Human rights day protest in Manila

Corruption crisis has reached the Philippine presidential palace. Can Marcos Jr finish his term? My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/12/corr...

My @globalvoices.org interview with prominent Filipino social realist painter Antipas “Biboy” Delotavo Rest in power globalvoices.org/2015/05/01/f...

Samoa Observer banned from attending press briefings of the prime minister. Media groups raised concerns about its impact on the work of local journalists. My latest piece for @globalvoices.org advox.globalvoices.org/2025/12/01/s...

another important story from @mongpalatino.bsky.social at @globalvoices.org

Interview with farmer-led MASIPAG about their interventions ahead of COP30 by organizing several activities in the Philippines. My latest piece for @globalvoices.org globalvoices.org/2025/11/21/f...

Climate change + Corruption = Deadly mix in the Philippines Ahead of COP30 and anniversary of Typhoon Haiyan, a flooding disaster struck the country My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/11/corr...

Notable documentaries on exiled Filipino revolutionaries, fisherfolk in the West Philippine Sea, and Cagayan Valley activists. Written for Bulatlat www.bulatlat.com/2025/11/13/m...

Interviewed by Monocle Radio about corruption and flooding disaster in the Philippines monocle.com/player/?uuid...

Black November in the Philippines. Continuing corruption crisis and the protests demanding accountability. My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/11/in-t...

I interviewed #Pakistan journalist Asma Shirazi for @ifex.org about the gendered abuse she encountered and how tech platforms had been complicit in amplifying the online violence. @globalfreemedia.bsky.social @article19.bsky.social ifex.org/gendered-abu...

#Philippines @ifex.org series on journalists facing online harassment and the role of Big Tech in amplifying impunity. I interviewed Cong B. Corrales, a red-tagged Filipino journalist who pushed back by filing a landmark case against Meta @rsf.org @pressfreedom.bsky.social ifex.org/red-tagging-...

Sign of the times. An EV charging station beside a public fire station

I am craving stories about civil society, about resistance, about how local groups find ways to make things better for themselves & others. This is happening all over the world, and this interview from @mongpalatino.bsky.social for @globalvoices.org is a great example & offers plenty to learn from.

Activist Sophon “Get” Surattithamrong is serving an 8.5 sentence in #Thailand for taking part in the 2020 protests. While imprisoned, he's been writing steadily about democracy in Thailand, South Korea & Myanmar. We’ve publish 3 of his letters: journals.sagepub.com/doi/full/10....

This week, we continue our theme for PEN recommends reading list: Banned Books, spotlighting writers whose works have been silenced. Today, we feature The House of the Spirits by Isabel Allende, banned in several schools in the United States.

Asia Spotlight is live! 🌏 This new series from our Young Writers Committee @youngwriterspen.bsky.social features voices from Bangladesh, Singapore, Thailand, and more, exploring censorship and resilience through personal reflections. Read the full overview ⬇️ tomorrowclub.world/spotlights/s...

Why token reforms would not stop the anti-corruption protests in the Philippines? Filipinos aghast over the performative acts of politicians. My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/10/refo...

Introducing Exile Hub - Campaigning nominee for the 2025 Freedom of Expression Awards! Exile Hub is a women-led initiative offering holistic, frontline support to human rights defenders & pro-democracy activists at risk in Myanmar & beyond. Find out more: www.indexoncensorship.org/awards-2025-...

Introducing Sai █████ - Arts category shortlist nominee for this year’s Freedom of Expression Awards! Sai's work, rooted in the aftermath of state violence in #Myanmar, is undertaken at life-threatening risk. Learn more: www.indexoncensorship.org/awards-2025-...

At least 900,000 Cambodians have returned from Thailand since the border conflict escalated. Just for comparison, during the pandemic, 260,000 were forced to return. cchrcambodia.org/en/publicati...

Chinese electric vehicles in Southeast Asia, good or bad? globalvoices.org/2025/10/09/h...

San Fabian, Pangasinan. Northern Luzon island in the Philippines

A guide to understanding the corruption crisis in the Philippines, and why tens of thousands are flooding the streets with protests. My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/10/an-o...

Spent several summer vacations in the 1990s in grandpa's hometown in Pangasinan, north part of the Philippines. In the town plaza, a statue honoring World War II veterans. My grandpa was a war veteran Never thought I'd be returning and biking my way to revisit these memorable places

Grateful for the opportunity to promote the book at the Pampanga Regionall Book Festival. I gave a brief talk about some of the geopolitical dynamics in Southeast Asia, and the thrill of self-publishing 😊

The trigger, context, meaning, and impact of the massive anti-corruption protests across the Philippines. We gathered 100,000 people in Manila on September 21. My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/09/mass...

