Centrist Democracy Political Institute - Items filtered by date: May 2016
Looking into possible anticompetitive practices in the telecommunications in-dustry is expected to be one of the first cases that the newly formed Philippine Competition Commission (PCC) will take on, but consumers need to do their part.

“The PCC was established to ensure that consumers don’t feel they are abused by their provider of services or goods, like paying so much or when prices [of the commodity] is high,” PCC Chair Arsenio Balisacan said in an interview.
Published in News
Tuesday, 31 May 2016 11:29

Capital

It is now official. Rodrigo Duterte is president-elect.

At noon of June 30, he will assume the highest office in the land. The handover ceremony might be intentionally simple; but the expectations are overblown.

Duterte sought the highest post on the theme “Change is Coming.” His inaugural message should be: Change has Come.

Published in Commentaries
MANILA, Philippines – The Group of Seven industrialized nations are not necessarily biased in favor of the Philippines in its case against China over maritime territorial disputes, a Palace official said yesterday, noting that the G7 leaders only wanted peace in Asia.

The G7 – composed of Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, the United Kingdom and the United States – recently wrapped up their two-day annual leaders’ summit in Japan.
Published in News
Monday, 30 May 2016 14:07

Proclaimed

BY the time this comes out, Congress, acting as the National Board of Canvassers, has already proclaimed the winners of the May 2016 elections. If President-elect Rodrigo Duterte was a no-show, it ushered in a break from tradition and the start of a new norm. We will have to get use to it as every change brings in a lot of adjustment. Clearly, Duterte wants to break from traditional mold, which could be good for the country in the end.
Published in Commentaries
MANILA, Philippines – Speaker Feliciano Belmonte Jr. warned the incoming Duterte administration and its allies in Congress of the defect of the proposed shift to the federal system.

He made the warning even as Congressman-elect Luis Raymond Villafuerte of Camarines Sur called for a broad multi-party support to replace the current unitary-presidential form of government with a federal-presidential setup.
Published in News
DAVAO CITY - Incoming President Rodrigo Duterte said he expects long and contentious discussions towards achieving peace with communist and Muslim rebels and establishing a federal form of government.

Duterte admitted eradicating criminality, illegal drugs and corruption is a much easier task than reaching peace in the country’s strife-torn areas.
Published in News
Saturday, 28 May 2016 16:30

The Philippines’ New Strongman

Rodrigo Duterte’s authoritarian neoliberalism isn’t the answer to poverty and political abuse in the Philippines.

Rodrigo Duterte’s election as president of the Philippines made global news. It’s not hard to see why. Described as an “outsider” and a “maverick,” Duterte is a charismatic enigma.
Published in Commentaries
 
ABOUT five years ago I visited General Joe Almonte in his office in Greenhills. I told him about the plans of my young Philippine Centrist friends to set up a principled Centrist Democratic Party with the purpose of overcoming the patronage system with all the misery it brings to the Filipinos. His spontaneous reaction: “Peter, you must be crazy! Do you know what you are up against?” I asked: “OK, but what other options do you have to overcome the hardening poverty, failing judicial system, violence, impunity, lack of perspectives for the young people?”
Published in Commentaries
Wednesday, 25 May 2016 12:25

Noy on exit: Nothing to fear, worry about

MANILA, Philippines – With little over a month remaining before stepping down from office, President Aquino said yesterday he is not worried about leaving his “bosses” as he is about to relinquish his post to his successor, Rodrigo Duterte.

“I will be leaving my office as someone who remained true to his bosses: the Filipino people. Today – perhaps the last time I will be facing many of you as president – I tell you: it has been a distinct honor to have worked with you, and to have served my countrymen,” he said.

Published in News
A shift from a presidential to a federal form of government is possible for the Philippines if President-elect Rodrigo Duterte pushes its legislation and Congress works fast to amend the Constitution, former senator Aquilino Pimentel Jr. and incoming Batangas Gov. Hermilando Mandanas said on Tuesday.
Published in News
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