Rappler's latest stories on Thought Leaders
[OPINION] U.S., Philippines: Friends, partners in educational exchange
I am confident we can – and must – expand educational exchange even further to prepare our youth
[OPINION] To Yesha and the Ramos children
To the children of Ben, I can assure you that wherever you go from now on, once people know that you are the children of Ben and Yesha Ramos, you will be looked up to, admired
[OPINION] Why Imelda Marcos should go to jail
It is for the sake of our fragile memory that Mrs Marcos needs to go to jail
[OPINION] Working together for the golden age of PH-China relations
'We have every reason to believe that Chinese President Xi Jinping's visit will enormously boost China-Philippines relations in the new era and position our relations as a new model of international relations,' writes Ambassador Zhao Jianhua
[ANALYSIS] Disturbing red flags in the 3rd telco selection
Suspicions of cronyism, as well as serious national security and privacy concerns, deserve more than a passing glance from our leaders and policymakers
[OPINYON] Hindi ko magawang magbiro dahil sa mga balita ngayon
Bakit ganito ako kaseryoso ngayon? Dahil sa ruling ng Supreme Court na mag-aalis ng Filipino at Panitikan bilang core subjects sa kolehiyo. Hindi masusukat ang pinsalang magagawa nito sa mga darating na henerasyon.
[ANALYSIS | Deep Dive] Will Imelda go to jail for 77 years and other impertinent questions
Old age is relevant only in determining the existence of a mitigating circumstance but is not a factor in the determination of criminal liability, the sentencing, and the service of sentences
[OPINION] What governments must do beyond Declaration on Democracy
Nations must develop a strong policy agenda to turn the principles of the Declaration on Information and Democracy into a reality
[OPINYON] Wanted: Kandidatong bayani
Ibinibigay ng administrasyong Duterte ang bawat pagkakataon para may tumayong bayani
[ANALYSIS] Ease of doing business: Why is the PH rank plummeting?
Under President Duterte's watch, we've gone down the global Doing Business ranking by 25 notches all in all – by far the largest decline in ASEAN
[ANALYSIS | Deep Dive] Does the President really need so many lawyers?
Because the burden of the presidency is heavy, with multifarious demands all having legal implications and consequences, the President is expected to secure the best legal advice available
[ANALYSIS] Duterte's health and disclosure: Finding a middle ground
Information on the President's health is controlled by the Palace and insiders, and there is little to no incentive – politically or legally – for any official to break ranks until the very end
[OPINION] What the ICC withdrawal is all about
This controversy, at its most basic, is about one usurping the power that properly belongs to the sovereign Filipino people because he is scared of the shadow he himself has cast
[OPINION] When the opposition says it will tap volunteers
The Liberal Party-led senatorial slate should make sure volunteer sign-ups and social media endorsements will translate to votes
[ANALYSIS] The real score on foreign direct investments
Evidence suggests that ours is a generally healthy economy, posting impressive growth, but carrying some structural flaws
[OPINION] A new level of audacity for impunity and journalist murders
The world marks November 2, International Day to End Impunity for Crimes Against Journalists, at a time when threats to journalistic endeavor are more widespread than ever
[ANALYSIS] Time for Duterte to shut down this mining company
OceanaGold has not adhered to its commitments under its mining permit and various Philippine laws and regulations
[ANALYSIS] Police deviance is mutating
President Duterte needs to address systematic abuses in police training, promotions and assignment of posts
[ANALYSIS] Women, women, women in economics: Where are you?
We need to eliminate barriers to women in economics from entry level to leadership roles
[ANALYSIS] The glaring contradictions in Duterte’s war on drugs
It’s been more than two years already, and otherwise pious and caring Filipinos seem largely unconcerned with the drug war
[OPINION | Dash of SAS] Why Pia Cayetano's defense of Duterte is personal
Her refusal to again denounce President Duterte's reprehensible language and constant debasement of women was not only disappointing, it was disgusting
Dear political parties: For your rallies, hire a wedding planner
That’s the person you need to mount campaign events that everyone – the crowd, the journalists, and larger public – will remember.
[OPINION] Letter to Brazilian friends on eve of Brazil's presidential polls
Will Brazil's clone of the Philippines' Duterte come to power?
[OPINYON] Sa trolls na mawawalan ng trabaho dahil sa FB crackdown
P'wede mo nang isiwalat na inuutusan kang sumumpa at murahin ang lahi ng binu-bully ninyong account, habang pinupuri mo ang karahasan at pagpatay, habang winawalang-bahala mo ang bumabagsak na ekonomiya
[ANALYSIS] Why is the PH stock market among world’s worst?