These laws are used to target the critical work of civil society in Asia. In the end, the people suffer when civic space is eroded, diminished, or dismantled. My latest piece for @ifex.org ifex.org/from-registr...

How is the Bandung Conference being remembered in Indonesia globalvoices.org/2025/09/17/f...

An independent commission to probe corruption Legislators implicated in corruption Public uproar over nepo babies, piles of cash for officials, ghost projects Where will all these lead to in the Philippines My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/09/phil...

Run for accountability With four days preparation, around 2,500 joined a run for accountability amid the widespread corruption involving flood control projects and other big ticket infrastructure projects of the Philippine government

Book now available at ChapterIX bookstore in Sta Maria, Bulacan, north of Metro Manila Book mentions the Red & Yellow shirts, 2014 coup, 2020 student-led protests - all of which can help explain Thailand's current political crisis and the frequent ouster of Thaksin's relatives and allies from power

Support @globalvoices.org Help us continue our mission of amplifying local stories and explaining narratives that are often underreported globalvoices.org/2025/08/12/g...

Today, PEN International President Burhan Sonmez reaffirmed our association’s commitment to writers everywhere. Built on the defence of free expression, PEN International continues to stand firm against threats that silence voices around the world.

Available sa Popular Bookstore in Quezon City The book also tackles the rise of Jokowi, the legacy of Suharto, the 1997 Asian Financial Crisis - all of these can help contextualize the Prabowo presidency and the ongoing protests across Indonesia www.facebook.com/share/p/17GF...

Understanding the anti-corruption stance of the Philippine president. Why is he exposing corrupt contractors of politicians? My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/09/how-...

NEW BOOK A guide to understanding Southeast Asia’s recent history, geopolitical dynamics, the people’s pushback against authoritarianism, and the impact of global events in the region How to order: forms.gle/5SMyzFKw29aG...

The legacy of 8888 protests in Myanmar. What is also the difference between the 1988 and 2021 uprisings in Myanmar? My latest piece for @globalvoices.org globalvoices.org/2025/08/28/g...

Death March marker in Bataan province, Philippines. Thousands of Filipino and US soldiers were killed during the forcible transfer of prisoners of war in 1942 during WWII. Bataan fell in the hands of Japanese forces in April 1942.

Dictionary of Australianisms. I hope to get a copy someday. @kevinrennie.bsky.social globalvoices.org/2025/08/21/a...

The scourge of online gambling and the reactions of various stakeholders in the Philippines, my latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/08/gamb...

Voices of Pacific communities celebrating the World Court's advisory opinion on climate change. A big win for the Pacific and humanity. My latest piece for @globalvoices.org globalvoices.org/2025/08/15/p...

What does the work of @globalvoices.org mean as we navigate the rapidly evolving media landscape? Support the work of this community. Consider giving a donation gift. globalvoices.org/2025/08/11/s...

The Philippine Supreme Court nullified the impeachment case of VP Sara Duterte, the Senate subsequently archived the impeachment. What's next for Philippine politics? My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/08/phil...

Despite being behind bars, Echanis continues to write, and her words echo far beyond her cell. PEN International calls for Echanis’ right to a fair trial and an independent investigation into the circumstances of her arrest, including allegations of evidence planting.

The campaign projects of @ifex.org highlighted in this article www.digitalrights.community/blog/communi...

Reflections after two decades of blogging for @globalvoices.org Your support will enable Global Voices to continue its mission #KeepGVStrong mongpalatino.com/2025/08/star...

Taguig lakeshore park Laguna Lake is the biggest lake in the Philippines, threatened with pollution, dredging, reclamation. Government wants to build an expressway here. Floating solar panels displace fisherfolk

Las Piñas-Parañaque Wetland Park, a Ramsar site within a metropolis. A wetland of global importance. Migratory birds from East Asia stop over here before heading to Australia. It is under threat because of the extensive reclamation in Manila Bay

Marcos' 4th state of the nation address, why the silence on the impeachment of VP Duterte? Is he serious about fighting corruption when he lambasted legislators' budget insertions? My latest piece for @thediplomat.com thediplomat.com/2025/08/the-...