Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute A common observation made by critics and noncritics alike of the mining industry is that the 2-percent excise tax on minerals is too low. To understand such a perspective, it will help to know that the last adjustment in the rates of the excise tax was made… Read More

Stratbase ADRi hosted a roundtable discussion entitled: “The Special Japan-Australia Strategic Partnership Within the Ambit of Democratic Security Diamond: Seeking Partnership with the Philippines in Maritime Security” last December 6. The round table discussion started with the presentation of Dr. Renato De Castro of his Special Study with the same title. Aside from the United… Read More

Dr. Renato de Castro, Trustee of the Stratbase ADR Institute In late May 2017, about 1,000 Islamic militants led by the Maute group and fighting under the black flag of the Islamic Army of Syria and Iraq took control of the central business district of Marawi City. The raid took President Rodrigo Duterte and the… Read More

Dr. Renato C. de Castro, Trustee of the Stratbase ADR Institute President Rodrigo R. Duterte’s state visit to Beijing in mid-October 2016 caused several analysts and observers to conclude that the Philippines had parted from its traditional treaty ally, the United States, and had pivoted to its main protagonist in the South China Sea dispute,… Read More

It is with pleasure that we share with you our November occasional paper, written by Senior Research Associate, Mark Davis M. Pablo. Entitled, “Frontline: Marawi”, the paper explores the constellation of enabling factors, which culminated in the militant takeover of Marawi. Domestically, the politics of rido or clan feud set a chain of events which… Read More

November 21, 2017 Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute The Philippines has just successfully concluded its hosting of the ASEAN (Association of Southeast Asian Nations) Summit and Related Summits, and some observers argue that the accession of ASEAN and China to kickstart negotiations on a Code of Conduct for the South China Sea… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President of the Stratbase ADR Institute In the past days President Duterte told Filipinos of his plan to be frank with China in bringing up Philippine and Asean concerns during their meeting at Apec in Vietnam. Specifically, he said he would press the urgency of Asean and China coming up with a Code… Read More