Think Pieces

Browse Think Pieces and other opinion articles published on G-Watch as well as other websites. 


9 August 2016
PH 'war on drugs' should draw lessons from other countries

'Is there another way to achieve the same result and make drug addicts or users surrender or cooperate with authorities without capitalizing on the threat of death?'


6 August 2016
Extrajudicial killings: Police self-defense?

The government's over-emphasis on the right of the person with the gun over the right to life and due process of presumed innocent civilians can easily be abused and misused


30 January 2016
Making sense of Digong Duterte

If we are to elect Duterte to the presidency, we must first ask ourselves: how different is present-day Philippines from Davao City of the 1980s?


5 December 2015
The Importance of Society in the Politics of Change

The society shares with the state that search for collective or general rationality. The state has institutional mechanisms such as elections, the courts and the executive and legislative policy-making to determine the collective/ legitimate reason. The society has the more fluid and unstructured means of discourses, dialogues and interactions. This makes it conducive for innovative, integration and in-depth analysis and discourses, where progression happens.


19 August 2015
To Cement "Daang Matuwid," We Need Party Reforms, FOI and Anti-Dynasty Law

For "Daang Matuwid" to be sustained, expanded and deepened, good governance has to become a norm; good governance practices must become common, not mere islands and best practices up for awards. Political party reforms, Freedom of Information (FoI) and the anti-dynasty law are mechanisms that will make "Daang Matuwid" a norm that will bring about change that can be felt by ordinary citizens.


4 August 2015
Quo Vadis, Citizen Participation? Introduction to the Conference-Workshop

This conference-workshop is meant to start putting the citizens and civil society at the center, not mere expectators and recipients of policies and services - but as active actors pivotal in direction-/ agenda-setting and in leading this country to a better future.


19 April 2015
Puerto Princesa and the recall paradox

There could be times when instead of speaking truth to power, an accountability mechanism becomes a tool of the powerful to constrain governance


14 March 2015
That thing called resignation

His resignation shows how a person can reconcile the tension between his individual political disposition with his responsibility to a cause, a collective or a party


16 February 2015
Bangsamoro as a "New Unity"

The Philippines as a nation-state will be strengthened with the proposed Bangsamoro solution. A nation-state is weakened whenever its monopoly over the use of legitimate violence is threatened by an armed rebellion; it is strengthened when it ends the rebellion through peace. 


19 November 2014
Strengthening Accountability to Sustain Reform

Accountability is achieved and sustained by creating and strengthening institutions. Institutions are strengthened through accountability efforts and practices.

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