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Philippine Star  "Untangling traffic" Emergency powers are being sought for President Duterte to speedily address the crisis that is the traffic mess in Metro Manila. Almost every day there is a reminder  of that emergency: traffic jams along most thoroughfares except Sundays and holidays, commuter trains so packed because of limited capacity and the Metro Rail  Transit breaking down, sometimes several times in one day.  These days the traffic jams have been aggravated by rutted roads as asphalt pavement again disintegrates during the rainy season. Yesterday a rutted stretch a mere  two meters long on the northbound lane of Quiapo Bridge tied up traffic from the Manila City Hall as vehicles were forced to slow down.  This problem is again becoming increasingly common throughout Metro Manila. Even as Congress deliberates on emergency powers for the President to deal with the  traffic mess, perhaps the firm hand of the Duterte administration can demand...

From  AsiaNews UN condemns spate of extrajudicial killings Since the election of Rodrigo Duterte, 704 suspected drug dealers have been killed without being brought to trial. Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC) denounces killings. During the election campaign Duterte vowed death to at least 100 thousand drug dealers. Manila (AsiaNews / Agencies) - The hundreds of extrajudicial killings in recent months by the Philippine police to fight the drug trade "contravene the provisions of international conventions on the fight against drugs" and "do not serve the cause of justice”, says Yury Fedotov, Executive Director of the UN Office on Drugs and Crimes (UNODC), who remarked that he was "very concerned" by the increase in killings of suspected drug dealers in the Philippines. Fedotov added: "I join the United Nations Secretary-General in condemning the apparent endorsement of extrajudicial killing, which is illeg...

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...