Paco A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute The thing about the rule of law in just and democratic societies is that laws should be applied evenly to everyone. It makes sense, since like any other set of rules, laws draw strength and legitimacy from a sense of stability and universality. This is important since… Read More

Edwin Santiago, Fellow and Member of the Editorial Board, Stratbase ADR Institute When the President says one thing and his apologists say another, quickly adding that we should not take Duterte’s word literally, you’ve probably heard that many times before. As soon as the dust settled on his election, President Duterte made known his threat… Read More

Dindo Manhit, President, Stratbase ADR Institute In his fourth year in office, President Duterte abrogated the Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA) with the United States. This is perhaps the realization of what he declared as his “independent foreign policy” at the start of his presidency. For many observers, however, the untimely abrogation and seemingly irrational reasons… Read More

The Stratbase ADR Institute and The Habibie Center’s ASEAN Studies Program held a public dialogue, Talking ASEAN, on “Preventing Violent Extremism through Good Governance and Rule of Law”, on 4 March 2020, Wednesday, in Makati City. This dialogue is a key activity of the Promoting Regional Resilience to Eradicate Violent Extremism through Inclusivity and Tolerance… Read More

Ren de los Santos, Fellow, Stratbase ADR Institute In a world that runs on the ideas of neoliberalism and free trade, transnational actors have reshaped how domestic politics work. After the downfall of communism — from the fall of the Berlin Wall to the transition of China into a global powerhouse of trade, and now,… Read More

Francesco “Paco” A. Pangalangan, Executive Director, Stratbase ADR Institute Censorship takes many forms. Marcos jailed journalists the likes of Teodoro M. Locsin Sr., Max Soliven, Chino Roces, and Louie Beltran. Arroyo raided the Manila Tribune. And while we’re at it, the Spanish colonizers executed Jose Rizal the author of subversive novels. The Duterte government’s Supreme… Read More

In 1998, the Philippines (PH) and the United States (US) heralded a new chapter in its long-standing alliance with the signing of the PH-US Visiting Forces Agreement (VFA). This agreement established necessary mechanisms for military exercises and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief (HADR) efforts in the Philippines. Moreover, it offers the strategic advantage of knowledge-sharing… Read More