A climbing index signals general optimism among buyers and sellers of stocks, whereas a dropping index signals general pessimism
[OPINION] Live by the sword, die by the sword
The unfortunate reality is that lies and manipulation are not just innocent fantasies to pursue one’s interests. These acts hurt the rest who are doing things the right way.
[OPINION] Archbishop Oscar Romero: Martyr
Archbishop Oscar Romero was the shepherd who had the smell of the sheep
[OPINION] Coffee and the blood of indigenous peoples
The government's intensified campaign against communist rebels makes indigenous peoples vulnerable to violence; the specter of death underpins their lives like an active fault line
[ANALYSIS] Philippines' dark secret: Lengthy pretrial detention
If the lengthy pretrial process in the Philippines cannot be addressed, rule of law cannot be established
[OPINION] In defense of democracy
Vice President Leni Robredo says in a speech in Washington DC: 'Now, more than ever, we need leaders who will step down from their pedestal and walk with the last, the least, and the lost'
[ANALYSIS] Whatever happened to the Reproductive Health Law?
In her book, Marilen Dañguilan doubts if the story of the RH Law will ever end, what with the strong lobby of religious groups as well as the legal bedrock on which they can always anchor their counterarguments
[OPINYON] Yogyakarta Diaries: Pero binabagabag pa rin ako ng komedya sa Pilipinas
Mabubusog na naman tayo sa pangako habang paparami nang paparami ang nahihirapang tugunan ang totoong pagkagutom
[OPINION | NEWSPOINT] Making our own shameful history
Arroyo and Duterte are bound in a conspiracy so brazen a special thickness is required for anyone to honestly miss it
[ANALYSIS] Leila de Lima and the Nobel Peace Prize
It's just a matter of time before Senator De Lima starts getting considered for the ultimate global award of all
[ANALYSIS] Upper-middle income Philippines by 2019: How true?
If becoming an upper-middle income country was hard enough – it took us more than 3 decades to do that – becoming a high-income country (like Singapore or South Korea today) will be harder still
[OPINION] Too much beer
Does the military have a reverse IQ test for those who they recruit into military intelligence?
[OPINION] Are all government employees not allowed to campaign?
The prohibitions are not absolute.... The consistent trend of the Supreme Court is to uphold free speech and expression over any form of election regulation.
[OPINION] Spying is back
The long and short of it is that military poking about in campus was always never efficacious
[ANALYSIS] At stake in Trillanes amnesty case
One can only hope the judiciary, through Judge Andres Soriano and eventually through the Supreme Court, draw the line here and save the country from a future without the possibility of peace and national reconciliation
[ANALYSIS] Why are petroleum products so expensive again?
Maybe this is as good a time as any to rethink our country’s long-term relationship with oil
[ANALYSIS] Sieg Heil deja vu? Understanding the extreme right's global rise
The extremist movements in Asia, while benefiting the elites, enjoy the support of the middle classes
[OPINION] The hunt for ‘Red October’
While there are many who have expressed their desire for Duterte to resign or be ousted, there is no conspiracy to forcibly remove him from power
[OPINION] With rice tariffication, what happens to food security?
Philippine agricultural performance from 1995 to the present has been dismal, if not catastrophic
[OPINION] Justified martial law? PH military should take its history seriously
For the AFP to sweep under the rug all of that discomfort over Martial Law would definitely cause a repetition of abuses, suffering, and deaths to civilians and soldiers alike
[OPINION] Trillanes amnesty is valid
Judge Alameda’s ruling is incongruous and legally absurd. If we are to follow his logic, then any other public document will have to be subject to an inquiry as to the existence of a prior application form.
[OPINION | NEWSPOINT] Power trumps rights
What are the rest of us only too quick to profess righteous resistance actually lending to this moral fight?
[ANALYSIS] Is the Philippine economy overheating?
The challenge to economic managers is akin to fixing an overheating car: pull over, open the hood, and let things simmer down
[OPINYON] Ang social media bilang assault weapon
Madaling ireklamo ang account mo dahil sa isang trumped-up community standards violation. Sa dami ng magrereklamo, masususpinde ang account o tuluyang ipasasara.
[OPINION] Is it possible Duterte's candidacy was void from the beginning?
Here's why candidates should pay attention to every detail in the certificate of candidacy
[OPINION] Of Marcos, Duterte, and Zeman: Reviving the ghosts of the past
Slogans like 'Never Again' and 'Never Forget' displayed or shouted at rallies in Manila and elsewhere in the Philippines also have a lot of meaning to Czechs who care to remember what went on before the Velvet Revolution – our own version of EDSA
