by Kassie Fallorina || Illustration by Sophia Cabalona

We need change.  

Since 2016, the country has seen everything except the change it was promised. From social injustices to widespread poverty, the “Change is Coming” mantra seems to have taken a turn for the worst.  

As Duterte’s war on drugs continues on, so does the call for justice by the slain victims’ relatives. “Mahal na mahal ko ang anak ko at hindi ako papayag na ganyan na nga nangyari sa kanya tapos makakalimutan pa ng mga tao na walang hustisya para sa kamatayan niya. Nilakad ko iyong police report, hindi sila willing ibigay kahit ano. Marami silang dahilan,” Nanette Castillo told Rappler as she recalled how her son, Adrian, was killed by seven masked men in Tondo, Manila on October 2, 2017. (I love my son so much and I won’t allow that this happened to him only for his death to be forgotten— without justice— by the people. I went to the police; they aren’t willing to give me anything. They gave many reasons.)

In a survey conducted by the ASEAN Studies Centre, 53.7% of the participating Filipinos disapproved of the administration’s pandemic response—the highest among Southeast Asian countries. 

In the midst of the chaos, thousands of Filipinos took to social media to express their disappointment on the Philippine government’s lack of action and urgency, with posts including hashtags such as #OustDuterte and #DutertePalpak. However, these complaints seem to fall on deaf ears as people in power continue to turn a blind eye, leaving citizens to fend for themselves.  

We have lost trust in key institutions and seen our sovereignty handed away on a silver platter. We have witnessed how the innocent were accused and ruthlessly killed in the brutal campaign against drugs. We have had too many preventable deaths from a pandemic that the government belatedly responded to and still inefficiently deals with. 

Our democracy is crippling right before our eyes, and we need more than just social media posts and Twitter hashtags to restore it— we need strong, competent leaders. Leaders who will live by their constitutional promise of service to the country. Leaders who will take criticism as a step towards improvement and not as a threat for deposition. Leaders who will listen and take accountability for their actions.  

So, with less than a year until the 2022 elections, the difficult decision of whom to put in power now rests on our shoulders.  

“As of September 11, we already processed 63,364,932 registered voters,” Commission on Elections (COMELEC) Chairman Sheriff Abas told CNN Philippines on September 29. 

While this may seem like a big number, it is still 9.7 million short of the total number of voters eligible to vote in the 2022 polls. It is important to note that every vote wasted is a step taken back in the march towards restoring our democracy.  

To the individuals who haven’t registered yet, your country needs you now, more than ever. With the looming voter registration deadline on October 30, don’t look away, especially when so much is at stake. For you, for us, and for every Filipino deserving of good governance.  

One vote, may it be yours or someone else’s, could be the deciding factor that would either plunge us deeper into crisis or shed light amid the darkness. 

Change shouldn’t be left to chance anymore, because as we have learned the hard way, it is a choice that will determine how the story sees itself through. 

Kyle Abello ||

Photo credits: ABS-CBN News

After nearly three decades of professional boxing, Emmanuel Dapidran Pacquiao Sr.— better known as Manny Pacquiao— has decided to retire from the sport. However, even with the matches over, he is set to tussle for another title: the president of the Philippines.

While Pacquiao fits the criteria to run— as stated in Article VII, Section 2 of the 1987 Constitution— the boxer should observe the three requirements one should look for in a presidential candidate, according to late senator Miriam Defensor Santiago: academic, professional, and moral excellence.

To start, academic excellence. Pacquiao earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Political Science after a year of study last December 2019 from the University of Makati (UMak) through the Expanded Tertiary Education Equivalency and Accreditation Program (ETEEAP). However, UMak is not authorized by the Commission on Higher Education (CHEd) to issue the degree to Pacquiao. Although earning a bachelor’s degree is not a requirement to become president, it would be a risk to have a nation led by someone considerably uneducated. After all, the presidency is the highest position in the Philippine government and should not be treated as a training ground.

Second, professional excellence. Having the worst attendance record and no official mission in the senate, Pacquiao, as a senator, did not focus on being a lawmaker. Instead, he concentrated on boxing, participating in professional matches such as the fight with Ugas to reclaim the welterweight title. That being said, lawmaking became Pacquiao’s side job. He dedicated his attention to the sport when, instead, he could have utilized his years as senator to become more knowledgeable and efficient as a politician.

“‘Pag sa araw, wala akong iisipin kundi ang training ko. After training, relax-relax ako, tawag ako sa family and mga bata. After that, pag-uusapan ang work sa senate (During the day, I don’t think of anything but my training. After training, I’ll relax and call my family and the kids. After that, I’ll focus on my job in the senate.),” Pacquiao disclosed in an interview with Toni Gonzaga.

