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  on climate conference in Paris Developments in the negotiations [of the 21st Conference of Parties (COP21)], now down to the last two days of an exhausting fortnight, may still prevent the “Draft  Paris Outcome” from taking off. Perhaps countries like Saudi Arabia may balk if full decarbonization is adopted as an objective; perhaps energy-hungry economies like  India or China may resist strong language about limiting the rise in global temperatures to 1.5 degrees Celsius above preindustrial levels. [...]  The sluggish pace of negotiations over the language of the draft agreement and its implementing decision prompted the French hosts—under the UN system, the hosts  serve as president of the conference and enjoy a wide latitude for initiative—to fast-track the talks, at the same time preserving the openness of the process which  the French presidency put in place.  [full text] Sun.Star Cebu  on the new Cebu police director Chief...