miniZibaldone

Philippine Star  "Super tiny minority" It’s not easy being a member of the opposition when the president enjoys a trust rating of over 90 percent, with a near-total 97 percent in Mindanao. A democracy,  however, needs a functioning check and balance system, which is normally provided by the political opposition.  Even an immensely popular president is vulnerable to the abuse of power and needs a credible opposition to discourage this. Beyond promoting the proper use of power,  the opposition can also help ensure that the annual national appropriation is utilized for the intended purposes, with projects and programs implemented properly. In  short, the political opposition has an indispensable role to play in promoting good governance and making democracy work.  Under the current setup, the opposition in the House of Representatives is also expected to initiate proceedings to remove from office a president, vice president,  justice of the Supreme Cour...

Inquirer  "Supermajority " The speed with which the national political landscape has shifted, since the election of Davao City Mayor Rodrigo Duterte as president, has been dizzying. The use of  the earthquake analogy is appropriate; in the House of Representatives and, to a lesser extent, in the Senate, the change has been seismic.  Or, to change metaphors: The rapid ripening of the balimbing or star fruit in the political orchard has been one for the farmer’s almanac. The President-elect joined  the PDP-Laban only recently; on May 9, only three of its candidates for Congress won. But a month after the elections, PDP-Laban is set to become the new majority,  not only in the House but also in the Senate. The shifting of alliances in the House will not look out of place in any episode of “Game of Thrones.” From a tiny base of three, Representative-elect Pantaleon  Alvarez was able to grow his support to about three-fourths of the entire chamber—in part...