Marcos Jr is levelling up these anti-democratic features in the 21st century.
Economic slowdown stresses urgency of boosting household purchasing power with wage hikes, ayuda– IBON
May 14, 2023
The continuing deceleration in household spending from low incomes and high prices is among the biggest factors in the slowdown, and is among issues that the administration can immediately address
Political sinfulness of the 2022 presidentiables (Corruption)
April 9, 2022
The May 2022 national elections are a month away. Who among the leading presidential candidates will most likely bring into office the age-old political sins?
Political sinfulness of the 2022 presidentiables
April 9, 2022
Who among the leading presidential candidates will most likely bring into office the age-old political sins?
Golden years?: The real long-lasting economic damage wrought by Marcos
September 21, 2021
The Marcos administration was notorious for world-beating cronyism and corruption. But this is not enough to fully explain the worst economic collapse in Philippine history and continued decline long after the dictatorship was overthrown.
Unsolicited projects for favored business interests to rise under Pres. Duterte?
March 2, 2018
By Arnold Padilla When President Duterte said last month that “all projects of the Philippines would be something like a Swiss Challenge”, media attention has focused on the Swiss Challenge and its implications. But what the presidential statement implied was that in order to supposedly fast track his ambitious Build Build Build program, the administration […]
Wholesale ‘Swiss challenge’ will lead to greater, more hidden corruption–IBON
February 2, 2018
The Duterte administration’s proposal to do away with public bidding and replace this with the even less transparent ‘Swiss challenge’ system for all government projects could lead to more extensive and veiled corruption, said research group IBON’s executive director Sonny Africa. Pres. Duterte’s push for the Swiss challenge system is supposedly aimed at getting rid […]
Martial law declaration will not help economy–IBON
May 25, 2017
The Duterte administration’s declaration of martial law in Mindanao increases political instability in the country, research group IBON said, and will not help the economy, which is already slowing as it is. While the 1987 Constitution provides for such a declaration, its indiscriminate use gives the impression of an authoritarian government arbitrarily using power for […]
TAX GANERN! DOF’s Tax Reforms Tax the Poor and Relieve the Rich (Part 2)
September 2, 2016
by Sonny Africa (Second of Two Parts) Read Part 1 Significant additional revenues can be raised with some basic reforms in the country’s regressive and pro-elite tax system. This is the most rational and sustainable way of ensuring that there are resources for social and economic spending biased for the needs of the poor majority […]