Third, moral excellence. As a known philanthropist, Pacquiao empathized with the poor, lending a hand to those in need and by offering free housing. Another point to note about him is that he has been known as a devout Christian throughout his career. While Pacquiao’s actions may be taken as a sign of good morals, it does not help the struggle of the Philippines to separate the state and religious beliefs. Furthermore, in an interview, Pacquiao made remarks directed at the LGBTQIA+ community, calling them ‘worse than animals’, which may have been influenced by the old ideologies of his religion.

In Pulse Asia’s latest pre-election survey, 12% of 2,400 Filipino voters support the boxer for the presidency. But, being a good boxer does not equate to being a good politician or president. Therefore, Filipinos should be more thorough in choosing who to vote for in the 2022 elections, especially if their top pick is Pacquiao. 

Manny Pacquiao may have united the nation and reignited the Filipinos’ nationalistic flame when his fights were on, but the presidency might not be the best fit for him nor the country. His intentions and platforms may be good, but the Philippines needs someone knowledgeable, compassionate, and well-versed on what is best for the nation.

Tiffany Glenne Afable || Illustration by Nathalia Canlas ||

Trigger warning: This article contains statements regarding sexual harassment and predatory behavior.

Sexual harassment must be condemned in all spaces, but most especially in establishments that are meant to be safe for young learners.

Unfortunately, this is becoming a common occurrence within said establishments. Incidents wherein the perpetrator is a close batchmate or a known upperclassman, or sometimes, even a trusted figure in the faculty have occurred with alarming frequency.

In the past two years, several schools have faced criticism and calls for safer learning environments. With hashtags like #MCHSDoBetter, #SPCPSQUAREUP, #USTSHSDoBetter, and #TimesUpAteneo, victims have come forward about their experiences, and student bodies have amplified their voices in order to create clamor and bring attention to these cases. 

In 2020, eleven victims— students of the Bulacan State University— shared their experiences of being sexually harassed by a teacher, which mostly occurred in their school’s computer laboratory. This sparked a movement among the student body, led by the #SafeSpacesLHSNow. More recently, a similar movement has risen among the Pisay community with the hashtag #PisayDoBetter after a number of students came forward with their stories that uncovered years worth of sexual harassment done by a well-known teacher in their campus. 

However, investigations on these cases don’t seem to be given the urgency they need.

Some educational institutions only write statements as a form of response to sexual harassment cases, such as in the case of the movement #TimesUpAteneo, which had risen within the Ateneo de Manila University’s student community. Many were disappointed with this response. Replies such as “Saddened lang? No mention that they should not tolerate it at all?” and “Last year pa ‘to ah. Hindi pa pala resolved ‘to?” were posted under the tweet. It is evident from these comments that it seems to take a long time before schools start to take action—poor action—on sexual harassment cases, as if the violation of their students’ security doesn’t  hold much gravity to them.

This kind of treatment has led victims to keep their trauma to themselves. Rather than perpetrators being afraid of the consequences of their actions, the way those in authority respond to such cases create an environment where it is instead the victims who fear the repercussions of coming forward. This place that students consider as their safeguard no longer feels secure.

With the countless times that different student bodies have clamored for justice, with the countless times hashtags like #ProtectYourStudents and #DoBetter have trended on social media, a disturbing pattern begins to emerge: some stories that had occurred years before had been kept in the dark because of how the perpetrator was a personality loved by many.

This then begs the questions: How many more of these stories are in the dark? How many more incidents are in the closets of these prestigious schools, rotting along with the other skeletons they have hidden? How many more victims have to be forced to keep silent? How many more cries have to be left unheard?

Students don’t want strict dress codes. They don’t want statements of sympathy. They want systematic change, which includes justice for the victims and accountability for the perpetrators. And so, this outrageous cycle of drawing a veil over the sexual harassment happening in schools has to stop, because for as long as this goes on, predators will continue to walk down school hallways; this nature that allows predators to run free and students to drown in their trauma must be eradicated.

To the teachers, you are considered as the second parents of these young learners. It is your duty to educate your students properly and to become a figure they can look up to. You must never use your authority as a pass to sexualize and take advantage of them, may it be a joke or not.

To the school administrators, every student has the right to feel secure in their learning environment, and it is your obligation to make sure nothing interferes with that. Your blatant ignorance of the sexual harassment and assault that happens within school hallways is what enables this culture to keep going, and it will continue to prey on your students until you finally decide to step in and act upon it. A reputation—no matter how glorious—is hollow when it stands in a graveyard of the stories you have sent to die without justice.

To the victims, whether you have come forward or are still finding the strength to tell your story, you are immensely courageous. This is your fight, and we will always stand by you. We will continue to push forward until a safe learning environment is made and fuel our voices until this cycle is lit ablaze.

Someday, we will finally see this culture in ashes.